Fair Share Housing Center, Inc. v. the Zoning Board Of

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-1535-12T2
A-1537-12T2
A-1538-12T2
A-1731-12T2
A-1732-12T2
FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER,
INC.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
APPROVED FOR PUBLICATION
v.
July 28, 2015
THE ZONING BOARD OF THE
APPELLATE DIVISION
CITY OF HOBOKEN,
Defendant-Respondent,
and
ADVANCE AT HOBOKEN, LLC,
Defendant/Third-Party
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
CITY OF HOBOKEN and THE
MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF HOBOKEN,
Third-Party Defendants-
Appellants.
FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER,
INC.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
THE ZONING BOARD OF THE
CITY OF HOBOKEN,
Defendant-Respondent,
and
1415 PARK AVENUE, LLC,
Defendant/Third-Party
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
CITY OF HOBOKEN and THE
MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF HOBOKEN,
Third-Party Defendants-
Appellants.
FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER,
INC.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
THE ZONING BOARD OF THE
CITY OF HOBOKEN,
Defendant-Respondent,
and
9TH MONROE, LLC,
Defendant/Third-Party
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
CITY OF HOBOKEN and THE
2 A-1535-12T2
MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF HOBOKEN,
Third-Party Defendants-
Appellants.
FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER,
INC.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
THE ZONING BOARD OF THE
CITY OF HOBOKEN and
NEW JERSEY CASKET COMPANY, INC.,
Defendants-Respondents.
Argued December 3, 2014 - Decided July 28, 2015
Before Judges Fuentes, Ashrafi and Kennedy.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New
Jersey, Law Division, Hudson County, Docket
Nos. L-3643-11, L-5052-11, L-733-12, and L-
1978-12.
Kevin D. Walsh argued the cause for
appellant Fair Share Housing Center.
Ronald D. Cucchiaro argued the cause for
appellants City of Hoboken and Mayor and
Council of the City of Hoboken (Weiner
Lesniak, LLP, attorneys; Mr. Cucchiaro and
Richard Brigliadoro, on the brief).
Jennifer Phillips Smith argued the cause for
respondent Advance at Hoboken, LLC (Gibbons
P.C., attorneys; Ms. Smith, on the brief).
Kevin J. Coakley argued the cause for
respondents 1415 Park Avenue, LLC, 9th
3 A-1535-12T2
Monroe, LLC, and New Jersey Casket Company,
Inc., (Connell Foley, LLP, attorneys; Mr.
Coakley, of counsel; Meghan B. Burke and
Genevieve L. Horvath, on the brief).
Dennis M. Galvin argued the cause for
respondent Zoning Board of the City of
Hoboken (Galvin Law Firm, attorneys; Mr.
Galvin, on the brief).
The opinion of the court was delivered by
FUENTES, P.J.A.D.
These are five consolidated appeals filed to determine the
enforceability of an affordable housing ordinance adopted by the
City of Hoboken. Plaintiff Fair Share Housing Center (Fair
Share) filed three of the appeals against four developers:
Advance at Hoboken, LLC (Advance) and 1415 Park Avenue, LLC
(1415 Park) (both respondents in A-1535-12); 9th Monroe, LLC
(9th Monroe) (A-1537-12); and New Jersey Casket Company, Inc.
(NJ Casket) (A-1538-12). The City and the City's Mayor and
Council (City appellants) filed the two additional appeals
against Advance and 1415 Park (A-1731-12), and against 9th
Monroe (A-1732-12).
Each of the four developers named as defendants in this
case received significant relief from the City's zoning laws in
the form of variances from the Zoning Board of Adjustment
(Zoning Board), conditioned upon the developers' compliance with
the City's affordable housing ordinance. The trial court held
4 A-1535-12T2
the ordinance was "null, void, and unenforceable" because it
violated statewide affordable housing policies. The court
invalidated the zoning approval conditions imposed by the Zoning
Board, relieved the developers from their obligation to comply
with the ordinance's provisions, and enjoined the City from
enforcing or imposing "any requirement against the parties to
construct affordable housing units and/or collect any monetary
contribution related to the affordable housing from the
parties[.]" Ultimately, the court dismissed with prejudice Fair
Share's complaints and denied its motion for reconsideration.
Since these appeals were filed and argued, our Supreme
Court decided In re N.J.A.C. 5:96 & 5:97, 221 N.J. 1, 6 (2015),
which effectively eliminated, "until further order," the
requirement to exhaust administrative remedies under the Fair
Housing Act (FHA), N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301 to -329.4, and directed
trial courts to resolve municipalities' constitutional
obligations under Mount Laurel.1 Thus, to the extent the trial
court's decision here depended upon the Council on Affordable
Housing's (COAH) availability as an administrative forum or its
obligation to perform the responsibilities imposed by the
1
S. Burlington Cnty. N.A.A.C.P. v. Twp. of Mount Laurel (Mt.
Laurel II), 92 N.J. 158 (1983); S. Burlington Cnty. N.A.A.C.P.
v. Twp. of Mount Laurel (Mt. Laurel I), 67 N.J. 151, appeal
dismissed and cert. denied, 423 U.S. 808, 96 S. Ct. 18, 46 L.
Ed. 2d 28 (1975).
5 A-1535-12T2
Legislature through the FHA, those issues are now moot.
Notwithstanding the current state of affairs with respect
to COAH, we are compelled to address the issues raised by Fair
Share in order to dispel any doubt concerning the enforceability
of the City's affordable housing ordinance. We now reverse the
trial court's order invalidating the City's affordable housing
ordinance decision. Consequently, we hold the trial court erred
in invalidating the zoning approval conditions related to
compliance with the ordinance's provisions as to all of the
developers named as defendants by Fair Share and remand for the
trial court to adjudicate the remaining legal issues raised by
the parties.
The trial court misconstrued the FHA and the case law
applying it. There is no provision in the FHA or regulations
promulgated by COAH requiring municipalities to submit all
ordinances that impact a municipality's affordable housing
obligation to COAH for approval. The "substantive
certification" provided by COAH to those municipalities seeking
its protection from builder's remedy suits2 is entirely
2
As Judge Cuff explained in In re Adoption of N.J.A.C. 5:94 &
5:95, 390 N.J. Super. 1, 17 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 192
N.J. 71 (2007), a "builder's remedy" suit was a scheme devised
by the Court in Mt. Laurel II "for the consistent and hopefully
expeditious resolution of litigation." (Citation omitted).
6 A-1535-12T2
voluntary. N.J.S.A. 52:27D-313(a). The Legislature enacted the
FHA and established COAH "to oversee the development of low and
moderate income housing throughout the state through a system of
voluntary participation by municipalities in the COAH process."
Toll Bros., Inc. v. Twp. of W. Windsor, 173 N.J. 502, 513 (2002)
(emphasis added).
In the interest of clarity, we also expressly reverse the
trial court's decision invalidating the section in the ordinance
that provides for voluntary payments by developers in lieu of
compliance with the ordinance's affordable housing requirements.
