SOUTH BRUNSWICK – RPM Development Group has received approval to construct four buildings in a two-phase application that proposed market rate and affordable housing at 211 Henderson Road in South Brunswick.
Planning Board meetings regarding the application were held on Nov. 4 and Nov. 18.
RPM received preliminary major subdivision approval and preliminary site plan approval with bulk variances to construct two multi-family buildings (116 units) on a 10-acre site in the Affordable Housing II (AH-II) zone on Henderson Road, according to a resolution approved by the Planning Board on Nov. 13.
The entire development proposes the construction of 177 apartments in four three-story buildings. Phase I will construct 116 apartments in two three-story buildings, with 226 parking stalls and a playground area.
Phase II would include the remaining units to the west. The applicant has only submitted details for Phase I thus far.
The AH-II mixed income/100% affordable housing overlay zone permits multi-family mixed income affordable housing developments where at least 55% of the units are affordable to very low, low and moderate income households in a multi-family dwelling format, according to the resolution.
RPM will provide at least 70% affordable housing units throughout the entire development; Jessica Caldwell, the applicant’s professional planner, said there is 54.3% affordable housing included in Phase I and 70% for the entire complex.
The buildings that are constructed during Phase I will have two front entrances off the access drives, and one entrance off the main boulevard. RPM proposed to loop the circulation flow of the interior with a roundabout.
The applicant’s traffic engineer, Andrew Feranda, testified that the complex would create an additional 99 morning peak hour traffic trips, which will consist of 71 trips into and 28 trips out of the property.
The afternoon peak period would estimate 70 trips entering and 49 trips exiting the property, according to Feranda.
Feranda said there would be no significant change in the level of service of the roads, and he said there would be “very little” delay of traffic, according to his testimony detailed in the resolution.
The property abuts the Royal Oaks apartment complex. Henderson Road is to the east, single-family homes are to the west, and a school bus depot is to the south.
Representatives of Royal Oaks – professional engineer Peter Ciliberto, professional geotechnical engineer Bob Simpson, and professional planner Peter Steck – asserted that RPM’s representatives failed to provide the board with adequate engineering, traffic and environmental information, according to the resolution.
They debated storm water management, soil testing, flooding, non-compliance with affordable housing requirements, non-compatible structures with surrounding developments and the relocation of the buses from the bus depot.
Voting for preliminary major subdivision and preliminary site plan approval with bulk variances were Alfonso Adinolfi, Ken Bierman, Ray Kuehner, Jerome Lutin, Barry Nathanson, Paul Prodromo, Edward J. Salvi and Dennis Weitz.
Gary Luck voted no. Mirza Rizwan Baig was absent from the vote. Alternate member Daniel Greenberg did not vote.
Voting for the preliminary site approval for Phase I were Adinolfi, Bierman, Greenberg, Luck, Lutin, Prodromo and Salvi.
Voting against the approval was Weitz.
Baig, Patel and Nathanson were absent.