Franklin Lakes October 24, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Board of Adjustment considers day care facility by Frank J. McMahon The Learning Experience, a day care facility for children from infants up to age five, is seeking the approval of the Franklin Lakes Zoning Board of Adjustment to construct a 10,000 square foot building on Franklin Avenue. The proposed one-story building would be built on a 45,781 square foot, split-zoned property. The property is located within the limited business LB-1 zone and the A-22.5 acre residential zone with the front portion of the site in the LB-1 zone and the rear portion in the A-22.5 zone. The Learning Experience of Mendham, the contract purchaser of the property and the applicant, is seeking 25 variances including a use variance because the borough’s zoning code does not permit a child day care center as a principal use in the A 22.5 or the LB-1 zones. The applicant is also seeking a variance to providing 36 parking spaces where 53 are required. The applicant intends to demolish an existing vacant building, which is located on the north side of Franklin Avenue diagonally across from the Franklin Crossing Shopping Center. The plan calls for the construction of a new building that will straddle the two zones and have two access points from Franklin Avenue with the parking area containing 36 nine by 18 foot parking spaces near Franklin Avenue. The new building would have access walkways around the perimeter and two rear yard patios with picnic tables and canopies and a rear yard outdoor wood fiber surface play area. Susan Johnson, the area manager for The Learning Experience, testified that The Learning Experience has 200 locations that are open or under construction in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and 10 other states. She advised that this facility would have a maximum of 171 children with about 149 attending the center each day for five days a week. She said the state-mandated play area would be used by eight to 10 children at a time twice a day. Civil Engineer Matthew Clark described the property, and the building, play area, landscaping, and drainage proposed for the site. Clark also discussed the location of the septic system under the parking lot. He described the variances required for the site and advised that he would review with the borough’s fire official the capability of a fire truck to access the rear of the proposed building. Architect James Cutillo, who testified about the architecture of proposed building, advised that the structure would contain a sprinkler system approved by the state. He agreed to provide information about the ventilation system. He explained that a one-story building is preferred for the safety of the children, and avoids the need for an elevator. Traffic expert Craig Peregoy testified that his traffic counts indicate that the level of service on Franklin and Circle avenues is “a good level of service with ranges that make sense” according to the Institute of Transportation Engineers manual for the 171 children who would be in the facility. He also described the potential queuing of (continued on page 5) At 12:09 a.m. on Oct. 14, Franklin Lakes Police received a report that unknown persons had burglarized a home on Valley View Drive North between 1 p.m. on Saturday and midnight. Entry was gained by forcing open front door. Bedrooms were the primary focus of Borough Police Department Report attack. It appears that jewelry is missing; the victims are preparing a complete inventory of stolen property. Bergen County Sheriff’s Department BCI processed the crime scene. Sergeant. Karl Klein and Detective Jeffrey Jost investigated.