The trial court conflated development fees under N.J.A.C. 5:97-
8.3, with the payments in lieu, created "as an option to the on-
site construction of affordable housing otherwise required by
ordinance," authorized by N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.4 and sanctioned by
N.J.S.A. 52:27D-329.3.
Before we begin our analysis, we will briefly describe the
procedural trek these cases took before they ended up before us
in this consolidated appeal.
I
From July 7, 2011 to April 17, 2012, Fair Share filed four
individual actions in lieu of prerogative writs seeking
declaratory and injunctive relief against the Zoning Board and
the following private developers: Advance, 1415 Park, 9th
7 A-1535-12T2
Monroe, and NJ Casket. Fair Share sought compliance with the
City's affordable housing ordinance in the form of a judicial
declaration that any zoning approvals these developers received
be deemed void or enjoined, unless each one filed a "plan of
compliance" with the affordable housing ordinance.
All four developers named as defendants by Fair Share filed
answers asserting a variety of affirmative defenses including
challenges to Fair Share's standing to raise these issues,
attacking the timeliness of the actions in lieu of prerogative
writs pursuant to Rule 4:69-6, and challenging the validity,
enforceability, and constitutionality of the affordable housing
ordinance.
Three of the four developers also filed cross-claims
against the Zoning Board and third-party complaints against the
City and the Mayor and Council, asserting, inter alia, estoppel
based on the City's failure to enforce the affordable housing
ordinance and the Zoning Board's failure to condition prior
approvals upon compliance with the affordable housing ordinance.
Citing 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983 and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act,
N.J.S.A. 10:6-2, the developers also asserted violations of
their constitutional right to due process, private property
rights, and inverse condemnation. They all sought counsel fees
under 42 U.S.C.A. § 1988 and N.J.S.A. 10:6-2(e).
8 A-1535-12T2
The Zoning Board and City appellants all responded to the
cross-claims and third-party actions.
Common Core of Operative Facts
The record before us includes the minutes from three 1988
City Council meetings regarding the adoption of the City's
affordable housing ordinance. Included as part of this record
are minutes from a special session of the City Council held on
May 4, 1988. The subject for discussion at this special meeting
was denoted, "[t]o meet and discuss Hoboken's Affordable Housing
with representatives from [COAH]." In attendance were the
City's Law Director, CDA3 Director, and Arthur Bernard on behalf
of COAH. Two weeks later, at the meeting held on May 18, 1988,
the City Council unanimously adopted the affordable housing
ordinance. The Mayor signed the ordinance into law on May 19,
1988.
The Ordinance
The ordinance titled, "An Ordinance Requiring the Provision
of Affordable Housing Units and Providing for Voluntary
Contributions in Lieu of Such Housing as a Part of New
Construction and Substantial Rehabilitation of Existing
Buildings in the City of Hoboken," contains five "Whereas"
clauses setting forth the factual basis and public policy goals
3
"CDA" stands for "Community Development Agency."
9 A-1535-12T2
driving its passage:
WHEREAS, the City of Hoboken has
determined that an emergency exists in the
city with respect to availability of
affordable housing for household[s] of low
and moderate income; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Council on
Affordable Housing has found that the City
of Hoboken has a responsibility to provide
additional low and moderate income housing,
and whereas such obligation has been
affirmed by the Supreme Court in [S.
Burlington Cnty. N.A.A.C.P. v. Twp. of Mount
Laurel], 92 N.J. 158 ("Mt. Laurel II"), and
WHEREAS, the absence of federal housing
subsidies renders it impossible for the City
of Hoboken to provide affordable housing
with available public resources commensurate
with the need for such housing or the legal
obligation of the City of Hoboken; and
WHEREAS, the limited availability of
vacant land in the City of Hoboken, coupled
with the high cost of that land and the
strength of the market demand for luxury
housing, has resulted in a situation where
the need for affordable housing cannot
realistically be met through the efforts of
private developers acting voluntarily to
provide affordable housing through their own
resources; and
WHEREAS, the use of an inclusionary or
mandatory set aside ordinance as a means of
bringing about the production of affordable
housing is not only urged in Mt. Laurel II
and in the New Jersey Fair Housing Act,
c.222, P.L. 1985, but has been demonstrated
to be an effective means of producing
affordable housing without placing
unreasonable burdens on private developers.
10 A-1535-12T2
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the
Mayor and City Council of the City of
Hoboken, New Jersey, as follows . . . .
What "followed" is a comprehensive plan to encourage and
bring about the development of affordable housing in Hoboken.
In a case-specific context, the ordinance sets "General
Standards" for the construction of new housing and the
rehabilitation of existing stock, with mandatory set-asides
based on the scope of the projects. It includes a provision
requiring affordable units in a particular development where it
is "especially suited for senior citizen housing by virtue of
physical character and location." It also provides developers
with the option of making a "voluntary cash contribution to the
Trust Fund created by this Ordinance, or a voluntary
contribution of land and improvements to the City of Hoboken in
lieu of constructing all or part of the affordable housing units
required by this Ordinance." The ordinance is codified under
Article XVII of the City Code, §§ 196-68 to -81.
As it relates to this case, the key provisions of the
ordinance are:
A. All development of residential property
in the City of Hoboken, taking place either
through the construction of new structures
on vacant land or through the substantial
rehabilitation of existing structures except
as herein provided below, shall include low
and moderate income housing in the
proportions specified below and consistent
11 A-1535-12T2
with the standards and conditions of this
Article.
. . . .
C. Each development subject to this
Article shall contain the following
percentage of units to be provided for
affordable housing.
(1) Where all affordable units
provided pursuant to this Article are
located on site, ten percent (10%) of the
total number of units.
. . . .
(4) Pursuant to § 196-73 below, the
city may enter into an agreement with a
developer to allow the developer to make a
voluntary cash contribution in lieu of
providing the affordable units required by
this subsection.
[Hoboken, N.J., Code § 196-69(A), (C)
(1988).]
For each development subject to the ordinance, the
developer is required to provide a plan of compliance with
certain described features, and no preliminary site plan
approval (or if none is needed, then no construction permit)
shall be granted unless and until the compliance plan has been
approved by the City's planning board. § 196-69(D)(1)-(2). Any
development plan that is artificially subdivided to evade the
ordinance's provisions shall be disapproved. § 196-69(D)(4)-
(5). There are criteria for the board to permit affordable
housing units to be provided off site, § 196-71, or for the
12 A-1535-12T2
developer to make a payment in lieu of constructing affordable
housing, § 196-73.
The payment in lieu provision includes the following:
A. Projects subject to the provisions of
this Article may elect, with the approval of
the Board, to make a voluntary cash
contribution to the trust fund created by
this Article or a voluntary contribution of
land and improvements to the City of Hoboken
in lieu of constructing all or part of the
affordable housing units required by this
Article.
