Barbara King, well-known pianist and vocalist will be presenting a musical background at the Candlelight and Cocktails event slated for Tuesday, Aug. 1 at the Wine Bar, 40 First Avenue.
The talented performer, who appears regularly in Newark as well as along the Jersey Shore and in Florida, will present some musical interludes at the event sponsored by Atlantic Highlands Strong, the Republican candidates for Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council seats in the November election.
Councilman Jim Murphy heads up the trio seeking seats in November, with Murphy running for the mayoral post for the first time, along with council candidates Ellen O’Dwyer and Vinnie “Coach” Whitehead, both of whom are seeking the two three-year terms to be decided at the polls.
Atlantic Highlands Strong is the trademarked campaign name for the GOP, and all three candidates will be at Candlelight & Cocktails to meet with local residents, answer questions, and share a champagne toast and other cocktails.
Tickets for the event, which runs from 6 to 8 p. m. range from $125 to a variety of sponsors tickets ranging in prices up to $1,000. Each of the sponsorships also include admission to Candlelight & Cocktails.
Ticket price includes an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and appetizers stations with a variety of delicacies and cheeses.
Tickets are available by email to ahstrong09@gmail.com or by callings 732-447-8108. Persons not able to attend but wanting to make donations to the campaign can visit www.ahstrong.org and click on DONATE.
Deadline for filing for election to the Board of Education in Monmouth County municipalities is Thursday, July 31 at 4 p.m.
Petitions are obtained from and filed with the Clerk of Elections Office.
Any questions regarding school nominating petitions can be directed to the Clerk , 300 Halls Mill Road in Freehold, by phone at 732-431-7790 or email to ClerkOfElections@co.monmouth.nj.us.
In Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, voters get to vote in two school board elections. There will be one seat on the ballot for a three year term and one for a one-year unexpired term on the Henry Hudson Board for Highlands voters to decides. At the Highlands Board, here are three three-year terms to be decided.
Atlantic Highlands voters will also have three seats to be decided on the local board of education, each for a three year term, and two seats on the Henry Hudson ballot, each for three year terms.
After more than two months of waiting, the National Park Service has now reported it will be at least another month before ADA signage and some improvements can be made at Sandy Hook beaches for persons who have mobility problems.
It will take a longer, undetermined length of time to provide a mobility mat for access to the beach for disabled persons as well as signage along the road indicating where ADA sites are available at the national recreation area.
Surprisingly, in an e-mail to Congressman Frank Pallone, a park official also conceded the one area that appears to be ADA accessible really is not, so signs cannot be posted there.
Queries to the national park as to where a person in a wheelchair could actually see the Atlantic Ocean along the seven mile strip were unanswered until Congressman Pallone began to seek further information to help a handicapped constituent.
Questions arose when a local resident with need for a wheelchair learned she could not simply sit in a car on Sandy Hook and view the ocean, but had to access some area with a wheelchair in order to enjoy the view.
Because of the sea wall and the breadth of Sandy Hook past the end of the sea wall, there are no areas where it is possible to see the ocean while traveling in a vehicle along Sandy Hook. Several places have views of the Shrewsbury River and Sandy Hook Bay, but parking for these sites are also a distance away and across the trafficked roadway.
One site was found at Area B parking, where there is a well constructed deck on top of the seawall. The deck affords spectacular views of the ocean to the horizon as well as New York Harbor and Manhattan.
The ramp to that deck is dirt and stone at the base, and with a slightly steep grade, but accessible by wheelchair with a chair driver pushing the chair up the ramp. The area is clearly marked with several handicapped only signs at the base of the ramp. But there are no signs saying the ramp is there as well.
There can’t be, a spokesman for Sandy Hook said. That’s because the path that provides access to that deck does not meet accessibity standards for grade or material, although it was built by the National Park service.
To make it correct, the park service would have to install several steps and it would result in a more involved project. Because of the work that type of new project entails, it could possibly be finished in time for the 2024 season. However, the newly completed access would have to be evaluated and undergo an ADA review, something the current ramp apparently did not do, so that is not a firm commitment..
There are mobility mat accesses to the beach at Areas D, E and G, however, information has not be available. Beginning some time next month, information concerning obtaining beach wheel chairs will be added at the plaza.
ADA directional signage will also be provided along the road and at the entrances to Areas D, E, G and within the parking areas. Signage is currently being designed in keeping with Gateway’s sign standards, and the target date for completion and installation has been set at mid-August.
Looking to long term improvements to help persons in wheelchairs, an accessible mobility mat will need to be purchased to provide access to the beach at Area C. and information concerning obtaining beach wheel chairs will be added at the plaza area. ADA directional signage will also be provided along the road and at the entrances to Area C, though no date for completion has been set for any of this work.
