Building plan concerns officials in Spotswood

Renaissance Properties
to seek final approval
at Aug. 20 meeting

By vincent todaro
Staff Writer

Renaissance Properties
to seek final approval

at Aug. 20 meeting

By vincent todaro

Staff Writer

SPOTSWOOD — A proposal to build a retail and office complex at Main Street and Summerhill Road has been met with vocal criticism from some borough officials.

Council President Judith Ruffo and Councilman Curtis Stollen said they are worried a Zoning Board of Adjustment application from Renaissance Properties will damage the small town nature of Main Street. Both have publicly supported redevelopment along Main Street, but they want the road to maintain what they described as the quaint look residents are accustomed to.

The application details construction of a strip mall between the Spotswood Post Office and Summerhill Road. In front of the mall would be three rows of parking spaces — one of the council members’ qualms — and behind the mall would be a day care center and an office/retail building. The new buildings would replace offices that for many years have housed businesses including the DeStefano real estate agency and Bonamici Colletti CPAs, which has moved to a new location on Summerhill Road.

The zoning board granted a use variance and approved a minor subdivision for the Renaissance project in May, but the application still needs final site plan approval.

The flagship of the development would be an approximate 20,000-square-foot, two-story shopping mall that would face Main Street. The day care center would be about 8,900 square feet, and the third building, to include office space, would be about 18,500 square feet. There would also be a 2,700-square-foot bank.

Stollen said he’s been at staunch supporter of redevelopment on Main Street, but wants to see a design more suited to the borough’s character.

"Something that could be more unique with something for people to walk to," he said. "Everyone in town is always looking for something to walk to."

"My concern is losing the look of it as a town and community," Ruffo said of the area. "I would like to move the building closer to Main Street, and not have the three rows of parking (in front)."

She said she is in favor of the development, but wants to maintain the "flavor" of the downtown area.

"I think the builder will work with us if we make the request," she said.

She said she feels one reason the developer may not want to bring the mall closer to the road is to facilitate the construction of a Dunkin’ Donuts, complete with a drive-through window, which officials believe may be planned as a future component of the project.

"But I believe they could do the architecture around that," she said.

Another concern of Ruffo’s is the plan to take down many of the trees that make up the wooded portion of the roughly six-acre area. She said many of the trees are hundreds of years old.

"They pretty much plan on getting rid of them all," she said. "Our engineer proposed trying to keep some, but they said they couldn’t do it."

The overall design should be more in line with Main Street’s image, she said.

She said she spoke with the builder about the idea, but that the builder would only agree to buffer the area.

Stollen said the idea of having three rows of buildings also concerns him, and he questioned whether the space in the third building could be successfully rented out.

"It would be nice to see a couple of alternative designs as to what could be put there," he said.

Many would argue that the project is worth it due to the additional property tax revenue that would come to the borough with the new businesses. Stollen said it has been estimated that the site would bring in about $167,000 more in taxes per year than is paid by the current complex.

Ruffo cautioned that officials have to balance their desire to bring in new revenue with any possible disadvantages of new construction.

"I’m concerned the desire to have more ratables will outweigh the sensibilities of what should be done," she said. "It’s quaint now, and we’ll lose that."

She urged more residents to voice their opinions on the issue at meetings. The next hearing on the application is scheduled Aug. 20.

Stollen said the development points to a bigger issue — the need to revisit the borough’s master plan. He expected that the council will do just that in the near future, and he hopes that the process will involve new ordinances to preserve Spotswood’s character.

"We have an opportunity right now to craft our master plan so (Main Street) can really be a focal point of the town, or let it go strip mall status,’’ Stollen said. "This development will set the style and tone for the rest of development on Main Street. A lot of towns try to develop town center Main Streets. We have one and are on the verge of possibly losing the style of our Main Street."