By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Just weeks after a change of zoning to allow them, two apartment buildings have been proposed for Amwell Road opposite Pleasant View Road.
The rental apartments would be built in a redevelopment zone passed by the Township Committee about a month ago after first being proposed last year. The Planning Board approved the concept in December and the Township Committee passed the ordinance creating the zone on May 12.
The apartments would help the township meet part of its ongoing regional affordable housing obligation. Of the 54 units, 14 would be for people with special needs.
Public hearing and consideration for preliminary and final approval is scheduled for the Planning Board meeting on Thursday, June 25, in the municipal building’s courtroom.
Amwell Commons would build 14 three-bedroom units, 32 two-bedroom (including the ones for special needs) and eight one-bedroom units. The units would be divided between two rectangular buildings, each almost a football field long at 290 feet.
The application, dated May 14, was submitted in anticipation of approval by the Township Committee of a plan of rehabilitation and redevelopment for a redevelopment area that will include this property.
The so-called Amwell Commons would embrace lots at 495, 503, 505 and 507 Amwell Road. Four dwellings along the street would come down to make way for the apartments.
The apartments would be on a 3.74-acre strip nearest Amwell Road. The remaining 17.17 acres at the rear of the property would be reserved for future development, presumably as single-family houses or stacked townhouses. A redevelopment proposal floated last fall speculated that 45 single-family homes and 30 market-rate townhouses could be built.
The rear 17 acres would be accessed by a 50-foot private road between the two rectangular apartment buildings and roughly opposite Pleasant View Road. It would serve the apartments and the back lands.
RPM Development LLC, of Montclair, is the applicant. The property owner is New Amwell Associates, of Clinton.
The total 20.1 acres in redevelopment area would be comprised by merging existing lots of 2.2, 7.2, 1.1, 1.7 and 9.3 acres on the tax rolls.
Board Engineer William White and planning consultant Marcia Shiffman are conflicted because the Maser Engineering firm for which they work provides engineering services to the applicant. Mr. White recommended calling the backup engineer, Carroll Engineering. Assistant township planner David Kois is the conflict planner.
One apartment building would hold 26 units and the other would have 28. Claremont Hills Village is adjacent to the east, and Brookview Auten Associates to the northeast, and Meadows Associates to the north. Royce Brook forms the back proeprty line.
Plans for each of the two proposed apartment buildings show areas for beds of perennials and a butterfly meadow in front of each building and fronting on the driveway.
A 2,000-square-foot community room would be included in the westerly 26-unit building.
Parking for about 100 cars is planned on site.
A minor subdivision is proposed in order to reconfigure the property and create the portion of the overall property to be developed by the site plan. The remaining land in the rear portion of the overall property will be the subject of a separate development application to be submitted by others. Since the rear portion of the overall property won’t have frontage on a public street, a variance is required for lot frontage for the remaining lands lot.
A traffic analysis submitted with the plan says the existing ‘C’ level of service during morning and evening peak hours would go to an “acceptable” D level, says the analysis.
