A new affordable 55+ “Birchwood At Washington Township” community is starting development, with a large clearing of land appearing recently on the Black Horse Pike near Leddon Lane.
The property was previously woods and is located across from Del Val Pools / A&J Flooring.
While I initially covered this project back in August of 2021, I had no idea construction was starting on the project until I received several messages from readers a few days ago “Hey! What is that large new clearing over on the Black Horse Pike near Outback?”.
Washington Township gave final approval last year for the 64-unit project which is both age restricted (55+) as well as 100% of the units are designated as affordable.
The location puts the Senior housing close to a variety of dining and shopping options.
A website is online for the Birchwood at Washington apartment development but at this time it does not offer unit layouts, likely due to it being very early in the development process.
The website says they won’t be ready to start taking lease applications until 2026!
The project is described as offering spacious one and two-bedroom layouts with fully equipped kitchens and washer/dryers within each unit.
Within the community they will offer off-street parking, a resident lounge and a fitness center.
The project is being developed by Ingerman Development, who is a large multi-unit residential developer with multiple properties in South Jersey.
One of Ingerman’s most well-known projects is the Lumberyard apartment development in Collingswood (which features the Raccoon Taproom on the first floor). Including Ingerman’s brands of Birchwood and The Willows, they have approximately 20 residential developments in the South Jersey counties!
Required Affordable Housing
For Birchwood at Washington Township, the combination of over 55 and affordable housing components means they are targeting retirees who at that stage of life (over 55) are typically living off of their reduced retirement plan/savings incomes, which are likely significantly less than what those same people earned while younger at full-time jobs.
I attended the Planning Board meeting back in 2021, which had several residents there to oppose the approval of the development.
It was one of the rare times that I’ve actually heard a Planning Board give a very clear explanation “we have no choice, we are required to approve this project”
The planning board member’s commentary at that time went on to explain that the project was originally proposed for 80-units and the Township did initially deny those plans. The developer chose to have that decision reviewed by a judge in court. Eventually the court system sided with the developer, but a compromise was determined for the project to be developed as 64-units.
I regularly see comments from readers (or commentary in town meetings) where residents believe that the town has a “King-like” power to deny any application they want. Which is completely incorrect, particularly regarding affordable housing projects.
Today, most larger communities in New Jersey are now required by court decisions to approve a negotiated allotment of affordable housing. If the town denies an affordable housing project, the decision is likely taken to court where the developer has a very good chance of winning.
In short summary, many decades ago a community activist group recognized that some New Jersey towns were only creating zoning which targeted more expensive large-lot homes, and not enough land/projects were allocated to develop new affordable housing developments.
This landmark case became known as the “Mount Laurel Doctrine” which evolved into communities in New Jersey being reviewed for their existing affordable housing and zoning unit counts, as well as determining a unit-count for what should be within the town. These agreements where then reviewed and approved by a judge.
So today even if a town doesn’t want any additional housing at all within it’s borders, if they have not met their court-backed allotment of affordable housing units there is little they can do to stop a proposed affordable housing project… other than to make sure what is approved fits within their reasonable zoning development standards.
And to be clear this requirement is not unique to Washington Township. Deptford, Gloucester Township, Monroe Township, West Deptford and beyond all have affordable housing approval requirements which are effectively at the top of the “project approval food chain”.
Links and Location
Birchwood at Washington Township
4400 Route 42
Washington Township