The City of Lambertville Council and Mayor Andrew Nowick will hold a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 6, at the Phillip L. Pittore Justice Center at 25 South Union Street to discuss the issue of affordable housing in the community.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will also see the introduction of the newly formed Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. Monday’s special meeting is expected to not only discuss these developments but also potentially adopt a resolution regarding Lambertville’s approach to meeting its affordable housing obligations.
In addition to attending in person, residents can join the meeting virtually.
Affordable housing has long been a hot topic in the City of Lambertville, which has limited space for new development. A recent plan to develop the former Lambertville High School site into housing fell apart.
The special session is in response to a New Jersey state law enacted early last year, which mandates each town to establish a “fair share” of affordable housing for the next decade, under guidelines set by what is known as the Mount Laurel doctrine.
The doctrine states that all municipalities must contribute to the state’s affordable housing needs.
In October, state officials announced that New Jersey is looking to add over 84,000 affordable homes in its suburbs by 2035. The City of Lambertville has been assigned to add 39 affordable housing units by 2035, a target the city must formally accept or reject in a resolution by Jan. 31.
The meeting comes on the heels of a judicial decision where a Mercer County superior court judge dismissed a motion by 26 municipalities to halt the state’s fourth round of affordable housing calculations. The municipalities had sought to pause the process while a related lawsuit was pending. However, the judge ruled against the delay, citing the pressing need for affordable housing, according to news organization Gothamist.
The City of Lambertville has opted not to join the lawsuit, with city officials expressing concerns over the potential financial burdens of such legal action.
During the November council meeting, Nowick stated the city should not participate in the lawsuit, while Councilmember Evan Lide highlighted the high costs associated with joining the legal challenge.
At the December council meeting, Councilmember Karen Kominsky said there are a lot of questions that remain about the affordable housing fourth round and the meeting should provide a full explanation for residents and officials.
Councilmember Benedetta Lambert said in December that there were unanswered questions that the state needed to clarify before the city passes a resolution.
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