Zoning Board denies townhouse application
Project was strongly opposed by neighbors
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE - With a 4-3 vote, the Zoning Board of Adjustment denied Gianaren LLC's proposal to construct seven three-bedroom townhome units in three buildings on Old St. Georges Avenue last week.

Board member Frank D'Arcio motioned to deny the application, citing intensity issues at the board meeting on Nov. 8. Board member David Ortman seconded the motion.

"I believe the three-story [townhomes] would be a detriment to the residential area [which is mostly single-family homes]," he said.

The vote brought applause to the dozens of people who came to express their concerns, including traffic and congestion in the area with the Woodbridge High School at the corner of St. Georges Avenue and Freeman Street.

Other concerns included bringing in townhomes into a predominantly singlefamily residential area.

"[The townhomes] just don't go with the rest of the area," said Janet Iaquinta, who lives on Freeman Street.

Iaquinta added that she is all for renovating the area, but felt that bringing townhomes into an already congested area was not a good idea.

"It's just a very busy street," she said.

The current property is a group of three adjacent irregular lots totaling 28,454 square feet containing three severely dilapidated dwellings, which are all under common ownership. The site contains a one-family, a two-family and a three-family residence, all on separate lots fronting on St. Georges Avenue in the R-6 High-Density Single-Family Residential Zone.

The applicant proposed to remove all improvements and construct seven threebedroom dwelling units in three separate buildings - one three-unit townhouse building and two two-unit duplex buildings. All units would be approximately 35 feet in height and contain three stories, three bedrooms, a one-car garage, and a one-car driveway. All lots would be consolidated into a single parcel.

The applicant's lawyer, John Cassese, and Angelo Valetutto, the applicant's engineer, said the proposed seven townhomes would improve the aesthetics in the area.

"The proposed seven townhomes outweigh six rental units," said Valetutto.

Cassese added that the proposed units could be kept under more control than the current "three severely dilapidated dwellings."

"There are three separate tenants living currently [in the three dwellings]," he said. "It's harder to control rentals than owner-occupied [units]."

Residents were worried about "transient" people moving in and out of the proposed townhomes and cited an application for Joseph's Barbershop under Children's Property LLC on Freeman Street, which proposed to turn the current barbershop on the first floor into an apartment.

Currently, the building is a pre-existing nonconforming use, which houses a barbershop on the first floor and two apartments with three bedrooms on the second floor. The application was denied in July.

However, Cassese reassured the residents and the board that a restriction would be placed on the deed [of the townhomes] that would make sure that the seven units would be owner-occupied units and not rental units.

"These are expensive units … these [units] will be for sale, not for lease," said Cassese. "There is a transient problem and we would like to rectify it. This [application] would be good for all."

Board members asked the applicants if it was possible to reduce the height and number of units proposed.

Cassese explained to the board that economics was involved and his client's proposed application wouldn't work without seven units.

D'Arcio said the application should not be about economics, but about the betterment of the area.

Barbara Wyatt, of Freeman Street, questioned how the 18 parking spaces proposed for the townhomes would accommodate the people who would reside in the seven townhomes with three bedrooms each.

The applicant and the board planners said the parking proposed does comply with New Jersey's Residential Site Improvement Standards [RSIS].

For each three-bedroom townhouse, 2.4 parking spaces are needed for each.

After the meeting, Wyatt said she was relieved by the outcome.

"It's just a very busy area," she said. "I'm glad [board member Frank D'Arcio] said the application should not be about economics, because it shouldn't."