The population of an exurban Morris County township could significantly increase should a newly proposed development plan come to fruition.
New Jersey Foreign Trade Zone Venture, LLC, a company associated with the Rockefeller Group, is expected to seek approval this week in connection with a proposal to bring hundreds of houses and apartments near the International Trade Center in Mount Olive Township. The project, which is referred to in site plans from Menlo Engineering Associates that were posted by the municipal government as “ITC East,” consists of two components.
One element of the development involves constructing a new apartment complex at 2000 International Drive, which sits across Waterloo Valley Road from the Residence Inn by Marriott. Site plans illustrate a 13.6-acre high density residential complex called “The Crossroads” with five buildings and 166 units, but a legal notice that was recently issued mentioned plans for “up to 192 rental apartments” at the site.
The latter element would be built on the other side of Route 206 and include “520 for sale homes,” according to the notice.
The site plans show that 93 of these 520 units would be part of a townhouse development at a 23.2-acre site around 28 and 30 Continental Drive that is referred to as “The Canal.”
The remaining 427 units would be situated across the street at 250 Continental Drive, an 87.1-acre tract that largely surrounds the Stanhope Union Cemetery. This area, called “The Ridge,” would include 160 low density residential units and 267 medium density residential units, according to the site plans.
The notice mentioned that an unspecified amount of “affordable housing” would be included in both components, while the site plans show that 34 “affordable housing units” could come to The Crossroads and 104 “low rise affordable housing units” could come to The Ridge.
The premises, which are situated near the boroughs of Netcong and Stanhope, are all currently undeveloped and are partially wooded. These projects would be located just a stone’s throw away from Interstate 80’s Exit 25 and like most outer suburban developments of this sort, it appears that they will be car-oriented. However, the properties are also situated within a short drive of the Mount Olive and Netcong stops on New Jersey Transit’s Morristown and Montclair-Boonton rail lines.
This matter is on the agenda for the Mount Olive Township Planning Board’s virtual meeting this Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Note to readers: The dates that applications are scheduled to be heard by the Mount Olive Township Planning Board and other commissions are subject to change.
