MANALAPAN – With construction having been under way for two years and still going, developer K. Hovnanian is making its mark in the southern end of Manalapan. The firm is building three communities off Woodward and Millhurst roads and Route 33.
In conjunction with those projects, the developer is making improvements to Woodward Road. The certificates of occupancy fromManalapan that the developer needs as homes are closed and residents make plans to move in are tied to the road work.
An initial estimate provided about a month ago indicated thatWoodward Road would remain closed to traffic until the beginning of September. However, that timetable appears to be changing for the better.
According to K. Hovnanian spokesman Douglas Fenichel, the company has added manpower to the road improvement project and crews are working on Saturday in order to finish the project by the end of June. Fenichel sees the current residential construction and the road improvements merging perfectly and the project coming together as planned for the summer.
T
he residential communities that are
under construction and transforming the once sleepy south side of Manalapan into a bustling suburban enclave are The Four Seasons adult community, Route 33; and The Villages at Meadow Creek and The Estates at Meadow Creek, which are both family communities between Woodward and Millhurst roads.
According to Fenichel, the firm received an Energy Star award from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for the Energy Star efficient homes the developer built in 2007. The three newManalapan communities were among the New Jersey communities that help the firm garner the award.
Fenichel said K. Hovnanian started building Energy Star homes in 2001 and has been receiving awards for them since then. He said an Energy Star home is constructed with advanced processes and products that are certified by an independent agency to meet New Jersey Energy Star standards, which means they use about one-third the energy a comparative home would use.
“We’re offering new construction at great prices and we’ve found a niche in the two (Meadow Creek) communities,” said Fenichel, noting there is a play area for preschool children and a clubhouse with an activities director for the residents of the two Meadow Creek developments. Other amenities include a pool and tennis courts.
The Villages at Meadow Creek, when finished, will include 326 townhouses. Fenichel said 140 townhouses have already been built.
The Estates at Meadow Creek will eventually include 220 single-family homes. There have already been 90 closings on homes and another 20 homes are currently under construction.
The Four Seasons, for people age 55 and older, will eventually include 692 homes. Of that total, 211 homes have already closed and 40 more are under construction, Fenichel said.
Amenities at The Four Seasons will include a pool in the 30,000-square-foot clubhouse, two outdoor pools, tennis courts, bocce courts and more.
Fenichel said once the developments have been completed by K. Hovnanian, three homeowners associations will assume responsibility for the maintenance of the communities.