Morse Avenue Affordable Housing Overlay Zone Ordinance
On March 20, 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law bill A4/S50 (P.L. 2024, c.2), which amended the Fair Housing Act, and required each municipality to provide its fair share of affordable housing obligation for the Fourth Round from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2035 under the Mount Laurel Doctrine based on a new process and updated methodology.
In accordance with the new law, the Township adopted and endorsed a Fourth Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan in June 2025, which provides that a portion of the Township’s Fourth Round Unmet Need is to be addressed by establishing an overlay zone for Block 7802, Lots 13 and 14 which shall permit a maximum residential density of 15 units per acre with a required minimum 20% affordable housing set-aside. The ordinance also sets design standards, open space requirements, landscaping requirements, and affordable housing requirements within the Morse Avenue Affordable Housing Overlay Zone.
The ordinance is required to be adopted by March 16, 2026 per state statute and the signed Consent Order for Conditional Compliance Certification filed with the Superior Court of New Jersey on December 15, 2025, which carries out the Township’s affordable housing obligations. The Morse Avenue Overlay Zone ordinance was introduced and passed upon first reading on January 27, 2026. The public hearing on this ordinances will be held on March 10, 2026 at 7:00pm in the municipal building council chamber (court room) at the Township Municipal Building, 430 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
Please see ordinance and exhibit below that will be considered at the March 10 meeting. If you have any questions about the ordinance, please contact Thomas Strowe, Director of Planning & Community Development at (908) 322-6700 ext. 317 or
Ordinance 2026-4 (Morse Avenue Affordable Housing Overlay)
Click here to view the full ordinance.
Click here to view the full exhibit.