Extra officers on duty, patience, teamwork and hydration all helped Highlands Police Department get through a weekend where traffic was backed up on Route 36 the entire length of Highlands, through Middletown and into Atlantic Highlands as beach goers headed to Sandy Hook and long waits to pay fees at the entrance to Gateway National Recreation Area Saturday and Sunday.
“I don’t think there is any good way to facilitate the thousands of vehicles passing through our small town, “ said Police Capt. George Roxby, who headed up operations over the weekend. “We appreciate the patience of our residents, and I can assure you we are doing the absolute best we can to ensure the safety of our roadways.” The captain added that “It is paramount we keep traffic flowing on all of our side streets as well in the event that fire or first aid needs to get through.”
In appreciating local residents’ cooperation with the added strain on their routines, Roxby noted “Highlands locals know to watch the weather on a summer weekend and plan accordingly….”just like they know to watch the wind tides and moon during a storm.”
It’s all part of “being a Highlander,” the captain said pragmatically.
But the extremely heavy traffic load, which spilled onto Linden Avenue, Bay avenue, Shore Drive, and numerous other smaller streets in the borough as well as Valley and Highland Avenues and Miller St on the hill meant Chief Robert Burton, anticipating the traffic in view of weather predictions, assigned six police officers to work from 8 a.m. to 4 Sunday, including the three officers and one Special Enforcement officer usually on duty during a summer weekend. The department also used “Bayshore Distracted Driver” grant funding for the additional officer and changed the shift of one special Class II officer to supplement the day shift.
Four officers were deployed on foot for most of the day, Roxby said, focusing on the east bound lane of Route 36. Three officers were on or near the Capt. Joseph Azzolina Bridge, and at the intersection of Portland Rd and the bridge while the fourth officers was near the Miller St. and Route 36 intersection, all focusing on keeping the left lane moving east on Route 36. The officer at the Miller St. Intersection also had to ensure the intersection had to be kept clear to avoid further backup on Highland Ave.
At the same time, other officers on duty continued to answer calls for service throughout the borough, enforced traffic and parking regulations, and handled other issues, rotating with the officers on Route 36 traffic control for needed breaks.
“A major problem we encounter is people stopping in the left lane in order to attempt to merge into the right lane for entry to Sandy Hook,” Roxby said, completely blocking off the left lane and creating further backups.
Police report there were no injuries due to traffic and only one unrelated EMS call in the borough during the day shift.
In addition to keeping water in the vehicles, and being rotated through breaks, police also had additional water delivered to their stations throughout the day to ensure their own protection from the soaring temperatures and hot sun.
While Roxby could not give an estimate of how many vehicles passed through the borough Sunday, he noted that WAZE and GPS systems suggested side streets to avoid traffic buildup. As a result, motorists took the jug-handle at Linden Avenue, or cut across the median at Waterwitch Ave to get down to Bay Avenue then travel along Bay Avenue to access the bridge from Portland Road and Highland Ave.
However, because of a buildup on Bay Avenue from the lines of cars attempting to cut into traffic at the highway, police did close entry to the bridge from that ramp and directed cars to head west along Highland Avenue, for exit into east bound lanes of Route 36 through Miller Sgt. Or Valley Avenue. Around 11 a.m., that traffic also included churchgoers leaving Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church as well.
“While we understand this is frustrating to residents,” Roxby explained, “but if we don’t do it, we get gridlock on both Bay and Highland Avenues.” There is nowhere for them to go,” he explained, noting “If we allow vehicles to try to get onto the bridge from Portland rd. near the bridge, “it just about instantly gridlocks Bay and Highland Avenues. I understand not being allowed to go the way that one would normally go is frustrating but our number one priority is the safety of our residents,” Roxby said.
Between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, Roxby said, 36 cars were stopped and 26 summonses were issued, along with another ten warnings for traffic violations.
Grateful for no serious incidents or long term problems, Capt. Roxby pointed out “most of the blame can be put on the fact we live in a beautiful location. We live in a congested state and people love the beach. “
He added it seems clear that bottlenecks are caused by all those motorists having to wait in line to pay at the Sandy Hook. “It would be extremely helpful to the local department and ease stress for residents, if they could get cars in faster,” conceding that in addition, “Less friction during their payment process would have people on the beach and off of the road faster, which to me sounds helpful.”
The officer said, the park service could explore the option of metered parking to enable a free flow access to the park. Roxby said the rangers working at the Sandy Hook booths do their absolute best and should not be blamed but “ finding a way to get people into the park faster would be beneficial to all of the surrounding towns as well as their customers.”
