By Lori Savron | Posted April 4, 2025
Zoning evolves based on foundational planning principles, economic shifts, public needs, and legal obligations. One property, a 154-acre parcel located at Scarborough Road and Route 206 in Belle Mead, has a fascinating zoning history that illustrates the evolving needs and priorities of a community over a 65-year period. You may be aware of the redevelopment plan for the last undeveloped 20-acres of this property, advancing the Thrive at Montgomery continuing care facility project, and benefiting the town with additional affordable housing and an improved layout and design. However, examining how we got there reveals our town’s broader land use priorities to manage growth, resist highway expansions, and protect the environment.
Beginning in 1960, the 154-acre parcel was initially zoned for manufacturing, and shifted a decade later to regional commercial (akin to Bridgewater Commons mall) responding to external factors like infrastructure proposals and economic conditions, as there was anticipation of the Interstate 95 extension (that never came to fruition) and rising popularity of indoor shopping malls that would become social hubs with movie theaters, food courts, and retail options.
The 1980s brought corporate office park rezoning, and added Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) as a conditional use following the Township’s successful fight against a proposal by Somerset County and NJDEP to locate a landfill on this site for ash waste from a garbage incinerator being proposed elsewhere. As you can imagine, the potential for a 70- acre, 85-foot-high mound of ash waste raised significant environmental concerns by the town.
There is space near Meadows at Montgomery zoned for a Continuing Care Facility.
Fast forward 32 years to 2017, when the property was once again rezoned, this time to settle a dispute over affordable housing which caused protracted negotiations over a seven year period, and culminated in the Township’s successful reduction of the developer’s initial proposal of 623 housing units plus 300,000 square feet of retail, down to 148 single family homes (Country Club Estates), 96 age-restricted apartments (Meadows at Montgomery), and a Continuing Care Facility (CCF) which would have 222 units. The settlement allowed the Township to meet its affordable housing obligation. A property with a long history of zoning changes and development proposals often serves as a microcosm of the evolving needs and priorities of its community.
Each change in zoning or development plan can reflect shifting economic pressures, population growth, or changes in community values, such as the push for sustainability or affordable housing. While these changes can pave the way for progress - bringing in new amenities, economic opportunities, or housing options - they can also spark concerns over traffic, environmental impacts, or strain on municipal services.
Redevelopment planning is fundamentally a site specific examination of property history and how market conditions and other factors have impeded development, but there are safeguards to help avoid haphazard development, minimize conflicts between land uses, and create cohesive, sustainable environments.
Montgomery’s master plan is a comprehensive strategy to guide how land is developed, preserved, and managed over an extended period, often decades. It focuses on balancing community needs, environmental sustainability, and economic growth while preparing for future challenges like population increases, infrastructure demands, or climate change. Under state law, a redevelopment plan must align with the town’s master plan. With the Thrive redevelopment, Montgomery ensured objectives for nodal development in Belle Mead established in the 1989 and 2001 master plans were followed for a development mix that balances residential and non-residential uses in that node.
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Other objectives of foundational land use policy and zoning decisions include past decisions to limit highway expansion, opposing projects like the widening of Route 206, the extension of Interstate 95, and the construction of a new east-west connector known as State Route 92 in the area of Blue Spring Road to connect with the NJ Turnpike. These decisions protected the town from town-wide explosive growth, but had other impacts too, including the funneling of traffic through just two main north-south routes, 206 and 601, as the Millstone River and Sourland Mountain form physical barriers that limit realistic options to expand east-west connectivity.
The Township’s successful open space and farmland preservation program (representing nearly 40% of the land area), in turn channels development pressure to areas that are not preserved, which then benefits a policy objective for preference of redevelopment and reuse of brownfield sites over greenfield sites. Local voices shape future This property’s journey showcases the delicate balance between growth and maintaining a community’s character, as well as the importance of involving local voices in shaping its future. A public hearing on the redevelopment plan is scheduled for April 17 at 7 pm. Other properties in town are also under review and I encourage residents to participate in those public meetings and be part of the discussion.
All of the inclusive playground components were delivered last month and installation will be underway at the municipal complex. Once completed, this will be the first inclusive playground in Montgomery. While much of the playground costs are covered through grants already received, businesses and residents that would like to donate, please reach out to John Groeger, Parks & Recreation Director.
Montgomery Township operates a food pantry for those residents in need of help. Located at the Otto Kaufman Community Center at 356 Skillman Road, please contact 609-466-3023 for more information. Arrangements can be made for evening pick up.
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Somerset County Director of Recycling has advised that 55% of the homes in the County have received the new totes. These new totes require use of a custom-made truck with an automated arm for which the County currently has three with two more being delivered shortly. Delivery of a new truck typically takes 1 ½ years. The next Montgomery development to receive the totes is 267 homes in the vicinity of Old Spring Hill Road within the next month. Other neighborhoods will follow in 2026.
Last month, NJ American Water was back onsite at Montgomery Promenade working to complete the waterline that serves the project and vertical construction of retail buildings is underway.
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