B. The Board is authorized to approve a
voluntary cash contribution under this
section only upon written findings,
supported by the record, that such a
contribution will further the housing
policies of the City of Hoboken more than
the construction of affordable units at the
time in question. In making such findings,
the Board shall consider and report on the
following factors:
(1) The number of units that can be
built or low/moderate income households
preserved with the cash contribution vs. the
number of new units required to be built.
(2) The availability and stage of
readiness of affordable housing projects on
which the trust funds can be expended.
(3) The reasons which make the
provision of actual units impractical.
C. The opportunity to make a voluntary
cash contribution in lieu of providing
affordable housing is not intended to be and
should not be construed as a right available
to developers at their sole option. The
policy of this Article favors provision of
actual affordable units.
13 A-1535-12T2
[§ 196-73.]
This provision describes, in great detail, the calculations for
the amount of contribution permitted. § 196-73(D).
The section captioned, "Construal of contribution
provisions," reads as follows:
The provisions of this Article
regarding contributions in lieu of providing
affordable housing units are to be construed
an alternative that may be voluntarily
chosen by developers, which alternative has
not generally been offered in inclusionary
ordinances adopted by other municipalities
and which is not required by any statutory
provision, administrative regulation or
court decision to be offered by the City of
Hoboken and, therefore, rather than imposing
a burden on developers, has the effect of
mitigating any potential economic costs on
developers created by the imposition of the
inclusionary affordable housing requirements
of this Article.
[§ 196-78.]
Finally, there is a severability clause intended to
insulate the legally viable sections of the ordinance from any
taint created by a provision a court may find unenforceable: "If
any provision of this Ordinance is declared invalid, such
invalidity shall no [sic] affect any other provision of this
Ordinance which can be given effect, and to this end the
provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be severable."
The Hoboken Master Plan
Part of the record Advance submitted to the trial court is
14 A-1535-12T2
a copy of the housing element from the City's April 2004 Master
Plan, which contained overview information about the City's
housing stock and affordable housing needs. It describes the
City as "a mature urban community with a diverse residential
population with respect to race, income level and age, and in
the housing opportunities it provides for its residents."
According to the 2004 master plan, the City's "wide array of
housing types rang[ed] from public housing projects to million-
dollar condominiums" and included "some one- and two-family
homes, most of which [were] constructed as row-houses,
apartments above stores, and numerous low-rise, mid-rise, and
high-rise residential buildings."
The plan showed a number of differences between the City's
housing characteristics and the rest of Hudson County. Census
figures compiled from 1990 to 2000 show the City experienced a
higher percentage in growth in the number of housing units than
did Hudson County, fourteen percent as compared to five percent.
The City's median dwelling unit value was nearly three times the
county-wide median value, and the City's median contract rent
was more than forty percent higher than the county-wide level,
"indicating the expensive housing stock value in [the City]."
The City's rents were also significantly higher than the rent
paid by the rest of the residents of Hudson County. The median
15 A-1535-12T2
gross rent in the City in 2000 was $1002, compared to $703 for
Hudson County. However, in Hoboken, the median rent increased
from $511 in 1990 to $1002 in 2000. The master plan noted this
was "a jump of just under 50 percent when adjusted for
inflation."
The City had a development moratorium from 1992 to 1997,
due to a lack of sewer capacity. A construction boom followed
after the regionalization of sewer services via the North Hudson
Sewerage Authority.4 Nearly all new residential construction
that followed involved multi-family units. The master plan's
authors considered it "unlikely that new affordable housing will
be constructed without government action or other intervention
in the real estate market. In fact, some existing affordable
units may lose their affordability controls when their
restrictions mandating below-market rents expire."
4
The North Hudson Sewerage Authority was established in 1988 as
part of a Consent Order in a regulatory enforcement action
brought by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), compelling local communities to relinquish control of
their sewer service. The Authority services the sewerage
disposal needs of the residents of Hoboken, Union City,
Weehawken, and West New York. The EPA and the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection lifted a ten-year ban on
sewer connections in these four municipalities in 1994. This
sparked the reclamation and development of the Hudson River
waterfront in Hoboken and Weehawken. N. Hudson Sewerage Auth.,
Authority History, N. Hudson Sewerage Auth.,
http://www.nhudsonsa.com/About/history.html (last visited July
13, 2015).
16 A-1535-12T2
Between 1990 and 2000, the City's population increased
sixteen percent, from 33,397 to 38,577 residents. Just above
half of the City's population was in the twenty-five to forty-
four-year-old age bracket; growth in that age group increased
36.8 percent from 1990 to 2000. The largest population group
decline over that time period was in children aged five to
seventeen, decreasing by 29.9 percent. The City's median age in
2000 was 30.4 years old, far below the statewide average of
thirty-seven.
The residents of Hoboken also enjoyed a higher standard of
living than the rest of Hudson County. As reported in the 2000
census, over 75 percent of Hoboken's residents over the age of
fifteen were "in the labor force[.]" Nearly two-thirds of the
City's residents had managerial or professional occupations
during this same time period. However, although Hoboken's
median household income was $62,550, there was a wide range of
annual income levels; 43 percent of households earned more than
$75,000, while about 22 percent earned less than $25,000.
The 2004 Master Plan listed approximately 5000 affordable
housing units in the City. These affordable housing units were
established under various programs; approximately 1000 of these
units were restricted to senior citizens or residents with
disabilities. The Master Plan also included this cautionary
17 A-1535-12T2
note: "It is difficult to determine exactly how many units in
the City have controls on rents that classify them as
affordable. . . . It is noted that the affordability controls
governing these units are at varying stages of their lifespans,
and some are set to expire."
The plan concluded with fifteen recommendations to protect
and increase the City's existing affordable housing stock. The
plan recommended updating and enforcing the existing affordable
housing regulations in the Zoning Ordinance, and providing
additional affordable housing units in new residential
developments. Of particular relevance here, the plan
specifically noted: "the City currently requires the provision
of affordable units, or payment in lieu of creation, for most
residential new construction or substantial rehabilitation.
These regulations should be enforced, particularly for larger
developments." The plan suggested that the City's regulations
"should be reviewed for compliance with COAH's Substantive
Regulations and other applicable requirements." Fair Share
included in the appellate record the third round housing element
and fair share plan document adopted by the Hoboken Planning
Board on December 19, 2005. With some variations, this document
showed statistics similar to those described in the City's 2004
Master Plan.
18 A-1535-12T2
COAH's Jurisdiction
On December 30, 2008, the City submitted to COAH a petition
for third round substantive certification and a draft housing
element and fair share plan. The cover letter explained these
documents remained in draft form because "[t]he City's finances
have been taken over by the State[.]" This further delayed
bringing the matter to a hearing for final adoption. Those
matters were expected to be finalized "early in 2009."
On February 3, 2009, COAH's then-Executive Director Lucy
Vandenberg informed the City's Mayor that the submission "[did]
not meet the criteria for a petition." Thus, "[b]ecause Hoboken
City did not submit a petition for third round substantive
certification by December 31, 2008, it is no longer under the
jurisdiction of COAH." Despite this, Vandenberg made clear the
City was "still required to impose non-residential development
fees pursuant to . . . [N.J.S.A. 40:55D-8.1 through -8.7]."