Both Chief Burton and Capt. Roxby expressed appreciation for the patience of borough residents and businesses, saying, “We can assure you that we are doing the absolute best that we can in the borough for the safety of our residents and our roadways. “
Receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism and bravery at the Battle of Guadalcanal apparently wasn’t enough for a Marine Sergeant who loved his country. Sgt. John Basilone survived that battle and was awarded the medal in May, 1942.
But after serving a year in the United States as a former Marine advancing the sale of war bonds throughout the country, John Basilone once gain received permission to re-enlist in July 1943 and was assigned to “C” Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment,8th Marine Division,
Eighteen months later, February 19, 1945, the first day of the invasion of Iwo Jima he was serving as a machine gun leader on Red Beach II and once again showed his heroism. He was killed by a burst of small arms fire and for these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Marine Corps’ second highest decoration, the Navy Cross.
John Basilone is the only enlisted Marine who has been awarded the two highest honors for extraordinary heroism, the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross during World War II.
The son of immigrant Italian parents, Basilone was born in Buffalo, NY and brought up in Raritan with his nine brothers and sisters, attended St. Bernard’s Catholic school, but worked as a caddy in a golf course rather than go to high school.
Enlisting in the Army in July 1934, when he was just over 18 years of age, Basilone served in that branch for three years, serving in the Philippines and gaining fame as a champion boxer. He was discharged after his enlistment period and re-enlisted once again the following day.
After that enlistment, he returned to Raritan and worked as a truck driver but wanted to go back into service. This time, he joined the Marine Corps.
He was deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and in August 1942, took part in the invasion of Guadalcanal. He and the two machine-gun sections under his command held off an attack by a numerically far superior Japanese force in spite of great loss. Only four Marines survived that battle, including Basilone. It is for this action at this invasion he earned the Congressional Medal.
After the award presentation for his Guadalcanal actions, Basilone returned to Raritan and toured the country for the government promoting war bonds. He continued to apply to be returned to the Marine Corps in spite of his injuries.
He was offered a commission, but he declined it. He was offered an assignment as an instructor; again, he turned it down. When his request was finally approved, he went to Camp Pendleton for more training, and on July 3, 1944, he reenlisted in the Marine Corps.
In February 1945, he was killed in action on the first day of the invasion of Iwo Jima, after he single-handedly destroyed an enemy blockhouse and led a Marine tank under fire safely through a minefield. Including the Medal of Honor.
Basilone married his wife, Lena, a sergeant in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in July 1944. She never remarried after his death and died in 1999 at age 86. She is burred at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. Sgt. Basilone is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His Medal of Honor is at the Marine Museum in Quantico, Virginia.
Sgt. Basilone has received numerous honors in his hometown, where there is an annual parade, the school gym is named in his honor and he is remembered annually in various ceremonies. Several military base streets, military facilities, and two United States Navy destroyers are named for him.
CITATION
For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Lunga area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942.
While the enemy was hammering at the Marines’ defensive positions, Sgt. Basilone, in charge of two sections of heavy machine guns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault.
In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sgt. Basilone’s sections, with its gun crews, was put out of action, leaving only two men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived.
A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sgt. Basilone, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment.
His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
After four hours of testimony, questions and answers before a filled council chambers, the Planning Board continued the hearing on the Kalian mixed use construction building until its regular meeting Aug. 3 at 7 p.m.
Two of the firm’s experts presented their testimony and information at last night’s special meeting, in which they are seeking numerous variances to build a four story mixed use apartment and retail complex on First Ave at E Garfield ave. The building would be immediately adjacent to the current Kalian apartment complex nearing completion and would be constructed on the property now housing a one-story building.
The two local businesses in that building, Mike’s Deli and Scenic Liquors, would be gone as the building will be demolished and everything on the site cleared away.
Doug Rohmeyer, the borough engineer from CME, had numerous questions and comments for the plan, which is seeking both preliminary and site plan review to build the structure to house 30-, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on the second, third and fourth floor, and retail on the first level, along with some undersized parking spaces. The original plan called for no three-bedroom units, but professionals last night indicated there are now two planned for the fourth floor.
The firm had met with the planning board for a concept hearing last year and incorporated feedback from that meeting into these plans. Some of the changes included the three-bedroom units as well as angling one side of the building for increased visibility for both motorists and pedestrians.
Architect Richard Gabber of Jersey City presented testimony through a 31-page PowerPoint presentation available both on ZOOM and on the screen in borough hall. At the request of resident Mark Fisher, PowerPoint is now available on the borough’s website.
