The following has been submitted by Haddonfield resident Chris Maynes:
The Borough of Haddonfield, per its 2019 agreement with Fair Share, is required to build just 10 affordable units at Bancroft. No other development is required. Yet, the borough exposes the entire community to builder’s remedy lawsuits and massive overdevelopment while attempting to use the 10 affordable units as a Trojan Horse to bring in luxury units, which the overwhelming majority of taxpayers opposes.
If we Just Build 10 and continue to pay down the parcel itself, it would cost the average household around $200 per year. Commissioner Troy’s November focus group demonstrated that residents are willing to pay that $200 – or more.
Yet we hear two excuses for not just building 10 units … that we don’t have the money, or there will be a stigma if the affordable units are built separate from “market” units. We didn’t hear this when the borough paid O’Neill $3.5 million to exit, or when they bought six scattered properties to create eight affordable units. I appreciate fiscal conservatism. But we now have a builder’s remedy at our door, and it’s time to set the wheels in motion to Just Build 10.
Regarding stigma, 10 affordable units next to a park – three blocks from an amazing downtown, at below-market rental rates – will draw hundreds of applicants who could care less about any possible stigma and just want that deal. Tarditi Commons is a 100% affordable-housing development. From its website, it’s “an affordable senior rental community in the quaint and desirable borough of Haddonfield … a 62-plus affordable community working off a wait list.”
The fear of stigma does not deter those residents from lining up on a wait list, so let’s not let it stop us from getting this done. It’s 100% in the borough’s control if they want to avoid builder’s remedy. Just Build 10!
