The Edison Zoning Board of Adjustment will continue to hear questioning next month regarding the proposed medical development on James Street.
Rukh Edison Plaza/James St. Medical of Piscataway is proposing to construct a new two-story, 10,000-square-foot medical facility at the intersection of James Street and Mundy Avenue.
The developers are proposing 73 parking spaces, where 92 are required. A use variance is required because it is a residential area.
Township officials have recommended that the area fronting James Street between the hospital and Grove Avenue be rezoned from a residential district to an off-service district. Residents have voiced concerns over the changes, saying they do not want James Street, which consists mostly of residential units, to become like Oak Tree Road, where many Asian Indian businesses and specialty boutiques have opened over the years. On weekends, the area attracts hundreds of people from around New Jersey and out of state, some from as far as Maryland.
The developers say the parking requirement of 92 spaces for their proposed type of medical office, a surgery center, is excessive. They said they expect a maximum of 20 employees and about 48 spaces would be sufficient.
There will be no overnight patient stays at the facility, and there might be weekend use on occasion, according to the developers. Neighbors who have been fighting against the development have formed an action group, Citizens Against James Street Medical Development, and have hired an attorney.
The group is represented by Stuart Lieberman, a Princeton attorney who specializes in environmental law.
Citizens Against James Street Medical Development is concerned about destroying the environmentally sensitive wetlands that provide flood control for the community, which has been a 40-year struggle, they said. Members say the proposal will decrease property values and the complexion of the land.
The environmental nonprofit organization Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) has also weighed in on the project, voicing its concerns about the plan to tear down three houses and pave over wetlands.
John Miller, a professional engineer with Princeton Hydro, LLC, who testified on behalf of the citizens group, said he analyzed the application and found a number of flaws in the design regarding impervious coverage on the site. He said the maximum percentage allowable is 40 percent and what is proposed is 58 percent.
The developers said their application has received state approvals on permits. They said if any testimony made by the citizens action group is found to be correct, they will work with the group to make any necessary changes to their application.
Testimony will continue July 19.