According to Vandenberg, developers were required to deposit
those fees into the statewide New Jersey Affordable Housing
Trust Fund, rather than the City's affordable housing trust
fund. Vandenberg concluded the letter by encouraging the City
"to once again participate in the COAH process" which could
provide protection from builder's remedy litigation and permit
the City to retain development fees locally.
19 A-1535-12T2
On April 12, 2011, responding to correspondence from an
attorney representing a developer who is not a party in this
appeal, COAH's Acting Executive Director Sean Thompson confirmed
that Hoboken was "not currently under COAH's jurisdiction."
Thompson specified two requirements the City was still bound to
fulfill: (1) the imposition of non-residential development fees
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-8.1 to -8.7, to be deposited in the
statewide New Jersey Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and (2)
continue to provide monitoring and oversight of monies
transferred to the City pursuant to certain specified regional
contribution agreements.5 We note Thompson did not address or
opine regarding the City's negotiations on a redevelopment plan
through which it sought to impose a twenty percent affordable
housing set-aside obligation. The record includes
correspondence from the attorneys representing the developers in
this case and the Acting Executive Director of COAH as well as
5
Both of these requirements are now moot. The Legislature
amended the FHA and abolished "regional contributions
agreements" effective July 17, 2008. N.J.S.A. 52:27D-312.
Following the Supreme Court's decision in In re N.J.A.C. 5:96 &
5:97, supra, 221 N.J. at 6, this court in In re Failure Of The
Council On Affordable Hous. To Adopt Trust Fund Commitment
Regulations, 440 N.J. Super. 220, 227-28 (App. Div. 2015),
enjoined "COAH or any other part of the executive branch from
engaging in any further attempt to seize affordable housing
trust funds" under N.J.S.A. 52:27D-329.2. We further directed
that "[t]he use and disposition of those funds will hereafter be
decided, in the first instance, by Mount Laurel-designated trial
judges." Id. at 228.
20 A-1535-12T2
affidavits from other interested parties. We have opted not to
describe these exhibits at length because they are not relevant
to our legal determinations.
Advance
Advance owned property at 1316-1330 Willow Avenue. In
2006, the City's Zoning Board granted the property's prior owner
preliminary site plan approval and bulk variance relief to
construct a mixed-use development project that included 104
residential units, 7500 square feet of retail space, and 126
parking spaces. Advance sought and received a total of eight
variances: maximum lot coverage from 60 percent to 97 percent;
minimum rear yard from 30 feet to 0 feet; maximum permitted
distance from front property line to rear wall from 70 feet to
195 feet; number of building stories above one level of parking
from three to four, and a partial fifth story above two levels
of parking; maximum building height from 40 feet to about 68
feet for the main level, with a penthouse and tower at 80 and
100 feet, respectively; residential density from 54 units to 104
units; increased amount permitted of non-masonry façade
material; and increased maximum customer service area from 1000
square feet to 7500 square feet.
The 2006 Zoning Board resolution did not mention affordable
housing. Condition 3 noted the application "must comply with
21 A-1535-12T2
the necessary requirements" of the City's zoning ordinance and
the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL), N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 to -163.
Condition 4 further stated:
The Applicant shall develop, prepare and
improve the subject premises so as to
conform with all of the details shown on the
aforementioned plans and submissions, as
presented to the Board and in accordance
with the zoning ordinances, building codes
and all other standards and ordinances
unless expressly stated to the contrary
within the approvals granted.
This approved project was never built. In January 2010,
after Advance became the contract purchaser, the Zoning Board
granted Advance an amended preliminary site plan approval,
conditional use approval, and further variance relief. The
Zoning Board granted Advance the following additional variance
relief: increase the number of building stories from four to
seven, plus a penthouse; increase the maximum building height
from 40 feet to 84 feet for the main level, with a penthouse and
tower at 91 feet and 9 inches, and 98 feet and 9 inches,
respectively; increase the maximum retail area from 1000 square
feet to 21,725 square feet; allow retail use on a block front
which does not presently include two other retail uses; increase
rooftop coverage for appurtenances from 10 percent to 19
percent; decrease minimum Willow Street setback from 5 feet to
0 feet; eliminate front yard fencing requirement; increase
22 A-1535-12T2
residential density from 61 units to 140 units; and allow
various parking garage rule changes.
The approval resolution described significant efforts
Advance was expected to undertake to clean up the prior owners'
environmental contamination on the site. This resolution again
did not directly mention affordable housing as a condition of
approval. Condition 9 stated the applicant "must comply with
the necessary requirements" of the City's zoning ordinance and
the MLUL.
Condition number 8 of the resolution also stated:
The application for Final Site Plan Approval
shall conform with all of the details shown
on the aforementioned Preliminary Site Plan
Approval "Resolution Drawing Set" and
submissions, as presented to the Board or as
amended as required to comply with the
conditions of this resolution and in
accordance with the zoning ordinances,
building codes and all other standards and
ordinances unless expressly stated to the
contrary within the approvals granted.
In January 2011, the Zoning Board granted Advance what it
characterized as a "de minimus change" regarding the widening of
the sidewalk as "dictated" by the County Planning Board. This
resolution again failed to include any reference to the City's
affordable housing ordinance.
In April 2011, the Zoning Board reviewed and approved
Advance's Amended Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval to
23 A-1535-12T2
address egress and ingress to the parking garage and changes to
the loading dock facilities. The record includes the following
colloquy between a Hoboken resident and Robert Bloch, Advance's
architect, which occurred when the application was open for
public comment:
RESIDENT: I just have one question. Are the
plans that you presented tonight in
accordance with the affordable housing
ordinance [of] the City of Hoboken?
ARCHITECT: Yes, they will be.
RESIDENT: Meaning what?
ARCHITECT: Well, I would say I am not
completely familiar with that document.
RESIDENT: Well, then, how could you tell me
it is in conformance? You are saying they
intend to do that?
ARCHITECT: Maybe [Advance's attorney] could
answer.
ADVANCE'S ATTORNEY: I think the Board is
going to impose a condition on the approval
relating to affordable housing[.]
The Resolution of Approval adopted by the Zoning Board on
May 17, 2011, describes in detail the evidence presented in
support of the application and the variances requested, mentions
the various revisions made to the original application, and
lists the developer's witnesses who testified before the Board
and their particular area of expertise. The resolution also
specifically mentions the exchange between the "resident" and
24 A-1535-12T2
Advance's architect and its attorney, as quoted above, and
notes, "[the Resident][6] was informed that the Board will impose
a condition on the approval relating to the applicant's
affordable housing obligation." (Emphasis added). As further
evidence that approval of the application was expressly
conditioned on Advance's compliance with the City's affordable
housing ordinance, the May 17, 2011 Approval Resolution also
includes the following provision:
The applicant shall be responsible for
obtaining any other approvals or permits
from other governmental agencies, as may be
required by law, including but not limited
to the Municipality's and State's affordable
housing regulations; and the applicant shall
comply with any requirements or conditions
of such approvals or permits.
