Planning Board OKs 13-home Winding Woods project

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Winding Woods, a 15-lot residential subdivision off Jackson Mills Road, has been approved by the Planning Board. The 94-acre parcel was purchased by PRC Real Estate Corp. from a number of different owners.

According to Guy Leighton, the township’s assistant planner, the tract lies south of the north branch of the Metedeconk River with access from Jackson Mills Road. A total of 27 percent of the tract is wetlands and the portion nearest Jackson Mills Road is zoned R-40 (one house per acre) with the balance zoned RE (rural environmental; one home per 10 acres).

Five housing lots are proposed in the R-40 zone, one with an existing residence. Eight clustered housing lots are proposed in the RE zone, which range from 3.5 to 4.7 acres. A 2-acre detention basin lot is to be dedicated to the township, as well as the remaining 70.4 acres of open space. A total of 15 tax lots are proposed, including 13 new building lots.

Leighton said the land along the north branch of the Metedeconk River is designated a Monmouth County Greenway in the Monmouth County Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan. The Greenway is to run to Turkey Swamp Park to the west.

On-site wells and individual septic systems are proposed.

Regarding the zoning, Leighton said the developer is proposing to use both R-40 and the clustering provision permitted in the RE zone. This provision requires a minimum of 50 acres, at least 40 percent of the tract is to be dedicated to the township or another governmental entity. Building lots must be a minimum of 3 acres.

"The open space lot contains 70.4 acres, or approximately 75 percent of the tract, exceeding the requirement. Building lots are also in excess of the 3-acre requirement," Leighton said.

Two other applications were also approved by the board recently. One application is for a four-lot subdivision that will include three building lots and one lot to be dedicated to the township for conservation purposes. The project is slated for Halls Mill and Willowbrook roads and contains 37.2 acres in the M-1 zone.

Merritt-Pierce Properties Technology and Business Park of Freehold has proposed the construction of three flex-type commercial/industrial office buildings. Site improvements include storm water basins, driveways, parking areas, site lighting and landscaping. Access is to be from private roads with two curb cuts on both Halls Mill and Willowbrook roads.

In addition, an application filed by Andrew and Sheryl August was approved for the construction of a two-story office/warehouse building consisting of 10,855 square feet on Ginesi Drive. The office space will occupy 5,850 square feet on both floors while the warehouse will occupy 5,005 square feet only on the first floor.

Site improvements at the 1.04-acre tract in a light industrial zone include driveways, parking areas for 34 vehicles, site lighting and landscaping.

— Linda DeNicola