FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — The Planning Board has instructed its attorney to prepare a positive resolution for the construction of a two-story 38,300-square-foot office building at the intersection of Business Route 33 and Halls Mills Road.
The board heard the application for the building at its March 5 and voted to have its attorney prepare a resolution that will allow the project to move forward. The resolution will be voted on at an upcoming meeting of the board.
The office building will sit on a 9.5-acre site.
Attorney John Giunco presented the application on behalf of the applicant, Silver Shore Land Co. LLC., Howell. The application sought preliminary and final major site plan approval with waivers for not providing sidewalks along Halls Mills Road and Business Route 33 and less than the required side slope of a detention basin.
According to Guy Leighton, Freehold Township’s senior planner, both waivers were granted. In lieu of building the sidewalks, Leighton said the applicant has agreed to contribute to the township’s sidewalk fund.
According to Leighton’s report, the twostory office building will be built west of Shore Point Distributors’ new building. He said the lot where the office building will be constructed is separated from the beer distributor by the Applegate Creek and its wetlands.
Leighton’s report states that office buildings are a permitted use in the M-1 zone. Improvements include a right in, right out, driveway from Route 33.
The original plan proposed parking for 192 vehicles. That has since been reduced to 183 parking spaces. Landscaping, site lighting and a storm-water infiltration basin were also part of the project. Public water and sewer service will be provided to the building.
Leighton noted that two additional waivers were granted by the Planning Board. A front setback waiver from the Route 33 ramp was granted for the 90 feet proposed. The township requires 100 feet. In addition, the board granted a waiver from the scenic corridor buffer.
According to a report prepared by Hatch Mott Mac-
Donald, the lot is currently
vacant and the majority of the lot has been cleared of trees. The lot is bounded on the west side by Halls Mill Road and Route 33 access ramps, on the north side by Business Route 33 and on the east side by Applegate Creek.
According to the report, Silver Shore Land Co. LLC. currently owns lots 2.00, 2.01 and 2.02. and recently constructed a large warehouse on the adjacent lot 2.01, on the far side of the creek. As part of that project the applicant constructed a sanitary sewer main on the east side of Applegate Creek, which will be owned and operated by Freehold Township. The applicant also proposed to construct an access driveway from Route 33.
A report from Kaplan Gaunt DeSantis Architects states that the main entrance to the office building will be set under a gabled portico element. The report states that the applicant developed a design “which is essentially a contemporary building with traditional elements and materials.”