Tuesday, July 28, 2015

"South Avenue Gateway" Proposal To Be Heard

Land use mavens will want to attend next week's Planning Board meeting, as the board will be considering a 212-unit proposed development on South Avenue.

The meeting is 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.

Rather than write about it, I am posting the very comprehensive legal notice that ran yesterday in the Courier News.


CITY OF PLAINFIELD PLANNING BOARD NOTICE OF HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Sleepy Hollow Developers, LLC (the “Applicant”) having an address of 80 South Jefferson Road, Suite 202, Whippany, NJ 07981, has filed an application (the “Application”) with the City of Plainfield Planning Board (the “Planning Board”) concerning property located in the South Avenue Gateway Redevelopment Plan (the “Redevelopment Plan”) and designated on the official tax map of the City of Plainfield as Block 625, Lots 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, commonly known as 1340-1426 South Avenue (State Route 28), a portion of Block 625, Lots 60 & 61, commonly known as 1351-1357 East Seventh Street, a portion of the existing Old South Avenue right-of-way, and Block 625.01, Lot 1 (the “RedevelopmentTract”). The Application seeks Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval, and Minor Subdivision Approval, with deviations, variances, and design waivers, to construct two, 4-story residential apartment buildings, containing a total of 212 units, 302 garage and surface parking spaces, and other related improvements on the Redevelopment Tract. The Minor Subdivision proposes to subdivide the rear portions of existing Block 625, Lots 60 & 61, and consolidate those rear portions with Block 625, Lots 18-26, resulting in three lots: (1) remainder Lot 60; (2) remainder Lot 61; and (3) the Redevelopment Tract. Remainder Lots 60 & 61 are located in the R-3 Zone under the Land Use Ordinance of the City of Plainfield (the “Ordinance”).

The Application seeks deviations from the following bulk and design requirements of the Redevelopment Plan: (1) Minimum Side Yard Setback; (2) Minimum Number of Parking Spaces; (3) Minimum Size of Landscape Buffer; (4) Minimum Storage Spaces Per Dwelling Unit; (5) Minimum Requirement for Number and Size of Balconies; (6) Requirement for Screening of Trash/Recycling Enclosures; (7) Style of Fence Required Within Buffer Area; (8) Requirement of Roofline Offsets; and (9) Minimum Amount of Parking Area Landscaping.

The Application also seeks the following design waivers from the Ordinance: (1) Maximum Interval Between Lamp Posts Along Interior Walkways; (2) Maximum Average Illumination Level in Parking Lots; (3) Maximum Average Illumination Level in Pedestrian Walkways; (4) Minimum Pipe Diameter in Storm Drain System; (5) Materials Required for Storm Sewer Construction; and (6) Prohibition of Trash/Recycling Facilities within Setback and Parking Area.

The Application further seeks the following variances from the Ordinance: (1) Minimum Lot Area for Block 625, remainder Lot 60; (2) Minimum Lot Area for Block 625, remainder Lot 61; (3) Maximum Dwelling Units Per Acre for Block 625, remainder Lot 60; (4) Maximum Dwelling Units Per Acre for Block 625, remainder Lot 61; and (5) Maximum Lot Coverage for Block 625, remainder Lot 61.

In addition, the Application seeks such other deviations, variances, waivers, exceptions, interpretations, approvals and/or relief from the Ordinance and/or the Redevelopment Plan, as may be necessary or desirable in connection with the Application.

All interested persons will have an opportunity to be heard regarding the Application at the public hearing of the Planning Board to be held on August 6, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., in the Plainfield City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey 07060. The Application, plans and other related documents are available for inspection at the Division of Planning office at Plainfield City Hall, 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey 07060, during regular business hours.

DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP Attorney for Applicant 600 Campus Drive Florham Park, New Jersey 07932-1047 
(973) 549-7000 By: Andy S. Norin, Esq. 


4 comments:

  1. This array of variances may overwhelm the Council. It is my hope that they will conform to the recommendations of the Planning Board and not attempt to posture as experts in an area in which they have no qualifications. A prerequisite to permitting the Council to ask any question, or make any comment,should be that they have studied the plans and understand the scope of each variance application. If this were enforced there would be a stunning silence. Bill Kruse

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    1. Bill
      Not sure what your talking about. But all including Council are welcome to the meeting and can ask any questions they like. However Council nor the administration have any say in the Planning Board's actions.
      Ron Scott Bey

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  2. Looks like this is a hearing before the Planning Board, not the Council. Even so, they seek many variances, including from design standards, which could drastically impact the appearance if the site and the buildings.

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  3. We do not need more rental property in Plainfield . Just drive around town on any night and you will see all the cars that are parked on the street. Why does the Maygor want Plainfield to look like Newark or Elizabeth with overcrowded streets and schools?

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