Monroe Township, Middlesex County, NJ

• 42 square miles• 39,132 (2010 population)• Rural and Suburban

Character

• Goal of master plan is to ensure that 50% of township is preserved farmland or open space

Monroe Township’s Noncontiguous Clustering

Ordinance

•Ensure “sound planning and to encourage coordinated community development and to preserve open space.”

•May approve cluster development, provided it “serves municipal purposes, and is suitably located to preserve open space, farmland or parks…”

•Applies to a variety of residential zones scattered across the township

• RR-FLP, R-3A, R-60, R-20

(Left: Historic Dey Farmhouse, barn and potting shed along Old Church Road)

Noncontiguous cluster option

Large-lot option

RR-FLP 60,000 sq. ft min 6 acres min

R-3A 20,000 sq. ft min 3 acres min

R-60 20,000 sq. ft min 60,000 sq. ft min

R-30 20,000 sq. ft min 30,000 sq. ft min

Minimum Lot Size Requirements

The Gateway Project

Millstone River Community Park

12 Acre Conservation Area

Establish dedicated waterfront park for community use to

further the Arts and Gardening as well as create a working

Rain Garden and Rain Harvesting Work Station

The GatewayTransit Oriented Mixed Use Project

12 Acres Residential153 Townhome Units

14 Acres in Commercial57,400 square feet

12 Acres Open Space

Environmental Benefits

Non-Contiguous Cluster

Allows 1/3 of site to be open space

Land along Millstone River preservedReduced removal of wooded areas

Less Impervious surface area

Development to be concentrated along intersection of major highwayTransit Oriented DevelopmentOn site NJ Transit bus access

LED Lighting

Rain Water HarvestingWet Pond Non-Potable Irrigation Source

Reduced Impervious

Southfield Estates Project

Southfield EstatesRenaissance Properties (2002)

Single-family residential development

142.5 acres developed102 Single-family units

257 acres preserved as deed restricted farmland.

Privately-owned.

(Street view of Southfield Estates) (Skeba farm, permanently preserved farmland)

Monroe Township, Middlesex County, NJ