will bring 497 homes
to Route 33 property
Colts Neck Crossing
will bring 497 homes
to Route 33 property
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer
Howell Planning Board members have granted preliminary site plan approval to Colts Neck Crossing, an age-restricted adult community to be built on Route 33.
Last week’s 5-1 vote of approval for the adult homes paves the way for an accompanying light commercial development at the site by the same applicant, Crawford Holdings of Holmdel. Approval for the residential application was contingent upon inclusion of a commercial component for the project.
The application opened with a request for 500 homes; the final approval was for 497 residential lots.
Attorney Sal Alfieri, representing the applicant, told the board that not only were no waivers being sought, but that the developers had shifted lots to increase the buffer zones in certain areas from the required 50 feet to 70 feet.
Alfieri also said a site plan adjustment needed to accommodate George Harms Construction, a Yellow Brook Road business that accounted for the overall loss of several lots. It was also agreed that all construction traffic would enter and exit the development using Route 33 only.
Colts Neck Crossing is bounded by Colts Neck, Yellow Brook and Cranberry roads.
One concession the developer was not willing to make was to set aside 10 percent of the homes to be sold as affordable housing, as per a request by Mayor Timothy J. Konopka.
In lieu of reserving some lots for sale at below market prices to people whose income meets regional guidelines set by the state, Alfieri said the developer will pay $3,000 per unit sold (approximately $1.5 million) into Howell’s affordable housing account.
Planning Board Attorney Ronald Cucchiaro said he would not incorporate the $3,000 per unit payment into the final resolution of approval because the amount was beyond what the law allows a Planning Board to require.
However, said Cucchiaro, the applicant can offer any amount he wishes and Cucchiaro said that sworn testimony would be acknowledged as part of the final record of approval.
Not all of the board members or members of the audience were mollified by the amount of the payment into the affordable housing account.
Robert Trento, the only board member to vote no on the application, said he felt a "moral obligation" to vote against the plan’s approval even while admitting there was no legal justification for doing so.
Resident Paulette Bradow of neighboring Farmingdale read from a prepared statement in which she cited potential traffic and emergency services problems that she claimed would result from the construction of the adult community. She said the proposed development was an "affront to the rural life of the surrounding lots."
Bradow went on to state that Howell was "surrounding Farmingdale with projects, choking its rural flavor. The board has a responsibility to be a good neighbor to surrounding communities as well as to provide a reasonably safe life to prospective new residents."
Howell resident Marilyn Ganci disagreed. She told the board she was in favor of the age-restricted community, calling it "an ideal thing for someone in my situation."
Ganci, who said she works for the Howell school system, said she would "probably be one of the first to sign up" to purchase one of the homes.
Ganci said the proposed community is what people who are nearing retirement age would want. She said the community would provide much-needed retirement housing, while not putting any more children into Howell’s schools.
"I have children I’d like to stay close to, but not have to take care of a big piece of property," Ganci said.
The 334-acre site on Route 33 had been rezoned by the previous Township Council from a 2- and 6-acre residential zone to a planned retirement community zone after being asked by the principals of Crawford Holdings to do so.
The principals of the firm are Terry Sherman and Anthony Spalliero.
The age-restricted community will feature among its amenities a clubhouse, tennis courts, a pool and golfing areas.
The Flame Motel and several outbuildings now on the site will be demolished to make way for construction.
Cucchiaro reminded board members the application was in full compliance with the parameters of the planned retirement community zone.