Highlands Towns Get Six Month Extension to File COAH Plans
By: Henry T. Chou, Esq.
On August 12, 2009, the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) granted a six-month extension for fitfy-one towns in the Highlands region to file their affordable housing plans with COAH. The resolution extends the previous deadline of December 8, 2009 to June 8, 2010, which gives Highlands towns additional time to formulate their affordable housing plans based upon "build-out" analyses prepared by the New Jersey Highlands Council.
The extension, which was granted to all Highlands towns that had previously filed a "Notice of Intent" to conform to the Highlands Regional Master Plan, was necessary because the Highlands Council has not completed its "build-out" analyses for all towns in the Highlands. Municipal affordable housing obligations cannot be determined and housing plans to address those obligations cannot be formulated until "build-out" analyses are available.
Throughout the period of the extension, the scarce resource restraints imposed by COAH in November 2008 will continue to remain in place to protect land, sewer and water that is potentially needed for future affordable housing.