2 towns, 1 building

Proposed hotel straddles border

By: Joseph Harvie
   The township Zoning Board of Adjustment won’t be the only municipal land use board to decide whether to allow a 93,732-square-foot hotel to be built on Interchange Plaza near N.J. Turnpike Exit 8A.
   The application calls for the hotel to be built on two lots, a 1.157-acre lot in South Brunswick and a 1.715-acre lot in Monroe. Since the proposed project is located in both towns, it would need approval from both municipalities.
   The application had been scheduled to be heard in South Brunswick at the Nov. 2 zoning board meeting, but was delayed for at least a month because of time constraints at the meeting.
   In Monroe, the application will come before the Zoning Board of Adjustment on Dec. 26.
   The plans, on file in the South Brunswick Planning Department, propose a five-story, 121-room Homewood Suites hotel by Hilton on a 2.872-acre lot. The proposal calls for the first floor to be 22,612 square feet. The second through fifth floors would be 17,795 square feet each. In addition, there would be 65 studio bedrooms, 42 with a king-size bed, 10 with a queen-size bed and four rooms with two beds.
   The applicant is seeking preliminary and final site plan approval with a variance to allow the hotel to be built in the I-3 general industrial zone in the township. The applicant is seeking variances from both towns to allow less parking than required. The plans call for 172 spots. South Brunswick requires 176 and Monroe requires 187.
   According to the application, a variance will also be needed to allow the hotel to be built on the 2.872-acre lot. South Brunswick requires 6-acre lots for hotels and Monroe requires 3-acre lots.
   The applicant is also seeking a variance to allow the building to be 67.3 feet tall, as is proposed. South Brunswick requires a 40-foot maximum height and Monroe’s limit is 42 feet.
   A variance will also be required from both towns to allow 71.6 percent of the lot to be covered by impervious surfaces such as the building, parking lot and walkways. South Brunswick has a 55 percent limit and Monroe has a 60 percent limit.
   The plans also call for a 504-square-foot indoor swimming pool and a 438-square-foot health club. A variance is needed in South Brunswick for the pool because the township requires pools to be 726 square feet.
   In addition, a variance will be needed because there is no retail space or restaurant proposed for the hotel, which are required by the township. A variance will be needed for the 2,500-square-foot conference area, because the township requires a 5,000-square-foot space.