Two separate plans for redevelopment on East Broad Street discussed this month
By Aleen Crispino
A public hearing on the 2006 Hopewell Borough Master Plan, slated for Dec. 6, was postponed by unanimous vote of the Planning Board.
The hearing, followed by a board vote, was rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 10, when the regular meeting of the board will be held.
A copy of the proposed Master Plan is available at the Borough Administrator/Clerk’s office in Borough Hall, Columbia Avenue.
Chairman Bob Donaldson suggested the postponement, as Planning Board member Mark Samse was absent Dec. 6. Mr. Donaldson offered the three members of the public present an opportunity to comment, but no one wished to do so.
OTHER December business included:
Two separate plans for redevelopment on East Broad Street the opening of a restaurant behind Failte Coffeehouse and the creation of two accessory apartments at 23-27 E. Broad St. were informally presented to the Hopewell Borough Planning Board on Dec. 6.
Jarod Machinga, owner of the property which includes Failte Coffeehouse at 9 E. Broad St., presented an informal site plan showing the rear building, which is currently vacant, with a porch added and a total of three off-street parking spaces.
The lot is zoned for business-residential use. A borough ordinance requires one off-street parking space per 200 square feet above 1,400 square feet in this zone.
"I believe the most obvious issue is the parking," said Mr. Machinga, noting that nine spaces are required and he would need a variance for the remaining six spaces.
"How many of the spaces you’re proposing are used by the people in the coffee shop?" asked Chairman Donaldson.
One space is for Jean Crowell, owner of Failte, and one is for the tenant who lives upstairs from the coffee shop, said Mr. Machinga. He said that as the plan creates only one additional space, customers would need to park on the street.
He suggested that much of the restaurant business would take place during hours in which the coffee shop is closed.
Planning Board member Brad Lyon asked what hours the new restaurant would be open.
"My guess is 11 to 10," said Mr. Machinga. "Dinner is really what we’re looking at." He said he planned to have eight-to-ten tables indoors and several more outside.
Failte is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
"Obviously we don’t want to hurt that business by opening another business," said Mr. Machinga, adding that he had consulted Ms. Crowell during the planning stages.
Ms. Crowell had not yet spoken to Mr. Machinga since his appearance before the Planning Board, she said on Dec. 11, but added, "I think more business for the town is better for the town in general."
Mr. Machinga also offered to build a paver walkway to facilitate pedestrian access, if this could be done "without hurting the three trees on the property."
"The board is looking for other businesses in town," particularly if improvements are made to the property, said Mr. Donaldson. "Obviously you would need a variance for the parking," he added, also noting that the walkway was in line with the Hopewell Borough Master Plan recommendation for more pedestrian and bike paths.
The next step, said Mr. Donaldson, is to present a formal site plan, an application for a historic certificate of appropriateness, and an application for a variance from borough ordinances for lot coverage and parking.
This is the second plan for the rear building presented by Mr. Machinga to the Planning Board. In November 2005, he and Ms. Crowell described a plan to convert the building into an ice cream shop and snack bar.
In August 2006, Mr. Machinga first described the new plan for a restaurant to the board. He explained that while he still thought the ice cream shop was "a fine idea," he believed it would create more traffic during the day.
The second informal presentation was by Clark Reed, member of Past Tense, LLC, who, with his attorney Alfred L. Kettell Jr. of Pennington, presented a preliminary plan for two garages behind 23-27 E. Broad St., a large building containing apartments; The Stony Pony, which is an equestrian gift shop, and The Paddle Company, owned by Mr. Reed, which sells sporting goods.
The plan is to "demolish the two existing garages and replace them with a staggered garage with two apartments upstairs," said Mr. Kettell. The lower level would have eight garage bays, he added.
The two apartments above the garage could be authorized as "COAH" apartments, said Mr. Kettell, indicating they could be rented to households certified as income-eligible by the state Council on Affordable Housing.
"The COAH rules for the third round have changed," said Borough Planner Carl Lindbloom. "The third-round rules require only low-income" tenants, unlike the second round, which included both low- and middle-income households, said Mr. Lindbloom.
Mr. Kettell said the two garage apartments could serve as two of the three affordable units the borough still needs to provide under round two. However, Mr. Lindbloom said, since the three apartments have been carried over to round three, they must conform to the new rules.
Mr. Reed will need to apply for a rear yard setback variance, and will need to provide two off-street parking spaces for each apartment unit, said Mr. Lindbloom.
"I think you should spend some more money," to commission a site plan, said Mr. Donaldson, "and do the economic viability (study) as well," suggesting a study of whether the rental income would be sufficient to make the project feasible.
"Nothing is under consideration officially right now," said Mr. Reed by phone on Dec. 13, adding that he planned to present more information at the February 2007 Planning Board meeting.

