JACKSON — The Jackson Planning Board has unanimously approved the construction of the Advanced Spine Care medical facility on Bennetts Mills Road between Manhattan Street and Cooks Bridge Road. The applicant was Robert Lambrou.
Plans call for the construction of an 8,160- square-foot building. Since the previous hearing on this application was heard, the applicant revised the plan and eliminated a loading zone that was not required.
A guardrail was added to the plan in response to a concern previously expressed by a neighbor that a car might leave the spine care center’s property and drive onto the neighboring parcel.
Landscaping along the rear property line has been enhanced, according to the board’s engineer, Doug Klee, who reviewed the application for the panel.
Attorney Tim Shea, representing the applicant, said the size of the building was reduced and sewer service has been added.
Engineer Jeffrey Carr said the revised plan eliminates the loading zone and adds parking spaces and landscaping. He said dead and diseased trees on the property will be removed. Carr said 50 parking spaces will be provided; the ordinance requires 43 parking spaces.
The board’s planner, Anna Wainright, said there are still some questions regarding how the building’s second floor will be used.
Board member Stephen Costanzo wanted to know the size of the second floor in square feet. Shea said the second floor will be office space for a professional use, but he said it will not be a medical office.
“We don’t know [exactly] what will be on the second floor, yet,” the attorney said. “The potential for it to be office space is what was envisioned.”
Carr said the applicant was asking for a variance for the building’s setback.
“We are required to have 150 feet, but we have less than 75 feet.”
Carr said the building is a permitted use in the Neighborhood Commercial zone, but he said the size of the property caused the need for several variances. He said the applicant was unable to buy additional property.
The applicant’s engineer said attempts were made to try to correct issues with the driveways and said safety measures have been added.
Carr said the location of the building was shifted so that there could be better access to sewer connections, and he said that would eliminate 320 feet of pipes to access sanitary sewers.
The building will have public water service.
Architect Robert Braun, testifying on behalf of the applicant, said the floor plans were reorganized so the windows would match up on the outside of the structure.
“We used cultured stone and lowered the roof,” said Braun. “We used a three-color Fieldstone.”
Board member Eileen Tobasco said she was concerned about the entrances and exits onto Bennetts Mills Road, and board memberKenneth Bressi agreed with the points she raised.
“I am concerned with left turns across Bennetts Mills Road,” Bressi said.
Traffic engineer Jonathan Szap, testifying for the applicant, said he conducted traffic counts in the area, including traffic counts for Cooks Bridge Road.
“Right now Bennetts Mills Road carries about 12,000 vehicles daily,” said Szap. “There is roughly 25 feet on the other side of the road to the center line and about 23 feet to the center line on this side of the road, so there is enough [room] to make a bypass lane for through traffic.”
Bressi restated his concern that drivers may have to cross several lanes on Bennetts Mills Road in order to make a left turn, and he suggested a right turn out only from the spine care center to Bennetts Mills Road.
“A left turn out [of the medical building to Bennetts Mills Road] is asking for a catastrophe,” he said.
Board member Dan Burke said he agreed with Szap’s analysis and believes there is a need for a left turn out of the new building.
Board member Howard Tilis said there have been numerous accidents in Jackson in the past year and said it seems that drivers will be playing Russian Roulette if they make a left turn out of the medical office site.
“It only takes one car to have a bad accident,” said Tilis. “How about a right turn out and a U-turn at the next intersection?”
Szap said that option would make people go way out of their way and would take more time.
I don’t think [a left turn] puts [the drivers] in that much danger,” Szap said.
No member of the public came forward to speak about the application during the public hearing.
The board then voted 8-0 to approve the application.
“As far as a left turn out, I have my sincere reservations on that,” Bressi said.