Fight for affordable housing heats up

From: The Leader
By: Susan C. Moller

RUTHERFORD, NJ —The number of affordable housing units to be included in plans for the Highland Cross Redevelopment Area in Rutherford remains in dispute.

Linque-H.C. Partners, LLC, the developer that owns the controversial property east of Route 17, filed a lawsuit Friday, Sept. 18, challenging the 2008 regulations established by the state’s Council on Affordable Housing — the agency charged with insuring that the state’s court-mandated affordable housing quotas are met.

When Rutherford submitted its affordable housing plan to COAH, officials included Highland Cross as a possible location of low-income units, despite historic opposition from residents. By submitting the plan, borough officials were hopeful that Rutherford would be deemed compliant and protected from litigation-induced loss of zoning power.

But, the borough’s efforts, and the COAH regulations on which they were based, have not met with approval from Linque.

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