September 4, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Franklin Lakes Board hears affordable housing plan experts by Frank J. McMahon Several experts recently provided the Franklin Lakes Zoning Board of Adjustment with testimony about a build- er’s plan to construct affordable housing on the 3.2-acre residential lot at 724 Franklin Avenue. Plans for site, which is adjacent to Shirley Avenue, call for two buildings con- taining 24 multi-family dwelling units, including five low- and moderate-income housing units. The testimony pertained to an application by ABJC Investments, LLC for a use variance to build the multi- family housing, which is not permitted in the A-22.5 resi- dential zone in which the site is located. The builder’s site plan shows a dual access from Frank- lin Avenue separated by a landscaped island leading to an inverted L-shaped parking lot for 46 vehicles with one building containing eight units nearer Franklin Avenue and a second building containing 16 units located south of the parking lot at the rear of the site. Civil engineer David Hals explained some of the revi- sions to the preliminary plans for the project. Landscape architect Bradley Neumann described the type of landscap- ing that is planned for the site, and traffic engineer Bahman Izadmeho provided his analysis of the traffic impact of the housing project on Franklin Avenue. Hals advised the board that his plans have been revised to provide a natural gas generator on the site, to show the restriping of the parking lot, and a larger turnaround area for garbage trucks on the site. He said the plan also identifies about 23 trees that may have to be removed from the site, which he said would be the most trees that would have to be removed; and the project would require 700 cubic yards of excavation and about 2,000 cubic yards trucked from the site. Hals added that the revised drawings also show that the lines of sight from the driveway are adequate. In addition, Hals confirmed that the state’s Residential Site Improvement Standards permitting nine by 18 foot parking spaces preempts the borough’s ordinance, which requires 10 by 20 foot spaces. Neumann used a colored rendering to show the location and types of trees and shrubs that would be used to provide screening for the site and to buffer the Franklin Avenue entrance. They would include various types of evergreen trees, shade trees, and about 100 shrubs. (continued on page 19)