BRICK TOWNSHIP — A board of adjustment application to construct a 60-unit complex on a five-acre property at 100 Drum Point Road was carried to July 30 on Wednesday night after three hours of public cross-examination.
The 60-unit complex would be made up of condominiums and apartment units on property across from Brick Presbyterian Church.
The contract purchaser of the property is 100 Drum Point LLC, which is owned by Hiren Ramani, Vijyaben Ramani, Daksha Ramani and James D’Iorio of Roselle Park, from The Ramani Group.
The parcel is currently developed with a former medical building and a single-family residence. If approved, both would be demolished for the 60 units, which would be made up of 48 townhouses and 12 apartments. The 12 apartments would be designated for affordable housing and consist of two one-bedroom units, seven two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units. Each of the 48 townhouses would have three bedrooms, as well as backyard space.
Dozens of residents took to the microphone at Wednesday’s zoning board meeting to cross-examine the applicant and make inquiries to the township’s professionals regarding the proposal.
One issue that came up frequently among the residents was parking. The current plan for parking at the complex delineates 156 parking spaces, including garage space.
“Can (you) give something more detail-oriented regarding this project that is going to affect the surrounding neighborhoods, of how the overflow of visitor parking will be handled?” asked resident Devan Henel.
“The law of averages on parking is what controls it,” responded John J. Jackson of JJJ Law Firm, attorney for applicant. “On 60 homes, you might have somebody having a party, and then you might have four houses absent because they were under contract, or people were snowbirds, or they’re on vacation…That’s why we have governing standards for parking, and we meet and exceed those standards. Statistically, (overflow) is not expected to happen.”
At one point, after several questions had been asked about the parking situation and whether or not it would cause traffic issues, Board of Adjustment Chairman David Chadwick requested that Justin Taylor, the project’s traffic engineer, describe the parking situation “simply,” reminding the public that those testifying on behalf of the applicant are under oath.
“The parking requirements are governed by the Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS, state requirements for residential improvements), and for a three-bedroom townhouse, it requires 2.4 spaces per unit,” said Taylor. “For a three-bedroom apartment, it requires 2.1 spaces per unit, a two-bedroom apartment is two spaces even and a one-bedroom apartment is 1.8 spaces per unit.”
“When you extrapolate that to the two one-bedrooms, seven two-bedrooms and three three-bedroom apartments — and 48 three-bedroom townhouses — it comes out to a requirement of 139 spaces,” he said. “We are providing 156 spaces on the site, which means we exceed the maximum that the municipality is allowed to require based on the (RSIS).”
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