Articles Affordable housing
Belle Mead Station, Explained: The Apartments Behind the Pike Run Extension
In April 2026 the Township Committee agreed to support up to 189 apartments and a park-and-ride on 13 vacant acres between Route 206 and Township Line Road "in exchange for" extending affordability controls on 96 Pike Run rentals. That extension is what let Kenvue come out of the housing plan. This explainer covers where the site is, how the deal took shape, what the resolution says, how it differs from the nearby Thrive project, what the record leaves out, and where residents can weigh in. The rezoning it needs has not been introduced.
What is happening
Montgomery’s amended Fourth Round housing plan meets most of its 260-unit obligation by extending affordability controls on homes that already exist, not by building new ones. The largest single piece is Pike Run: extending controls on 96 of its 210 affordable family rentals earns 144 credits. That extension is what let the township take the Kenvue site out of the plan (how that happened).
The extension came with a trade. On April 30, 2026 the Township Committee adopted Resolution #26-4-152. It authorizes a memorandum with Country Club Meadows, LLC and Pike Run II, LLC “for the extension of 96 affordable housing rental units at Pike Run in exchange for the development of up to 189 residential units and a park and ride facility.” The project is now discussed as Belle Mead Station.
The township has agreed to support the project; it has not approved it. The land’s current zoning provides for a small amount of retail, so the apartments need a rezoning ordinance. As of the Township Committee’s October 15, 2026 meeting, none had been introduced.
Where the site is
The resolution describes the land as Block 4071, Lot 1; Block 5002, Lots 4, 5 and 6; and Block 5003, Lot 1, “generally located between State Highway 206 and Township Line Road, totaling approximately 13.039 acres.” It “currently is undeveloped and vacant” and lies within the township’s Belle Mead Planned Unit Development (BMPUD).
The township code calls this piece “Area 4 Transit Commercial” (§16-4.15-4). The code places it “along the west side of Township Line Road and across the railroad tracks from an old railroad station near the Belle Mead Co-Op.” It sets the development yield:
“the development yield of this area is limited to an aggregate 22,000 square feet of retail commercial space in one or more 1-story buildings. However, in the future, the development of this site could be expanded with lands owned by the NJ Department of Transportation and the New York Central Line LLC into a modest NJ Transit Park and Ride Facility.”
Development there is otherwise governed by the CC-1 Community Commercial zone. (The official code host blocks automated access; this text is from an unofficial mirror.)
The resolution says the two LLCs “each own portions” of the land but does not say which lot belongs to which. Environmental Commission minutes from August 5, 2025 list two state wetlands notices dated June 3, 2025: one for Block 4071, Lot 1 “(Country Club Meadows)” and one for Block 5002, Lot 5 “(Pike Run II, LLC).” Those name the applicants. They do not establish ownership.
The old Belle Mead station buildings sit across the tracks. The Montgomery News reported that Township Administrator Lori Savron said “Nothing in the proposed development infringes on those buildings.” The paper later corrected its story to say the station is owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, not NJ Transit.
How it got here
2014: the planned development. At the September 14, 2026 Planning Board meeting, Savron traced the site to a 2014 settlement agreement between the township and Country Club Meadows, which became a General Development Plan and then zoning. Most of it is built: the 150 single-family homes of Country Club Meadows, 96 senior apartments, and the Montgomery Grove and Montgomery Place shopping centers. In her words (uncorrected captions), the “final stage of that plan … would be this transit commercial site,” and “the key to that site” would be a park-and-ride lot.
1997: the Pike Run controls. Pike Run’s 210 affordable family rentals carry 30-year deed restrictions dating from 1997. The amended plan says they “will expire between 2028 and 2031,” inside the Fourth Round period of 2025 to 2035.
June 2025: the owner says no. At the June 23, 2025 Planning Board hearing, staff said the township had approached the Pike Run owner, who “were not able to agree to extend the controls.” The June 2025 plan instead put 417 units on the Kenvue site.
