MANALAPAN – An application that proposes commercial and residential development at the corner of Route 33 and Millhurst Road in Manalapan is expected to come before the Planning Board at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 in the municipal building.
According to a legal notice published by attorney Salvatore Alfieri, Cardinale & Associates, LLC, will seek preliminary and final major subdivision approval and preliminary and final major site plan approval for a mixed use development consisting of 280 age-restricted single-family homes with a clubhouse and related amenities, and for a commercial development consisting of a convenience store and gas station, a bank, a two-story medical office building with a research and development component, two retail/restaurant buildings, a three-story mixed use retail and affordable housing building containing a minimum of 50 affordable housing units, some of which will be designated for persons with special needs, and an additional three-story medical office building.
The legal notice states the site would be developed in accordance with the regulations that govern Manalapan’s Mixed Use Inclusionary Overlay Zone in the Village Commercial District at Route 33 and Millhurst Road.
The application and all supporting maps, site plans and documents are on file in the office of the Department of Planning and Zoning and are available for public inspection during normal business hours, according to the legal notice.
The potential development of the 130-acre property at Route 33 and Millhurst Road has been the subject of discussion in Manalapan for almost 20 years. A proposal known as Manalapan Crossing was the latest version discussed about a year ago.
During a Township Committee meeting in July of 2017, Township Attorney Roger McLaughlin offered a statement about the potential development of the property after residents began discussing the issue on social media.
McLaughlin said, “Jurisdiction over the project rests with the Manalapan Planning Board. We anticipate that once a complete application is filed, the review process will be a lengthy one. There will be no ‘fast tracking’ of the application and the Planning Board’s review will be thorough and complete.
“In addition to the Planning Board review process, (the) application … must also be reviewed and approved by the Monmouth County Planning Board and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation because of (the property’s) location on county and state roads,” McLaughlin said.
Millhurst Road is a Monmouth County road and Route 33 is a state highway.
“The issues that will be considered by the Manalapan Planning Board include off-site traffic impact and required improvements; project layout and design; drainage; and all other relevant planning and development considerations. A further issue that will be considered by all of the reviewing agencies is the timing of the construction of off-site and on-site improvements,” McLaughlin said.