Nobility Crest Housing, Commercial Development Approved

The township's Planning Board has approved the construction of Nobility Crest, a mixed-use commercial and residential development that will be built in an area behind the U.S. Post Office off Chambers Bridge Road.

The development will include a total of 214 housing units, said Mike Fowler, Brick Township Planner. Of those units, 170 will be two styles of townhouses, with an additional 44 apartment unit built on top of 20,000 square feet of commercial space.

"That will tie into the ShopRite-Kohls plaza that's right next to it," Fowler said, of the commercial space.

The development will not be age restricted, but "age targeted," Fowler said, meaning the developer, Nobility Crest LLC, will market units to certain age groups.

"They're targeting empty nesters, or the newly married people or singles who aren't looking for the big house or the big yard," said Fowler.

The property will not include designated affordable, "Mount Laurel" housing, Fowler said.

The approval of the development comes several months after a judge between the township and the developer following rounds of legal negotiations.

Nobility Crest's owners had sued the township seeking to lift the age restriction under a state law that allows developers to drop age restrictions if a piece of land cannot realistically be developed with the restrictions in place. The township council voted on Feb. 15 to enter into a consent decree with Nobility Crest which lifted the age restriction but limited the residential complex to 214 housing units. Previously, the developer sought to include 300 units. Had Nobility Crest won its lawsuit, the complex could have been built with the 300 units unrestricted.

"It took a long time, but it was finally approved, and hopefully it will be a nice project," Fowler said.