Many people of the Borough of Rumson have just learned about a gag ordered deal to rezone two large parcels for a developers personal gain under the name of Affordable Housing, while not actually providing any affordable housing units to the Borough. A meeting was held 1/14/20 and council is being forced to sign the developers agreement by 1/17/20 with no granted extensions for the public to intervene on a topic that affects public safety, public health, schools, taxes, and property values.
The Town of Rumson, the Residents, should have been given a chance to find alternative methods of satisfying affordable housing in compliance with COAH standards. This back room deal that the council and mayor worked on may have been done as a lesser of evils with understanding and risk assessment to avoid court ordered rulings, but residents have not been given a chance to organize to and present better community funded and supported initiatives.
We understand our responsibility to comply with affordable housing, and would like the opportunity to move forward toward compliance as a community. Let’s start with a not-for-profit Community Development Corporation “The Rumson Development Corporation”. Together as a community we have resources, the wherewithal, and the support to see through a proper solution for the people.
