Planners frown on zoning shift

Council to make final decision in July

By charles w. kim
Staff Writer

By charles w. kim
Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK — The Planning Board does not support a change in zoning on the township’s border with East Brunswick.

Board members voted 6-2 May 21 not to recommend a change in zoning at the intersection of Dunhams Corner Road and Cranbury-South River Road.

Members Bob Southwick and Charles Carley voted for the change.

The 150 acres at the intersection are currently zoned rural residential (RR). That zone would change to light industrial/rural residential (LI/RR) if the zoning change is approved by the Township Council.

The council tabled a final vote on the change last week to wait for the township planner’s decision.

An ordinance for the change was introduced April 15 and was first scheduled for a hearing in front of the Planning Board May 7.

According to planning director Craig Marshall, a quorum was not present at that meeting when the matter was to be discussed and it was rescheduled to be heard at last week’s meeting.

The township’s Zoning Board had granted K&K Developers a variance to build 1.9 million square feet of warehouse space at the site in March 2002.

K&K was also granted permission to build 300,000 square feet of office space.

Two residents, Richard Walling, who is also a member of the East Brunswick Zoning Board, and Jean Dvorak of Deans Rhode Hall Road in South Brunswick, appealed the Zoning Board’s decision and are trying to stop the rezoning through litigation in state Superior Court.

Their appeal to the Township Council last July resulted in the council upholding the Zoning Board’s decision.

The East Brunswick Township Council passed a resolution May 12 to oppose the rezoning, and several residents from that community attended both the council and Planning Board meetings last week in South Brunswick.

East Brunswick Planning Board attorney Larry Sachs told the South Brunswick council last week that his municipality has been fighting to defend the 6-acre zoning adjacent to the site. He added that East Brunswick has opposed development in the area since 1998.

With the South Brunswick Planning Board voting against the change, the council will now have to pass a resolution along with the ordinance explaining why the change better suits the land and why it needs to be zoned differently than designated in the master plan, according to Township Attorney Don Sears.

The new master plan for South Brunswick was updated and adopted in 2001. It is updated every six years, according to officials.

The council will voice its final say on the ordinance during the first week of July.