Midland Park July 21, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Wortendyke townhouse/ COAH unit development approved The Midland Park Board of Adjustment last week gave final approval to a townhouse development on Greenwood Avenue between Central and Clinton avenues across from Veterans Park and Arturo’s restaurant. The proposal by Rigs Development I LLC had been under discussion in front of several town boards since 2005 and was stalled for lack of funds. The mixed-used development on the nearly one-acre site will include a three-story building at the corner of Central and Greenwood avenues with commercial space on the first floor and three apartments above it. The apartments – a studio and a one-bedroom on the second floor and a threebedroom on the third floor - will meet Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) requirements and rent at affordable rates. The rest of the property fronting on Greenwood Avenue will have 12 market-rate townhouse units in two buildings. Each unit will have a garage, storage and some useable space at grade level, second floor living space and an attic accessible through a pull-down ladder. In order to reduce the number of variances needed from the board, the applicant eliminated the lofts proposed for each apartment, reduced the height of the commercial building to 34 feet and the height of the townhouses to 37 ft. 11 ½ in., and reconfigured the parking spaces bordering on Clinton Avenue to eliminate a 73-foot long curb cut. Variances were still required for floor area of the commercial building (1,336 sq. ft. instead of 1,200 sq. ft. to accommodate the COAH size requirements); front and side yard setbacks, and to permit a three-story building instead of two stories. The board found that these deviations were in keeping with the other buildings along Central Avenue. The townhouse buildings also required setback variances, both along Greenwood Avenue (15.37 ft. instead of 25 ft. for a section of the structure), along Clinton Avenue (0 ft. instead of 5 ft.), and along the rear of the building, where a fence will be provided. The board felt that locating the parking area to the side and to the rear of the townhouses would be a visual improvement worth waiving the setback requirements. The site was rezoned from industrial to attached singlefamily dwellings in 2005. It abuts a residential zone of mostly two-family homes built in the early days of the borough’s formation in the 1800s. Construction on the project was originally delayed because half of the property was leased to Verizon as a parking lot for the building the company owns a block away. Rigs Development had initially proposed to build the project in stages to accommodate the lease restriction. In 2007 the application in front of the board of adjustment was bifurcated to allow for the needed bulk variances, which were granted, before proceeding to the design and site plan stage, which was approved last week. Unable to get funding for the project through conventional channels due to the economic downturn, last year Rigs applied for a state grant for financing under the state’s CHOICE program. The size and mix of the COAH units was a requirement in order to qualify for the grant. The original plan had called for some COAH townhouse units, but Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements made it more practical to consolidate the units in the commercial building instead. ����� �������� ��������� ����������� ������������ ���������� ������������� ��������������������� ����������������������� �������������� ����������������������� �������������������������� �������� �������������������������������� ������������������������������� ������������ ����������� ������������� ������������ ��������� ���������������������� ��������������������������� ��������������������������������� ������������������������������������ � ���������������������� ������� Two free outdoor movie nights scheduled Midland Park Recreation will sponsor two free outdoor family movie nights at Johnny Vander Meer Field, 50 Dairy Street, on Fridays, Aug. 6 and 27. (Rain dates will by the following Saturdays, Aug. 7 and 28.) Movie nights will begin at 8:30 p.m. with music and a community slide show; the movies will begin at dusk. The snack bar will be open for the purchase of refreshments. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. For feature selection visit www.mpnj.com/mp_ rec.asp one week prior to the event. ���������������������� ��������������������� �������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������� ���������� ����������� ����������� ���������� ����������� ������������� ��������������������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������� �������������������������� ������������ ��������������������������� �������������������� Summer specials available now for a limited time only. Call Robin at 973-636-7000