[(Emphasis added).]
Advance has never requested any relief from this
obligation. The record also does not contain a statement by the
Zoning Board regarding how it expected Advance to comply with
the affordable housing ordinance. See Hoboken, N.J., Code §
196-69D (requiring each development to submit to the Planning
Board a plan of compliance with the terms and conditions of the
ordinance).
6
The Approval Resolution includes the name and address of the
"resident." We have opted not to include this information in
the opinion to protect the person's privacy.
25 A-1535-12T2
1415 Park
1415 Park owned property at 1415 Park Avenue in Hoboken.
In February 2007, the Zoning Board granted preliminary site plan
approval and variance relief for 1415 Park to demolish an
existing parking garage and construct a twelve-story mixed-use
development project that included 180 residential units,
30,000 square feet of retail space, 46,055 square feet for an
elementary charter school, and 371 parking spaces. The second
application submitted in 2011 is the one challenged by Fair
Share in this appeal. In this second application, 1415 Park
sought to construct a twelve-story residential building that
would accommodate 212 apartments, retail space, a significantly
smaller school (reducing its proposed school facility from
46,055 square feet in 2007 to 30,000 square feet in 2011), and
thirty more parking spaces, resulting in a total of 401 parking
spaces.
The transcription reflecting verbatim the discussions of
the members of the Zoning Board during the June 28, 2011 meeting
approving the 1415 Park application indicates the Board's
preoccupation with including in the resolution the "standard
language pertaining to the [C]ity's affordable housing
ordinance." The following colloquy also makes clear that the
Board expected that mandate to be carried out as a "percentage"
26 A-1535-12T2
of the dwelling units:
BOARD CHAIRMAN: We're doing that.
BOARD MEMBER: What's the percentage, sir? I
forgot.
BOARD COUNSEL: I don't have it in front of
me right this second, I apologize.
BOARD MEMBER: Are we doing that on every
application?
BOARD COUNSEL: This Board is doing it.
BOARD CHAIRMAN: Just in case, just in case.
BOARD MEMBER: Thank you. That's a biggie.
BOARD COUNSEL: We always have certain
standardized conditions and that's one of
them[.]
Condition number 3 of the resolution also stated:
The Applicant shall develop, prepare and
improve the subject premises so as to
conform with all of the details shown on the
aforementioned plans and submissions, as
presented to the Board and in accordance
with the zoning ordinances, building codes
and all other standards and ordinances
unless expressly stated to the contrary
within the approvals granted.
Several variances were granted: increasing maximum lot
coverage from 65 percent to 81 percent; increasing number of
building stories from eight to twelve; increasing maximum
building height from 80 feet to 138 feet; decreasing minimum
front yard and rear yard setbacks from 10 feet and 20 feet,
respectively, to 0 feet in both yards; increasing maximum
27 A-1535-12T2
permitted signage from 200 square feet to 345 square feet; and
allowing parking variances for a "robotic" parking garage that
did not use parking "spaces" or aisles.
The resolution states, in granting the approval:
4. The applicant shall be responsible for
obtaining any other approvals or permits
from other governmental agencies, as may be
required by law, including but not limited
to the Municipality's and State's affordable
housing regulations; and the applicant shall
comply with any requirements or conditions
of such approvals or permits.
5. The applicant must comply with the
Development Fee Ordinance of the City of
Hoboken, if applicable, which Ordinance is
intended to generate revenue to facilitate
the provision of affordable housing.
Nothing in the record before us indicates 1415 Park ever
objected to or opposed any of these conditions at the time of
the approval.
9th Monroe
9th Monroe owns property at 900 Monroe Street in Hoboken
which consists of several lots as determined by the municipal
tax assessor. In June 2007, under a prior owner (900 Monroe
Development, LLC), the City's Zoning Board granted final site
plan approval (preliminary site plan approval having been
granted in October 2005) and variance relief for construction on
this site, which previously had industrial uses. As amended in
the final approval, the site was approved for construction of a
28 A-1535-12T2
mixed-use development project that included 112 residential
units, 7608 square feet of retail space, 10 townhouses, and 151
parking spaces. 9th Monroe received variances regarding the
following: permitted use; maximum number of stories; minimum lot
width; maximum lot coverage; and minimum side yard. The
approval resolution did not mention affordable housing, but
stated, as condition 3, that the application "must comply with
the necessary requirements" of the City's zoning ordinances and
of the MLUL.
Condition number 4 of the resolution also stated:
The Applicant shall develop, prepare and
improve the subject premises so as to
conform with all of the details shown on the
aforementioned plans and submissions, as
presented to the Board and in accordance
with the zoning ordinances, building codes
and all other standards and ordinances
unless expressly stated to the contrary
within the approvals granted.
This approved project was never built. As the new owner of
900 Monroe Street, 9th Monroe applied in 2011 to amend the 2007
approvals. The Zoning Board approved 9th Monroe's amended
preliminary site plan, which included the following variance
relief: a use variance to allow residential uses; an increase of
maximum building height from 80 feet to 126.5 feet, and eleven
stories where the zoning ordinance permitted a maximum of four
stories; residential density of 135 units, beyond the previously
29 A-1535-12T2
approved 112 units; an automated garage of 188 spaces, with ten
at grade; and a decrease of the minimum amount of masonry façade
material from 75 percent to 34 percent.
The approval resolution conditions included the following:
4. The applicant shall be responsible for
obtaining any other approvals or permits
from other governmental agencies, as may be
required by law, including but not limited
to the Municipality's and State's affordable
housing regulations; and the applicant shall
comply with any requirements or conditions
of such approvals or permits.
5. The applicant must comply with the
Development Fee Ordinance of the City of
Hoboken, if applicable, which Ordinance is
intended to generate revenue to facilitate
the provision of affordable housing.
Nothing in the record before us indicates 9th Monroe objected to
or opposed any of these conditions at the time of the approval.
NJ Casket
NJ Casket owns property at 1400-1404 Clinton Street in
Hoboken. The property covers several lots as determined by the
municipal tax assessor. In August 2007, the City's Zoning Board
granted preliminary site plan approval and variance relief for
construction of a "mixed-use live-work loft building" on this
site. As noted in the approval resolution, NJ Casket received
the following variances: allowing residential uses in a district
zoned for manufacturing and office uses; increasing maximum lot
coverage from 65 percent to 100 percent on the ground floor and
30 A-1535-12T2
76 percent on the higher floors; increasing the number of
building stories from four to six; and decreasing minimum front
yard, side yard, and rear yard setbacks from 10 feet, 10 feet,
and 20 feet, respectively, to 0 feet in all three yards. The
approval resolution did not mention the affordable housing
ordinance. Condition 2 included a generalized statement
requiring the applicant to "comply with the necessary
requirements" of the City's zoning ordinances and of the MLUL.
