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Kenvue Site on Montgomery Committee Agenda Tonight, Officials to Ask for an 'Area in Need of Redevelopment' Study

6 hours ago
4 min read

By Barbara A. Preston | September 17, 2026


The Montgomery Township Committee will be voting on a resolution tonight to conduct a "Study for An Area in Need of Redevelopment for Kenvue Site" and "Authorizing Execution of Escrow Agreement with E. Kahn Development to Fund Costs Associated with Area in Need of Redevelopment Study and Potential Designation of Site," according to the meeting agenda. The meeting begins at 7 pm.


The Kenvue site, now owned be EKahn Development (EKD), is on the Montgomery Township Committee meeting agenda tonight.

Save Montgomery, a nonprofit group of concerned residents working to preserve the character and quality of life in Montgomery according to their mission statement, issued an urgent email to members. The subject line: "URGENT - Stop the township committee from a Kenvue developer give-away."


Bruce Afran, SaveMontgomery's attorney, said, in the email: "Any attempt by the township to seek redevelopment designation over the Kenvue property will fail in the courts if it amounts to cherry picking isolated instances of repair or maintenance needs and fails to identify true "blight" on the property. The Kenvue buildings are largely in a pristine state and are well suited to their intended uses or can be adaptively reused. Any attempt to impose a pretextual redevelopment designation to shortcut zoning rules will be carefully examined by SaveMontgomery.org and, in such case, litigation will almost certainly follow."


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At the time of this article, the resolution was not available on the township website. The Montgomery News asked Township Administrator and Planner Lori Savron for more information on the resolution, and she referred the newspaper to the agenda.


Agenda items for the September 17 Township Committee meeting.

SaveMontgomery is encouraging concerned residents to attend this meeting and to "let your voice be heard."


"We urge you to tell the committee that you are opposed to this study and that they should vote no," according to the email. "We believe the purpose of this study is to clear the way for the developer E Kahn to build a high-density housing development or data center on the Kenvue site."


SaveMontgomery said they are concerned the township will employ the same consultant, Clarke Caton Hintz of Trenton, which previously handed the township a study supporting a 417-unit housing development.

"By voting in favor of this study, the township committee members will be voting against the residents of Montgomery who have already made their opinions known—we do not want a high-density housing development on the Kenvue site. There is no reason for the township government to grant the zoning changes required for one to be built, or to support the developer-funded study justifying it."


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What Is an Area in Need of Redevelopment?

Under N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-5, an area qualifies for this designation if it meets specific statutory conditions, such as:

  • Dilapidated or unsafe buildings with poor ventilation, light, or sanitary facilities.

  • Significant commercial vacancies, including abandoned retail stores, shopping malls, or office parks vacant for two or more consecutive years.

  • Areas underutilized or stagnant due to defective land arrangements, diverse ownership, or title issues. 


Key Benefits for a Developer

  • Zoning Flexibility: Municipalities can adopt custom site-specific zoning standards for permitted uses, building heights, and density that override restrictive local zoning ordinances.

  • Financial Incentives: Property owners and developers can qualify for long-term tax exemptions or PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreements.

  • Public-Private Partnerships: The New Jersey Local Redevelopment and Housing Law (LRHL) allows towns and owners to enter formal redevelopment agreements to streamline project approvals

  • Redevelopment Area Bonds: Towns gain the ability to issue specialized bonds to help finance necessary infrastructure improvements supporting the area.

An aerial view of the Kenvue site in Skillman. The office building is listed as "For Sale" on LoopNet. The property was built and previously occupied by Johnson & Johnson.
Photo from LoopNet.

The LoopNet advertisement, as of September 17, states:

"199 Grandview Rd is a large-scale industrial/manufacturing campus located in Montgomery Township. Zoned LM (Light Manufacturing), the property offers a wide range of permitted industrial, R&D, and redevelopment uses and features a campus-style layout with substantial excess land for future expansion, subject to approvals. The site was historically owned and occupied by Johnson & Johnson, reflecting long-term institutional ownership and corporate-grade infrastructure. Situated within the Skillman life-science and corporate corridor near Princeton, the property benefits from proximity to Route 206, Route 518, and I-287, providing efficient access throughout Central and Northern New Jersey, as well as a strong surrounding labor pool and research presence."


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Kenvue Site History

  • E. Kahn Development, (EKD), filed a lawsuit on July 31, 2026 in Superior Court against Montgomery Township. The developer says local officials passed a data center ban without a valid reason amid ongoing disputes over the future of the 257-acre property, which is zoned for limited-manufacturing.


Click here to view the NJ Superior Court lawsuit EKahn filed on July 31, 2026.


Click images below to read articles.


SaveMontgomery Concludes: "We find it particularly egregious that despite their many promises of what they refer to as “transparency,” the township government has once again apparently negotiated a deal with a developer behind closed doors and only advised the public after the deal was done. It's troubling that no notice has been given to the public other than the minimum required by law, and the items to approve the study are buried at the end of a long agenda, perhaps in hope that residents will be dissuaded from speaking their minds. It hardly seems coincidental that the vote is scheduled for Back-to-School night, when many parents will be unable to attend the township committee meeting."


SaveMontgomery: "We intend to use all the resources at our disposal to fight this study and to oppose any plans for a high-density housing development on the Kenvue site. If our township leaders are foolish enough to suppose that they've found a quick and easy way to make developer-instigated lawsuits go away, they are mistaken. If lawsuits are all our government leaders understand, we are hereby putting them on notice: We know how to file lawsuits too."


Montgomery Township Committee Meeting

Current Leadership

  • Mayor: Neena Singh

  • Deputy Mayor: Patricia Taylor Todd

  • Committee Members:  Mike Martin, Dennis Ahn, Doug Herring


 

  

 

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