Pulte Homes hopes to build adult community
Developer seeks
rezoning of 11 acre Middle Road tract
HOLMDEL — Pulte Homes, Ber-nardsville, is asking the Township Committee to rezone an 11 acre Middle Road tract, adjacent to Allocco Park, for planned retirement community use.
The developer initially approached the township in November, and made a second presentation May 10. He will return June 10.
James P Mullen, the development approvals manager for Pulte, and Gustave E DeBlasio, an engineer with Maser Consulting, Matawan, asked the Township Committee to rezone the property to allow for 34 age-restricted homes.
The area is currently zoned for residential R-30 use, which would permit 10 homes to be built on the property.
Pulte has been under contract with the property owner, Carl Backstad, to develop the property for a year and a half.
"This is a very different concept than before," explained DeBlasio, referring to the first presentation to the Township Committee, which was for 35 homes.
If Pulte gets the go-ahead, Backstad will donate 3.71 acres to the township for open space, some of which could be used to expand Allocco Park
The open space calculations will have to be redone because a detention basin at the southern end of the property, which DeBlasio said will alleviate some water problems at the nearby Fox Chase condominium development, is included in the calculation. A township ordinance prohibits detention basins from being designated as open space.
The Environmental Commission has long wanted the township to purchase the entire 11-acre parcel to expand the park and to get more open space in the heavily congested northern end of town.
DeBlasio said that the average lot size, if the zoning change is approved, would be 6,600 square feet, which is larger than the last proposal.
Committeeman Larry Fink asked if the committee would want to encourage development at that density in that area. Fink said that when Pulte appeared before the committee in November, the developer was told the township would like additional land to expand Allocco park.
"I am not sure that what you proposed is what we had in mind," Fink said. DeBlasio replied that the parties have tried to meet the township halfway, and that it could be a win-win situation for both parties.
Committeewoman Serena DiMaso asked how the proposal would benefit Holmdel, and DeBlasio said that there would be no effect on the schools, and that there may be less traffic on the roads since seniors travel at different times of the day.
Township Engineer Ed Broberg said that no traffic studies have been completed, but seniors statistically drive less, and mostly during the off-peak hours. "From a traffic standpoint," Broberg said, "a senior community is better."