The original 2007 proposal was for a seven-story building
with a mix of "live/work studios" and traditional residential
units, in an area zoned for manufacturing and office uses. The
studio/regular unit mix was initially proposed as 10/54, but was
changed to 20/30 in the original preliminary site plan approval.
In August 2010, NJ Casket sought and obtained approval to change
the ratio again, to 10/49. That approval also noted some
additional variances requested and approved, including for
twenty-five percent roof coverage, where the zoned maximum was
ten percent. In that approval resolution, adopted in January
2011, the Zoning Board included among the terms and conditions
the following:
4. The applicant shall be responsible for
the obtaining of any other approvals or
permits from other governmental agencies, as
may be required by law, and the applicant
shall comply with any requirements or
conditions of such approvals or permits.
31 A-1535-12T2
5. The applicant shall be responsible for
the obtaining of any other approvals or
permits from other governmental agencies, as
may be required by law, and the applicant
shall comply with any requirements or
conditions of such approvals or permits,
including compliance with COAH regulations.
6. An essential and non-severable
condition of this approval is compliance
with the Development Fee Ordinance of the
City of Hoboken, if applicable, which
Ordinance is intended to generate revenue to
facilitate the provision of affordable
housing.
NJ Casket received final site plan approval in early 2012,
without any significant changes to its plans. The approval
resolution included the following conditions:
4. The applicant shall be responsible for
obtaining any other approvals or permits
from other governmental agencies, as may be
required by law, including but not limited
to the Municipality's and State's affordable
housing regulations; and the applicant shall
comply with any requirements or conditions
of such approvals or permits[.]
5. The applicant must comply with the
Development Fee Ordinance of the City of
Hoboken, if applicable, which Ordinance is
intended to generate revenue to facilitate
the provision of affordable housing.
Consistent with the way the other developers behaved, the
record before us does not indicate NJ Casket objected to or
opposed any of these conditions at the time of the approval.
II
On November 9, 2012, the trial court issued a final
32 A-1535-12T2
judgment in this consolidated matter confirming earlier rulings
it had issued on June 1, 2012. The court found Hoboken's
Affordable Housing Ordinance, codified as § 196-68 to -81, "is
inconsistent with the Municipal Land Use Law, the Fair Housing
Act, and the procedures and guidelines that have been
promulgated by the Council on Affordable Housing[.]" The court
"declared" the ordinance "null, void, and unenforceable as a
matter of law[.]" The court enjoined the City from enforcing
"any requirement" on the developers to construct affordable
housing units and/or collect from these developers "any monetary
contribution" related to the affordable housing.
Without citing to any specific statute, the trial judge
reached the following conclusion:
[I]t is the [c]ourt's view that the
Legislature's intent was not that COAH
review ordinances or review municipalities
one time and leave it alone. COAH is
intended, the [c]ourt's view, to be a
vehicle that is permanent, fluid, consistent
and regular. In that, the [c]ourt takes the
position that COAH is vested with the
authority not only to review the existing
ordinances at the time that Mount Laurel
became effective but, also, to continue the
review. In other words, they would be able
to determine whether there was a need to
alter, modify, increase or decrease a
municipality's fair share responsibilities
which necessarily would require their
involvement through the entire process at
some point.
The trial court found support for this expansive oversight
33 A-1535-12T2
role for COAH in Holmdel Builders Ass'n v. Holmdel, 121 N.J. 550
(1990). Without citing to any specific language or analysis in
Holmdel or discussing the facts of that case, the trial court
concluded the Supreme Court in Holmdel "held that every
municipality with an affordable housing obligation must submit
to COAH for approval of its plan to meet that need."
Fair Share and the City both argue the trial court erred in
holding all municipal affordable housing ordinances require
review by COAH, whether or not the municipality is under COAH
jurisdiction seeking substantive certification. They maintain
the trial court failed to appreciate the voluntary nature of
COAH's jurisdiction, and the alternative route the FHA provides
to municipalities under N.J.S.A. 52:27D-313(a).
1415 Park, 9th Monroe, and NJ Casket collectively argue
COAH's involvement was required in all matters affecting
affordable housing and satisfaction of obligations under the
Mount Laurel doctrine. According to these developers, the FHA
was intended to preempt the field, thus rendering the City's
inconsistent affordable housing ordinance invalid.
We are satisfied the trial court misconstrued the purpose
and role the Legislature intended COAH to play in assisting
municipalities in fulfilling their constitutional obligation to
provide a realistic opportunity for the construction of their
34 A-1535-12T2
fair share of the present and prospective regional need for low
and moderate income housing. See Mt. Laurel I, supra, 67 N.J.
at 174. The substantive certification process available to
municipalities under N.J.S.A. 52:27D-313(a) is entirely
voluntary. Toll Bros., Inc., supra, 173 N.J. at 513, 545. As
Justice LaVecchia explained:
The FHA created the Council on Affordable
Housing (COAH), which was designed to
provide an optional administrative
alternative to litigating constitutional
compliance through civil exclusionary zoning
actions. Under the FHA, towns are free to
remain in the judicial forum should they
prefer it as the means to resolve any
disputes over their constitutional
obligations.
[In re N.J.A.C. 5:96 & 5:97, supra, 221 N.J.
at 4.]
There are no provisions in the FHA or regulations promulgated
by COAH that required Hoboken in 1988 to submit its affordable
housing ordinance for approval by COAH. This question is so
firmly settled that it requires no further elaboration. See In
re Adoption of N.J.A.C. 5:94 & 5:95, supra, 390 N.J. Super. at
6-9.
III
What is not settled, however, is whether the "payment in
lieu" provisions in Hoboken's affordable housing ordinance
needed COAH's approval under the Court's decision in Holmdel.
35 A-1535-12T2
Analysis of this issue requires a brief recitation of the legal
landscape prior to and after the Holmdel decision. Before the
Court issued its decision in Holmdel, COAH had proposed and
adopted some relevant regulations. These amendments to COAH's
first-round rules were proposed in April 1988, adopted in June
1988, and codified at N.J.A.C. 5:92-8.4 under the heading
"Developer Agreements." 20 N.J.R. 865 (Apr. 18, 1988); 20
N.J.R. 1689 (July 18, 1988).
In its proposal, COAH noted its prior rules provided that
inclusionary developments should presumptively contain a twenty
percent set-aside of affordable housing units, at a gross
density of six units per acre. This was intended to "provide a
reasonable balance necessary to insure that the project is
realistic and will actually be constructed." 20 N.J.R. 865.
After it received several plans that deviated from those
requirements, COAH found it necessary to develop standards
regarding its consideration of such deviations. Ibid. COAH
analyzed developer agreements throughout the state, and
determined deviations from the presumptive requirements should
be permitted if the three following conditions were met: "1.
That the agreement continues to provide the requisite realistic
opportunity [for affordable housing]; 2. That the agreement not
unduly burden the market units; and 3. That the developer must
36 A-1535-12T2
have the experience and financial ability to perform its
obligations. The burden is on the municipality proposing the
agreement." Ibid.
