New Jersey’s state courts have shot down an effort from Millburn Township to delay the start of construction of what’s become a contentious affordable housing development in its downtown.
The latest turn in Millburn’s ongoing court battle began in August, when a state judge ordered town officials to move forward with building a 75-unit, 100% affordable housing project that would replace a public works building near the town’s center. Millburn’s attorneys appealed that decision, arguing it has yet to find a site for a new public works facility, even though it’s already purchased property to do so. But the appeals court ruled that the town failed to show it would suffer hardship by proceeding with the judge’s order.
The affordable housing project’s developer, RPM, has now asked the judge to issue a restraining order barring the town from using the property it recently purchased “for any purpose other than for relocation of its [Department of Public Works] Operations.”
In a recent court filing, RPM produced documents showing the town received a $200,000 grant from the state to help purchase the new land. Those documents show that Millburn officials plan to temporarily move the public works operations to the site, located at 22 East Willow St., so that the downtown property could be redeveloped.