August 11, 2025: the trade is floated. At a town hall after the June plan, staff said the extension had been negotiated but “ULTIMATELY THE PROPERTY OWNER DID NOT AGREE TO INCLUDE THOSE AT THAT TIME.” They presented an alternative: “THE ALTERNATIVE, UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE EXTENSION OF SOME OF THOSE CONTROLS WOULD BE NEW UNITS AT THE TRANSIT COMMERCIAL SITE.” Later that night: “TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE EXTENSION OF CONTROLS AND EXCHANGE WITH THIS TRANSIT COMMERCIAL ZONING CHANGE TO ALLOW FOR THE RESIDENTIAL THERE.” Asked how many units, the answer was “RIGHT NOW THIS CONCEPT IS SHOWING 149” (video). The concept had “NO COMMERCIAL,” and the park-and-ride was described as “ABOUT 100, 100 OR 150 SPACES” (all uncorrected captions).
October 16, 2025: the announcement. Mayor Singh read a statement for the Committee: “we have reached an agreement with the owner of Pike Run,” and “as a result of this agreement, the Kenvue site will no longer be included in or required for the Township’s affordable housing plan.” The statement gave no terms. It did not mention a unit count or the Transit Commercial site (meeting page).
November–December 2025: an agreement in principle. On November 13 the township attorney described an agreement in principle with the Pike Run owner that the township was working to turn into a memorandum of understanding. On December 4 she said: “96 does get us to the full plan, and that is why there’ll be no other developments included in our housing plan” (video, 5:01).
March 2026: the amended plan. The Planning Board adopted the amended plan on March 9 and the Committee endorsed it on March 19. The plan says that after June 2025 “the Township was able to reach an agreement with the owner of the rental units at Pike Run to extend expiring affordability controls on a portion of the existing units.” It mentions the apartments once, on page 4, in a list of expected development: “a 189-unit residential development in the Belle Mead portion of the Township.” It does not connect them to Pike Run.
What the April 30 resolution says
Resolution #26-4-152 is titled “Authorizing Affordable Housing Memorandum of Agreement with Country Club Meadows, LLC and Pike Run II, LLC.” It came at a special meeting, after a closed session whose listed subjects included the housing case, Docket No. SOM-L-153-25. The Mayor announced “one additional item” after the closed session (captions). The agenda that lists it is marked “REVISED 5/1,” the day after the vote. It was read by title and adopted with no discussion (meeting page).
Its key clauses, from the minutes:
- The two LLCs (“Developer”) “seek to develop the Property with a 189-unit multi-family residential development and a park-and-ride facility.”
- “Pike Run II, LLC is the owner of an existing multi-family development in the Township (‘Pike Run’) which contains a substantial set aside of affordable housing units for which the Township received credit towards its prior round affordable housing obligation.”
- The Committee “finds that it would be in the best interests of the Township to support the Proposed Development in exchange for the extension of affordability controls at Pike Run.”
- The Mayor and Clerk may sign the memorandum “subject to review and approval of the Township Attorney and Township Engineer as to form and content.”
The title says “Memorandum of Agreement”; the operative clause says “Memorandum of Understanding.” The vote was four yes votes (Martin, Taylor Todd, then-Deputy Mayor Barragan and Mayor Singh) with Committee Member Ahn abstaining. No member was absent. No reason for the abstention is recorded. The minutes were adopted May 14, 2026.
What the September 14 concept shows
Savron’s update to the Planning Board (meeting page; video) tied the project to the plan directly. From the uncorrected captions:
- The plan “IDENTIFIED THE TRANSIT COMMERCIAL SITE AS A VIABLE OPTION TO DEVELOP WHAT WOULD BE THE OFFSET TO THE EXTENSION OF THOSE 96 APARTMENTS. SO IT’S 189 MARKET RATE APARTMENTS CURRENTLY BEING DISCUSSED AS BELLE MEAD STATION.”
- “THERE WOULD BE NO NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSTRUCTED. THE AFFORDABLE COMPONENT WOULD COME THROUGH THE EXTENSION OF CONTROLS, AND IT IS A GREATER THAN 20% SET ASIDE.”
