While everyone else is enjoying the summer, Metuchen officials are poring over architectural and landscaping plans and meeting with engineers and Nicholas J. Netta, the chief architect of a proposed 12-unit townhouse development on Amboy Avenue.
The townhouses are planned for 187-189 Amboy Ave. between Home and Bounty streets, on the south side of Amboy. There are two older homes there now. The proposed townhouses will be contained in three buildings situated in a U-shape area around a courtyard – two buildings with three units, and one, at the rear end of the property, with four units.
On renderings shown to the board, each unit has been depicted as a part of a three-story building. The buildings have two-car garages on the ground floor, a small deck or balcony on the second floor (roughly 5 square feet) and dormers added over windows on the third floor. It makes the units look more like individual homes, Netta explained. He also showed pictures of a faux stone façade that would be attached to the concrete retaining walls to enhance their appearance.
Netta said the dormers and stone façade would “create visual interest.”
The plan first came before the Zoning Board of Adjustment more than a year ago. It was on the agendas at meetings last summer and fall. In November it had been given preliminary approval.
“It seems like we’re very close,” Netta said.
All issues in terms of density have been addressed, explained Borough Attorney Robert Munoz.
Board members, however, questioned whether the borough’s largest firetruck would have enough room to maneuver around the units. The issue requires hammering out details regarding the size of an emergency access lane for firetrucks, fire sprinklers in the building, and landscaping, Netta said. Netta and his engineer, Gregory Polyniak, will meet with borough engineer James Constantine and fire officials before the Amboy Holdings LLC development comes before the board again at its next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 14.
“We want to do what the town of Metuchen wants, but we want to do what’s right for the site,” Netta told the board.
Netta said that if the board desires, he could move the buildings a foot closer to the street and cut down the unit size another foot to the back units in order to create another two feet of turning radius for an emergency vehicle. Current plans call for the buildings to be set back more than 47 feet from the curb, but that space includes landscaping, retaining walls and a sidewalk running from the street through the courtyard.
Netta also agreed to replace any damaged landscaping on neighboring properties, should any be damaged during construction.
Borough engineer Kathy Elliott said she and Russell and Netta had been exchanging e-mails on the issue, with fire lane plans evolving constantly. The latest plan had been presented to her at 11 a.m. July 9 – the morning before the meeting – and required more time for proper scrutiny.
Munoz also suggested that Netta call in a fire code expert to testify on the issue at the next meeting, since whether or not the buildings have sprinklers would change the way a fire is fought.