Franklin Lakes April 4, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 7 Planners approve Colonial Road affordable housing site by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Planning Board has approved another amended site plan and two variances for the borough’s second affordable housing site, which is located on Colonial Road. The 14-acre property is located just east of the New York Susquehanna & Western Railway tracks and Route 287 and just north of the access ramps to Routes 287 and 208. The two-building site plan was originally approved by the planning board in December 2003 under the duress of a court-endorsed settlement of an affordable housing “builder’s remedy” lawsuit filed by University Heights, developer of the Old Mill Road affordable housing complex now called Mill Pond. The suit was joined by Colonial Road Associates, the original developer of the 14 acres on Colonial Road. Kara Homes later purchased the Colonial Road property, but declared bankruptcy. The site is now owned by the Amboy Bank, of which GS Realty Corporation is a subsidiary. Three years ago, the plans for the property were amended to allow GS Realty to market the age-restricted housing units that were previously approved for the site as non-age restricted units in accordance with legislation enacted by the state in July 2009 due to the slump in the housing market. The current plans prepared by GS Realty indicate there will be still be two buildings, but the larger of the two will contain 64 units that will be sold at market value. The smaller building will include 23 affordable housing units. The larger building will be in an upside down, inverted “L” shape extending from Colonial Road west toward the tracks and will have three floors. The smaller building will be rectangular in shape and nearer to Colonial Road. That building will appear to have three floors, but will actually have four because units have been planned for the basement level. The board held a series of public hearings on the plans starting in January, and approved the amended plans when GS Realty agreed to several changes. Those changes include the addition of a paver block access area to the rear of the larger building so the fire department can get its ladders to reach the windowsills of the upper level units. In addition, the sidewalk behind the smaller building was widened to permit fire department ladders to reach the top floor of that building. GS Realty also agreed to install elevators that would accommodate the 24 inch by 84 inch stretchers used by the borough’s emergency services. Prior to the board’s approval of the plans, the applicant agreed that each building would have a full sprinkler system and standpipes located in all stairway towers to facilitate access to water in a fire emergency. Changes to the plan also included additional parking and landscaping, the relocation of a fire hydrant, the addition of fire lane delineators, the placement of Knox boxes in both buildings for emergency personnel access, installation of a new drainage inlet, and the creation of a trash enclosure area. The board approved two variances in The Franklin Lakes Public Library, located at 470 DeKorte Drive in Franklin Lakes, will host a variety of programs for adults during the month of April. Programs are free of charge and do not require registration. A parenting workshop, “The Power of No,” will be held April 3 at 7 p.m. Denise R. Cooney, LCSW will cover topics related Library sets programs for adults to child rearing and behavior. Learn what healthy frustration is and why it can be an important lesson as Cooney outlines her clear, no nonsense approach. On April 10, Mike Dennis of Traditional Earth Skills in Madison will discuss Lewis and Clark. Dennis will recount the fascinating story of this unique duo’s journey of (continued on page 8) association with this project. One variance will allow the smaller building to be four stories high. The code allows a maximum of three stories. The second variance will allow for a maximum retaining wall height of 11 feet near the parking area on the south side of the smaller building. The board’s approval contained several conditions, including the agreement to add the paver block access area behind the larger building, and the inclusion of elevators that are in accord with the International Building Code requirements. The approval also contained the condition that several issues that are not within the jurisdiction of the planning board must be resolved to the satisfaction of the mayor and borough council. Those issues include compliance by GS Realty with the original settlement agreement that was endorsed by a superior court judge when this property was designated as an affordable housing site in 2001. They also include the resolution of the disagreement between Planning Board Attorney John Spizziri and Stephen Sinisi, the applicant’s attorney, as to whether the applicant should be required to install a backup generator to provide power to the buildings in a blackout.