Planning Board Approves One Case, Mulls Three More

In a marathon session Thursday, the Planning Board heard four applications, approving one in less than 20 minutes, while another involved nearly two hours of testimony with more to follow in April.

The long evening was also new attorney Janine Bauer's first time serving the board, succeeding Michele Donato, who retired after guiding the board since 1985.

Board Chairman Ron Scott Bey changed the order of the agenda to start with the application of South Second Street Redevelopment LLC for a mixed residential and commercial project on a five-acre city-owned site in the West End. Plans call for 90 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments on 1.3 acres at the corner of Grant Avenue and South Second Street and a showroom and warehouse for ABC Roofing on the eastern portion of the lot. The business is already in Plainfield but will be able to expand at the new location.

Engineer John Ferrante displayed a 1956 aerial photo that showed the large building that occupied the site before it was destroyed by fire in the 1980s, However, all the utilities were still there, he said, Slabs covering 75 percent of the site also remain and will be removed, crushed and re-used on the site. Ferrante said a large amount of fill on the site will be used to construct five-foot berms that will be planted with shrubs and trees for green space.

New sidewalks will be constructed around the site, though Ferrante said curbing is in great shape. Board concerns included parking, with one space allotted per unit and no provisions for guests except for on-street parking. The north side of the tract abuts the Raritan Valley Line and no sound-proofing is planned. Scott Bey said firmly no barbed wire, chain link fencing or satellite dishes will be permitted.

Councilwoman Gloria Taylor asked about use of local contractors.

"We don't say 'minority' any more, but I'm saying it," Taylor said.

Scott Bey said use of local contractors is part of the redevelopment agreement.

"I just want to make sure," Taylor said.

(The council approved the redevelopment agreement in November, with a 20 percent goal for minority participation, among other provisions.)

Testimony on the application went on until 9:20 p.m. and will continue on April 7 without further notice.

After a break, the board quickly approved Seven Stars Transport's application to subdivide a Manson Place property and construct a one-family home on the new lot. Architect Brian Taylor showed images of nearby homes and described how he designed the new 4-bedroom, 2-bath home to be compatible with the neighborhood.

Next up was the application of Ministerio Internacional Puerto Del Cielo to convert a Roosevelt Avenue building to a church. Treasurer William Ramos said the church has about 70 members and holds services on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, with most members attending on Saturday. Board members questioned why pews accommodating more than 200 attendees were needed and expressed concern about parking, with only 19 spaces on site and more on a nearby leased lot which is still under construction. Ramos said only a few members drive and two vans transport most of the congregants, but Scott Bey said parking requirements are not based on how people travel, rather on the number of seats in the church.

Taylor asked what the church name was in English, which Planning Director Bill Nierstedt translated as "Door of Heaven." She also asked whether it was a Christian denomination, but Scott Bey said the board "can't get into that."

After hearing more from architect Robert Hernandez and engineer Andrew Wu, Scott Bey said there were 45 items to be cleared up and "make a more successful application." The hearing will continue on April 21.

Last up was night club owner Edison Garcia, who proposed converting the upper floors of the former bank building at 111 East Front Street to apartments.

Based on board comments at a previous meeting, Garcia had modified his plans to give residents a separate entrance so they would not have to mingle with night club guests. He had also improved safety at the rear of the building, but Scott Bey and others still had many remaining concerns. Conversion of second bedrooms to "studies" with no doors might still not prevent them from being used as bedrooms, board member Sean McKenna said. Other unresolved concerns included parking, trash disposal, removal of neon signs from upper windows, use of a common elevator for residents and club-goers and encroachment on city property at the rear.

Board member Horace Baldwin voiced "a degree of unreadiness" to approve the application, which others shared. But as midnight approached, Taylor moved to grant preliminary approval pending resolution of the problems. That set off another round of concern, but finally Baldwin seconded the motion and it passed, 5-2, with Baldwin, Taylor, John Stewart, Siddeeq El-Amin and Anthony Howard saying "yes" and McKenna and Scott Bey saying "no." Garcia now has up to three years to solve all the problems and seek final approval.

--Bernice