The result of this process was the adoption of N.J.A.C.
5:92-8.4(d), through which COAH codified those three conditions
and additionally provided increased densities and incentives for
developers to build the affordable housing:
(e) All agreements where the market units
are single family detached dwellings may
provide that, in exchange for an increase
over existing density, the developer either:
construct low and moderate income units as
part of an inclusionary development; or pay
a voluntary fee to be utilized by the
municipality for an RCA [regional
contribution agreement] or municipally
constructed low and moderate income housing.
The developer's expense in either case must
bear a reasonable relationship to the
increase in density, such that the agreement
does not violate the test in (d)l.-3. above.
(f) Agreements where the market units are
multi-family dwellings may permit deviations
from the presumptive requirements of a 20
percent set-aside:
l. Where there is also an increase over
existing density. For example, in cases
where the allowable density exceeds the
presumptive minimum density requirement (for
example, 10 to 16 units per acre on a multi-
family development) it may be reasonable to
have a set-aside higher than 20 percent.
2. Where the developer builds a higher
proportion of moderate to low income units;
or
37 A-1535-12T2
3. Where the agreement contains a comparable
incentive.
4. Absent such incentives, a deviation from
the presumptive requirement is not
permitted. For example, an ordinance which
requires a set-aside higher than 20 percent
or a 20 percent set-aside plus additional
fees, and which permits only the minimum six
units per acre and an equal split of low to
moderate income units without any additional
bonus densities or without other significant
cost reductions or other incentives to the
developer would not meet the test of
(d) above since it results in a significant
reduction of the realistic opportunity.
5. No agreement may provide for a voluntary
developer fee without also providing for a
comparable off-setting incentive.
[20 N.J.R. 1689-90.]7
These regulatory changes occurred before the City adopted
its affordable housing ordinance in May 1988. A representative
from COAH met with the City Council at a special meeting prior
to the unanimous adoption of the City's affordable housing
ordinance. COAH made more regulatory changes in December 1990
in response to the Court's Holmdel decision.
Holmdel arose from "attempts by several municipalities to
comply with their obligation to provide a realistic opportunity
7
These regulations were adopted as proposed. See 20 N.J.R. 865.
They generated only a few comments. 20 N.J.R. 1689. In
response, COAH emphasized the need for appropriate incentives to
developers to create a regulatory environment that provided a
realistic opportunity for the housing to actually be built.
Ibid.
38 A-1535-12T2
for the construction of affordable housing under [the] ruling in
Mt. Laurel II and the provisions of the FHA." Holmdel supra,
121 N.J. at 556. After reviewing the history of the FHA and
COAH's then evolving regulatory role and identity, the Supreme
Court concluded,
agency rulemaking is reasonably required in
order to fulfill the legislative purpose of
the FHA with respect to inclusionary-zoning
measures. We further conclude that COAH's
exercise of its rulemaking authority in the
area of inclusionary zoning is incomplete
because COAH has not yet specifically
addressed mandatory development fees as
available inclusionary zoning devices.
[Id. at 578 (emphasis added).]
As a result, "the development-fee ordinances were subject
to review and certification by COAH as a constituent part of the
housing-element plan of the respective municipalities." Id. at
579. The Court determined "that COAH, through its rulemaking
procedures, should specify standards for development fees, so
that municipalities may consider employing such fees as
inclusionary-zoning devices in designing their housing elements
under the FHA." Ibid.
After discussing and rejecting various constitutional
challenges, id. at 581-84, the Court emphasized the clear
"similarities between mandatory set-asides and the development-
fee ordinances." Id. at 584. Harking back to Mt. Laurel II,
39 A-1535-12T2
supra, 92 N.J. 158, the Holmdel Court reminded the litigants
that "mandatory set-asides as a form of inclusionary zoning were
not analogous to a tax. We viewed them as legitimate regulatory
measures suitably addressed to the broad goals of zoning.
Development fees, to reiterate, perform an identical function."
Ibid. Thus, the Court in Holmdel affirmed in part and reversed
in part, holding: "Because of the absence of enabling
administrative regulations, we hold that the current
development-fee ordinances were not validly adopted." Id. at
586.
Three months later, in March 1991, COAH published in the
New Jersey Register a notice of pre-proposal for Mandatory
Developer Fee Regulations, citing COAH's intent to adopt rules
to implement the Holmdel decision. 23 N.J.R. 646 (Mar. 4,
1991). COAH characterized Holmdel as having held that
municipalities were authorized under the FHA, MLUL, and the
police power "to establish mandatory developers' fees on
commercial and non-inc1usionary residential property to fund low
and moderate income housing but that municipalities could not
exercise that authority until COAH adopted rules establishing
the circumstances under which such fees may be permissibly
collected and spent." Ibid. To establish such rules, COAH
wrote that it had formed a Task Force and was soliciting
40 A-1535-12T2
comments from interested parties on the following issues:
the overall wisdom of mandatory developers'
fees in the overall context of the State's
affordable housing policy; the type of
developments that should be subject to fees;
the amount of the fees imposed and the
nature of its assessment; the relationship
of fees to other inclusionary-zoning
measures such as mandatory set-asides and
density bonuses, the conditions for the
creation and administration of affordable
housing trust funds; the requirements for
the use and application of such funds,
whether a system of development fees should
include counterbalancing density bonuses;
and any other relevant concerns.
[Id. at 646-47.]
COAH also issued an order authorizing municipalities to retain
previously collected fees pending its rules promulgation, adding
that the anticipated rules "will address the appropriate
disposition of any fees collected prior to the Supreme Court's
Holmdel decision." Id. at 647.
COAH proposed its new rules in September 1991. COAH
determined that, as a general rule, a municipality wishing to
collect development fees would need to undertake the otherwise
optional step of petitioning COAH for substantive certification.
23 N.J.R. 2813 (Sept. 16, 1991). COAH would review the fee
collection proposal as part of its comprehensive review of
substantive certification. Ibid. Several circumstances would
require exceptions to that rule, including these: where
41 A-1535-12T2
municipalities already had received substantive certification or
the court-issued alternative judgment of repose; where
exclusionary zoning cases were in litigation; or where fees
already had been collected. Ibid.
COAH set forth another exception relating to "urban aid
municipalities," which expressly included Hoboken. See 18
N.J.R. 1547 (August 4, 1986); 26 N.J.R. 2352 (June 6, 1994)
(listing urban aid municipalities including the City in first
and second round rule adoptions). As to these municipalities,
COAH explained:
Urban aid municipalities present a special
case. These municipalities have
historically accepted a disproportionate
share of New Jersey's poor and, as a result,
many have exceedingly high fair share
obligations. Therefore, it would be very
difficult for these cities, as a class, to
address their entire obligation in a six
year period.
