January 12, 2007

Project may boost tax base

CARMEN CUSIDO
Staff Writer

A proposed transit village could increase the local tax base between $366 million and $875 million and give the township an overall annual surplus, said a housing policy expert yesterday.

David Listokin, co-director for the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers, presented an analysis of the economic impact of the proposed transit village for the 212-acre Johnson & Johnson property along Route 1.

About 30 residents and others interested in "smart growth" initiatives attended the workshop, where developers and experts presented multiple scenarios at varying scales for a mix of uses and residential densities.

Developers at North Brunswick TOD Associates, an affiliate of Garden Homes and Garden Commercial Properties, which owns the property, have been hosting workshops since last year.

The plan includes a rail station and a mix of office, retail and residential space, where people can live, shop, work, and travel.

The scales varied by height from small three- to four-story units yielding 4.5 million square feet of space, to large buildings, six to nine stories in height, yielding 6.9 million square feet of space.

Using the different scenarios, the tax benefits to the township and school district could range from $9.6 million for a small proposed project, to $13.8 million for a larger project, according to Listokin's analysis.

The housing would accommodate young and old "empty nesters," not large families, developers have said.

Ann Marie Chamberlain, a 31-year township resident and township library employee, said she's in favor of the project.

"It would be an improvement for North Brunswick. We need a transit station," she said.
Council President Bob Davis said his priority is his constituents, and to make sure their taxes don't go up.

"It's a beautiful concept when you look at it, but it comes down to the bottom line," he said.