Board hears condo plan
BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

Preliminary concept sketch of development proposed for West Front Street.

RED BANK - An application for a proposed five-story, 27-unit condominium building on West Front Street was before the Borough Zoning Board of Adjustment last week.

The project is proposed for the current site of a three-story Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation facility at 55 W. Front St., across from Riverside Gardens Park.

The project proposed by West Front Street Partners would require three "d" variances, including one for a use not permitted in the zone, exceeding the permitted floor area ratio (FAR), and for five stories where three are permitted.

Multifamily dwellings are not permitted at street level in the CCD-2 zone, and the project calls for apartments on the ground floor.

The permitted floor area ratio is 2.25 and the project proposes a FAR of 2.43, including the underground parking garage.

The application for the project has been bifurcated, with the bulk and "d" variances being heard first. If approval is granted for those variances, then the applicant would seek site plan approval in a separate set of hearings.

Principals in West Front Street Partners are Joseph Shabot and Ralph Braha, who are contract purchasers of the property.

Continuation of the testimony from experts appearing for the applicant will continue at the Sept. 21 meeting of the board.

According to Joseph Hanrahan, a professional engineer who testified at last Thursday's hearing the project would include the demolition of the nursing home, and the construction of a 27-unit, five-story condominium complex with below grade parking.

"The underground parking would contain 51 stalls," he said. "We would have eight stalls at the surface level, giving us 59 stalls total. We exceed the borough parking requirement by 18 stalls."

Hanrahan, with Schoor DePalma, Manalapan, said the plan would also eliminate access to the site from West Front Street, and have access only on White Street.

"All of the access will be from White Street," he said. "We will utilize the existing driveway."

Hanrahan said that because of the existing traffic problem on West Front Street, the idea of only using White Street for access is to avoid worsening the problem.

The traffic engineer for the project will testify at the Sept. 21 board meeting.

Hanrahan said that although variances are required because of setbacks that do not meet requirements, the front and side setbacks will be improved over what currently exists.

The required front yard setback is 25 feet, and project proposes 10 feet. The existing setback from West Front Street is 7.5 feet.

According to Hanrahan, the borough ordinance requires a side yard setback of 20 feet, and the project proposes 10 feet. The existing side yard setbacks are .9 feet to the west and 8.4 feet to the east.

"The lot coverage is less that 65 percent," said Hanrahan, "which is what the ordinance allows. The project is at 42 percent, although the project isn't designed yet. This is just a concept plan."

The height of the building would be 53 feet, which is permitted in the zone, and architect James J. Monteforte, Neptune, said that the idea has been discussed to put plantings on the roof, adding to the recreation space at the site.

The borough ordinance requires 250 square feet of recreation space per dwelling unit, and the balconies that would be included with each unit would give the project a total of 5,500 square feet.

With 27 dwelling units, 6,700 square feet of recreation space is required.

"City areas," Monteforte said, "are limited in space."

If a rooftop garden is added to the design, the height of the building would be increased with the addition of a safety railing, according to Monteforte.

David Cookson, a West Front Street resident, said that although he sees the project as an improvement over the current use, he thinks 27 units is too much for the space.

The proposed project would also be required to include affordable housing units, according to ordinances passed by the borough council in accordance with the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) rules.

The project includes three COAH units, with one of each - one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom - according to Monteforte, in accordance with COAH regulations.

After several board members objected that the COAh units had less amenities, applicant's attorney Peter S. Falvo, of Ansell Zaro Grimm and Aaron, Ocean Township, said that the project will be re-examined to see if at least another half-bath could be added to the COAH units.