- “THE PARK AND RIDE WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED BY THE DEVELOPER, AND THERE WOULD BE ACCESS TO THE RAIL LINE FOR A FUTURE REACTIVATION OF THE WEST TRENTON COMMUTER RAIL.” She said the lot could serve buses first, because rail reactivation is “MANY YEARS AWAY,” and that there would be pedestrian connections to the Montgomery Place shopping center.
The design so far. The developer’s first concept placed the park-and-ride near Route 206 and Pike Run Road. Board planner Michael Sullivan of Clarke Caton Hintz marked it up, asking for “A THICKER VEGETATIVE BUFFER” along Township Line Road, a larger green space, a community garden and an enclosed maintenance yard. The revised concept shows:
| Item | Revised concept (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Apartments | 189 market-rate: 118 two-bedroom, 71 three-bedroom |
| Buildings | Three storeys |
| Park-and-ride | Built by the developer; size not stated |
| Edges | Possible decorative fence on Township Line Road; “optional sound wall along CSX” |
| Model | ”Similar to a product that they have already existing on Amwell Road” in Hillsborough |
The Montgomery News identified that model as Amwell Terrace, 384 Amwell Road. On living next to the rail line, Savron said Hillsborough’s planning department reported no issues at a rental complex beside the same tracks. She also cited the state’s Transit Village program, which encourages housing within about half a mile of transit.
Next steps, in her words: “FINALIZE THE CONCEPT PLAN AND THEN DRAFT ZONING REGULATIONS BASED ON THE CONCEPT PLAN. … THESE ARE ZONING REGULATIONS THAT ULTIMATELY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE ADOPTS.” One Board member remarked, “UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON’T HAVE 300 PEOPLE HERE TO HEAR THIS.”
How it fits the housing plan
The plan’s credit table, as the Planning Board adopted it on March 9, 2026 (explained here):
| Development | Units preserved | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Pike Run | 96 of 210 family rentals | 144 (including 48 bonus) |
| McKinley Court | 60 senior rentals | 75 |
| McKinley Commons | 35 ownership units | 35 |
| Montgomery Glen | 19 units | 19 |
With two carried-over credits, that is 275 credits against a 260-unit obligation. Pike Run supplies 144 of them. The 189 Belle Mead Station apartments are market-rate. They earn no credits and do not appear in the credit table.
Two further points:
- Money. The plan’s spending plan says: “The Township will allocate $3,270,000 to fund at least 96 extensions of controls on the existing family rental units at Pike Run,” along with the other three developments. The public record does not say how much of that, if any, will go to the Pike Run owner on top of the rezoning.
- The court. On June 18, 2026 the Committee authorized a settlement with Fair Share Housing Center (Resolution #26-6-194), which “advised the court that they found [the Amended Plan] to be compliant subject to certain conditions.” The conditions are not public. On September 17, 2026 the township attorney said the settlement “is not final until it is reviewed by the court and approved by the court in what’s called a compliance hearing.” No public document makes the Belle Mead Station rezoning a court condition, or says what happens to the Pike Run credits if it is not adopted.
Not the same project: Thrive at Montgomery
“Country Club Meadows” is the name of the whole 2014 planned development, and it appears on two separate projects. They are easy to confuse.
| Belle Mead Station | Thrive at Montgomery | |
|---|---|---|
| Land | Blocks 4071, 5002, 5003 (~13 acres, Area 4 Transit Commercial) | Undeveloped part of Block 4020, Lot 1, 22 Scarborough Road (~11.9 acres) |
| Use | 189 market-rate apartments and a park-and-ride | Senior living community |
| Parties | Country Club Meadows, LLC and Pike Run II, LLC | Redeveloper GTP Acquisitions, LLC |
| Mechanism | A memorandum and a future rezoning | Redevelopment area (designated June 20, 2024, Res. #24-6-221) and redevelopment plan |
| Status | Rezoning not introduced | Planning Board approved July 27, 2026 (Resolution PB-05-25) |
The Committee named GTP Acquisitions redeveloper of the “Country Club Meadows Senior Living Redevelopment Area” on September 18, 2025 (Resolution #25-9-315). On September 17, 2026 it authorized an escrow for GTP’s application for a long-term tax exemption (Resolution #26-9-259). The Montgomery News has reported that GTP is a joint venture of Pike Construction Co. and Thrive Senior Living. Despite the similar name, Pike Construction is not a party to the Belle Mead Station resolution, and no parcel is shared. The amended plan also lists them separately, as “a 189-unit residential development in the Belle Mead portion of the Township” and “residential development at the Thrive/Country Club Meadows Redevelopment Area.”