The Legislature has recognized the
effort of urban aid cities in Section 302
and 320 of the Fair Housing Act. The
Council has recognized the role urban aid
municipalities have accepted in its
methodology. Urban aid municipalities have
not been assigned reallocated present need
or prospective need. Therefore, the Council
will allow these municipalities to collect
fees outside of the substantive
certification process.
[23 N.J.R. 2814 (emphasis added).]
Substantively, the proposed rule described both how fees
42 A-1535-12T2
could be collected and how COAH would analyze whether
municipalities could retain fees that had been paid prior to the
rule's adoption. On the latter issue, COAH wrote:
The Council has determined that it is vital
for purposes of implementing the Fair
Housing Act for municipalities to have the
opportunity to retain development fees
collected prior to December 13, 1990.
Millions of dollars were collected as a
result of ordinances regulating development
during years of substantial real estate
activity. These residential and commercial
projects were not directly related to the
satisfaction of a municipality's fair share
obligation, yet they consumed the one
irreplaceable resource for satisfying the
town's obligation under the Fair Housing
Act.
[Ibid. (emphasis added).]
COAH further highlighted that development approvals had
been conditioned on payment of the fees, so now the development
sites were no longer available to satisfy the affordable housing
obligation. "Therefore, a resource that could have been used
for low and moderate income housing will have been dissipated,
unless municipalities can retain development fees." Ibid. It
was thus equitable to allow the municipalities to retain the
fees. Ibid.
COAH explained further that it had studied available
municipal ordinances in New Jersey and throughout the nation to
craft fee maximums, based on a percentage of equalized assessed
43 A-1535-12T2
valuation that would not be confiscatory. Ibid. COAH's rules
would allow higher fees if a compensatory benefit, such as a
density bonus, was allowed, or under a negotiated agreement with
the developer. Ibid. With this approach, COAH deleted as no
longer necessary its prior rule regulating voluntary agreements,
N.J.A.C. 5:92-8.4(d) through (g). Ibid.
As part of this 1991 rule proposal, in the sections setting
forth the "Basic requirements" and "Urban aid municipalities"
rules, municipalities were prohibited from collecting or
spending funds without COAH's approval. Id. at 2816 (setting
forth the proposed rules N.J.A.C. 5:92-18.2 and -18.3).
As to the maximum fees that would be allowable under the
rules without granting additional density bonuses, the proposed
N.J.A.C. 5:92-18.10 allowed municipalities to collect one-half
of one percent of the equalized assessed value for residential
development, and proposed N.J.A.C. 5:92-18.11 allowed one
percent of the equalized assessed value for non-residential
developments. Id. at 2817 (setting forth the proposed rules
N.J.A.C. 5:92-18.10 and -18.11). Negotiated agreements, subject
to COAH's approval, could be allowed if they included incentives
in exchange for higher fees. Ibid.
Similar to the ordinance at issue here, the rule provided
for payments in lieu as follows:
44 A-1535-12T2
(c) Municipalities may allow developers of
sites zoned for inc1usionary development to
pay a fee in lieu of building low and
moderate income units provided the Council
determines the municipal housing element and
fair share plan provides a realistic
opportunity for addressing the municipal
fair share obligation. The fee may equal
the cost of subsidizing the low and moderate
income units that are replaced by the
development fee. For example, an
inclusionary development may include a 20
percent set-aside, no set-aside and a fee
that is the equivalent of a 20 percent set-
aside or a combination of a fee and set-
aside that is the equivalent of a 20 percent
set-aside.
[Ibid. (setting forth the proposed rule
N.J.A.C. 5:92-18.10(c)).]
These rules were adopted in December 1991, effective
January 21, 1992, as N.J.A.C. 5:92-18.1 to -18.20, with minimal
changes. 24 N.J.R. 235, 242-45 (Jan. 21, 1992).
As this historical recitation demonstrates, Holmdel and the
regulatory scheme it spawned were meant to address development
fees, not payments in lieu as described in Hoboken's affordable
housing ordinance. Holmdel, supra, 121 N.J. at 578. Although
the Middletown Township payment-in-lieu provision in Holmdel was
substantially similar to the provision in Hoboken's ordinance,
the Holmdel case involved a very dissimilar procedural posture
from the present matter. The Holmdel case arose when
municipalities were first tinkering with the idea of development
fees. The Holmdel Court wanted COAH's regulatory input on this
45 A-1535-12T2
issue before the State's numerous municipalities created a
multitude of "cash cow" ordinances unrelated, and perhaps even
inimical, to the public policy and constitutional underpinnings
of the Mount Laurel Doctrine. The case before us here arose
decades later, when COAH's position on how to deal with fees had
been long established.
Independent of this historical analysis, we also find
support for this outcome in the FHA. N.J.S.A. 52:27D-329.3(a)
expressly authorizes "Payments in lieu" subject to regulatory
oversight by COAH only when a municipality seeks substantive
certification:
The council may authorize a municipality
that has petitioned for substantive
certification to impose and collect
payments-in-lieu of constructing affordable
units on site upon the construction of
residential development, which payments may
be imposed and collected as provided
pursuant to the rules of the council.
Payment-in-lieu fees shall be deposited into
a trust fund, and accounted for separately
from any other fees collected by a
municipality. Whenever a payment-in-lieu is
charged by a municipality pursuant to this
subsection, a development fee authorized
pursuant to section 8 of P.L.2008, c.46
(C.52:27D-329.2) shall not be charged in
connection with the same development.
(Emphasis added).
This key distinction is also replicated in COAH's
regulations. Under N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.3(b), a municipality is
46 A-1535-12T2
authorized to impose "development fees" after it has "petitioned
the Council" and obtained approval of its "development fee
ordinance":
No municipality, except municipalities
seeking to achieve or that have received a
judgment of compliance, shall impose or
collect development fees unless the
municipality has petitioned the Council with
an adopted Housing Element and Fair Share
Plan and the Council has approved the
municipality's development fee ordinance
pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:96-5.1.
[N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.3(b).]
By contrast, N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.4(a), the regulation
permitting municipalities to include "payments in lieu" as an
"option for onsite construction," does not contain the kind of
COAH approval process reflected in N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.3(b).
Indeed, N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.4(a) provides,
[a] municipality may, as an option to the
on-site construction of affordable housing
otherwise required by ordinance, provide for
a payment in lieu of construction subject to
the requirements of this section and
[8]
N.J.A.C. 5:97-6.4.
To summarize, the payment in lieu section of the Hoboken
Affordable Housing Ordinance did not require approval by COAH as
a condition of enforcement.
8
N.J.A.C. 5:97-6.4 describes the provisions of "Zoning for
inclusionary development."
47 A-1535-12T2
IV
Conclusion
We reverse the trial court's decision invalidating the
Hoboken Affordable Housing Ordinance for the reasons expressed
here. We remand these cases to the trial court for such further
proceedings as may be necessary to address and adjudicate to
finality the remainder of the issues raised by defendants/third-
party plaintiffs.
Reversed and remanded. We do not retain jurisdiction.
48 A-1535-12T2