Plan for Franklin Lakes property continues to change with third version heading to hearing

Marsha A. Stoltz, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·2 min read

A third hybrid plan for the 89-acre Cigna/IBM/Express Scripts property in Franklin Lakes will be be the subject of a Borough Council public hearing Thursday.

The third plan, for which a map was not yet available, proposes:

  • 495 multi-housing units built by developer S. Hekemian Group, 62 of those units afforadable;

  • 3.5-acre donation for borough construction of 65 affordable housing units;

  • 70,000 square feet of retail/office space.

  • A non-warehouse "federal use" option to replace 245 of the multi-housing units.

"It is anticipated that resolutions approving a settlement agreement with Hekemian, and approving a settlement agreement with Fair Share Housing Center, will be scheduled for consideration at the meeting," Borough Administrator Gregory Hart said Monday.

A hearing set for Sept. 5 on a previous plan was tabled Aug. 15, Hart said.

Plan 2 for the 89-acre Cigna/IBM/Express Scripts property in Franklin Lakes called for 305 multi-housing units of which 85 to 100 would be affordable, retail space and two warehouses totaling 495,000 square feet.
Plan 2 for the 89-acre Cigna/IBM/Express Scripts property in Franklin Lakes called for 305 multi-housing units of which 85 to 100 would be affordable, retail space and two warehouses totaling 495,000 square feet.

If the resolutions are approved Thursday, the new settlement "will require a new ordinance to be adopted" implementing those terms, Hart said. The borough therefore announced that it is rescheduling a Superior Court hearing to determine whether its newest proposal meets the center's criteria for providing its "fair share" of affordable housing, moving it from Aug. 24 to Oct. 24.

The proposal differs from January's Plan 1, which proposed 640 multi-housing units, of which 156 would be affordable, plus 50,000 square feet of retail space. No vote was taken on that plan. Residents objected to the impact on schools and emergency services from that proposal.

It also differs from Plan 2, approved by Borough Council in March, calling for 305 multi-housing units, of which 85 to 100 would be affordable, 50,000 square feet of retail space, and two warehouses totaling 495,000 square feet. Residents objected to the impact of truck traffic on one of the main thoroughfares.

Borough Attorney William Smith could not be reached to clarify whether a petition filed by residents will impose a "super majority" requirement on the council to approve the agreements or to change the zoning. The council was split 3-3 in its initial approval vote for Plan 2 in March, with Mayor Charles Kahwaty casting the tiebreaking vote in favor.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Franklin Lakes NJ Cigna property plan at third version