What has to happen next
- A rezoning ordinance. It would be drafted from the concept plan and introduced at the Township Committee. Under the Municipal Land Use Law it is then referred to the Planning Board for a master-plan consistency review (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-26). The Committee holds a public hearing at second reading before any final vote. If the ordinance changes a district’s classification or boundaries, owners within 200 feet must get notice (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-62.1).
- Site approvals. The code’s planned-development section (§16-4.15) runs development through a General Development Plan and site plans before the Planning Board. A noticed application would give residents a chance to testify.
- The executed memorandum and the Pike Run extension. The resolution authorizes the Mayor and Clerk to sign. Whether they have, and whether a new Pike Run covenant has been recorded, is not public.
One related item is already in the record. On December 4, 2025 the Committee reduced a performance guarantee from $80,851.20 to $17,045.70 for the “Country Club Meadows Area 4 Sanitary Sewer Extension Across Township Line Road,” posted by Pike Run II, LLC on May 5, 2025 (Resolution #25-12-382). The record does not say what that sewer line is meant to serve.
What is not known
- The memorandum itself: whether it was signed, its terms, and what happens if the rezoning is not adopted. What the memorandum commits the Committee to is not public.
- Why the owner changed position between June and the fall of 2025. The record shows the trade, but no one has said on the record what changed.
- Why the count rose from the 149 units shown in August 2025 to 189 by April 2026.
- The park-and-ride’s size. The August 2025 figure was about 100 to 150 spaces. No 2026 figure has been given.
- Money. Whether any of the $3,270,000 extension budget goes to the Pike Run owner.
- The court’s view. The Fair Share Housing Center settlement terms and conditions.
- Ownership details. Which LLC owns which lot. The 1997 Pike Run covenant in the plan’s Appendix 4 was made by “Pike Run I, LLC”; how that entity relates to Pike Run II, LLC is not stated.
- Plans and studies. No density or height limits have been drafted. No concept plan, traffic study or application has been posted; the concept plans were shown at the Planning Board but are not on the township website.
- The abstention. Why Committee Member Ahn abstained on April 30.
What residents can do
- Watch for the ordinance. It will appear on a Township Committee agenda for introduction, then on a Planning Board agenda for the consistency review, then back at the Committee for a public hearing. The Committee generally meets the first and third Thursday at 7 p.m.; the Planning Board generally meets the second and fourth Monday at 7 p.m. Dates move, so check the board calendar. This site tracks it on the Belle Mead Station issue page and the housing page.
- Speak during public comment at any Township Committee meeting. Questions worth asking are in the list above.
- Follow the master plan reexamination (explained here). Its public listening sessions ended October 8, 2026; the draft goes to the Planning Board, where residents can comment on how the Transit Commercial area should be treated in the township’s land-use plan.
- Request records from the Township Clerk under the Open Public Records Act:
- the executed memorandum authorized by Resolution #26-4-152;
- the developer’s concept plans (August 2025 and September 2026) and the Clarke Caton Hintz markup;
- any Pike Run extension agreement or recorded covenant;
- the Fair Share Housing Center settlement agreement authorized by Resolution #26-6-194.
- See the model. Savron invited people to look at the Hillsborough complex the design is based on, on Amwell Road near Route 206.
Related on this site: the April 30 resolution, the September 14 update and the October 2025 announcement. Video quotations come from uncorrected closed captions, and timestamps are approximate.