FAR HILLS – Even one of the richest towns in New Jersey isn’t immune to the affordable housing construction boom.
The borough Planning Board has approved 105 townhomes and 29 apartments on the east side of Route 202, north of Fox Hill Lane, as part of the municipality’s affordable-housing court settlement.
Pulte Homes of New Jersey, based in neighboring Bernards, has proposed that the project, originally named Residences at Overleigh, will have 105 age-restricted for-sale townhomes, 25 non-age restricted affordable apartments and four age-restricted affordable apartments.
The Planning Board started holding public hearings on the project in July, approved it in January and formally memorialized its decision on Monday.
An architectural rendering of the proposed age-restricted townhomes in Far Hills
The 41.54-acre property, which is primarily wooded and has a few existing dwellings, will be subdivided into two lots, one for the townhomes and one for the apartments. The apartments will be built by Pulte, but will be owned and leased by Melillo Equities, which has been the owner of the entire tract.
The property is located in a zone created as part of the borough’s affordable housing settlement with the Fair Share Housing Center.
An 1,800-square-foot sewer treatment building will be built on the site.
Jim Mullen, director of land entitlements for the Northeast Corridor Division of Pulte, told the Planning Board last year that the project will have a three-year build-out once all approvals are given.
“Pulte is very excited to be in the Borough of Far Hills, to have this opportunity for the first time to build there,” Mullen told the Planning Board.
He said that the project will be different from Creekside, Pulte’s larger age-restricted community, off Route 202 in Raritan Township.
“It will look more like the Borough of Far Hills versus Hunterdon County, Raritan Township community,” he said.
Mullen also said the cost of the townhomes will be market-driven and could be in the range of $800,000 to $900,000.
– Mike Deak