Gabber said the plans now call for 11 one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units for a total of 30 units. One of the one bedroom, six of the two bedroom and both of the three-bedroom units would be for affordable housing he said for a total of nine affordable housing units in the complex.
The 48 parking stalls in the plan would require an ordinance since they do not meet size requirements. Gabber said given the number of citizens who now purchase smaller cars, the spot size is adequate.
The roof is planned to be flat with access by the residents for personal use, he said, along with its two towers for both stairs and elevator to access the top level.
The building, which would be taller than the adjacent Kalian complex, is in keeping with other buildings in the area, Gabber said, citing both the complex still under construction which the planning board had approved, as well as Carton Brewery, both flat top buildings.
The meeting was stopped several times during Gabber’s testimony when Secretary Nancy Tran indicated she did not have confidence it was being properly recorded.
When the recording was posted on the borough page, it will be a compilation of both what was recorded and include recordings from the ZOOM portion as well as the secretary’s own phone, secretary Nancy Tran said today, indicating she feel confident the recording on the borough is would be thorough and complete.
Gabber presented his explanations and responded to numerous questions from Rohmeyer for nearly 90 minutes before chairman David McGoldrick opened the session to the public.
Rohmeyer indicates several areas in which he did not feel comfortable, with Gabber saying the firm will look into his suggestions, Among several areas, the borough engineer questioned the proximity of two balconies which Gabber said would be open and useable to the tenants of those apartments, to utility poles and wires, as well as the drainage plans for the flat roof. He questioned landscaping, drainage, utility connections and made several suggestions, all of which Gabber said the company would review. Board members also had several questions for the architect.
Patrick Ward, a partner in InSite Engineering of Manasquan, and a project engineer for ten years, presented testimony on the building setbacks, drainage, permeability rate of the soil which ensures drainage, and lighting around the building as well as information on utility connections, ADA sidewalks and several other areas of concern. Rohmeyer pointed out the broad variety of plans that would require variances and areas where he has specific concerns.
With the meeting running close to 11 p.m.., board attorney Michael Steib recommended that rather than open the meeting to hear some questions from the public , the meeting be adjourned and all professionals be present for the regular meeting on Aug. 3 when questions to Ward from the public will be first on the agenda and Kalian can present the rest of its professionals, including its traffic engineer for more descriptions of the proposed complex.
McGoldrick had advised residents during the meeting that while the professionals are making their presentations, the public will have the right to ask questions and ascertain more information. Once all the information is complete and before the planning board takes any action, the public will once again have the right to speak and voice their opinions on how they feel about the new building.
Even though a Superior Court Judge last month dismissed the complaint Atlantic Highlands filed against Kappa Construction Company, the borough took a second shot at it and can now continue its lawsuit against Kappa Construction Corporation for the $1.5 million building at the Municipal Yacht Harbor the borough approved and has leased to two tenants for more than two years.
At a hearing Monday, Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Owen C. McCarthy granted the borough’s request to reinstate the lawsuit filed by Atlantic Highlands against the firm. He is the same judge who dismissed the matter last month.
Atlantic Highlands had filed the suit alleging Kappa Construction was responsible for several violations in the $1.5 million building completed more than two years ago. This was in spite of the fact the borough had approved and authorized full payment for the construction at the time the work was completed.
Lessee TowBOAT/US, Miller’s Towing & Salvage, Inc., owned by Capt. Harold Smith, informed the borough two years ago of a number of architectural problems in the building, most serious of which was the gas turnouts not properly located. TowBOAT/US and the NJ State Police are both tenants in the borough-owned building. Architect for the building was Netta Architects of Mountainside.
Council took no action on Smith’s several complaints to both the Harbor Commission and the Mayor and Council despite his appearance at several meetings over months. In December 2022, in response to Smith’s continued complaints and request to be released from his lease, the borough then filed suit against Kappa alleging the building contractor was responsible for the problems. Neither council nor the Harbor Commission took any action on Smith’s request to be released from his lease and he continued, and continues currently, to pay full rent as required in his lease.
Several months ago, the borough received a deficiency notice from the court in response to their complaint, stating the borough’s complaint was incomplete and missing information. The borough then filed a motion to correct their missing information, and it was corrected in February of this year.
With the new information now available to the defendant, Kappa’s attorney, Thomas Hersch then filed a request for and was granted an extension for time to review the new information.
In June, Judge McGowan dismissed the charges against Kappa Construction Company.
In July, Gregory Cannon, the attorney representing Atlantic Highlands, filed a request to have the case reinstated. That request was set for an Aug. 4 decision.
However, during a 4 p.m. ZOOM conference meeting among the Judge and attorneys Monday afternoon, Judge McGown ordered that any and all administrative dismissals for lack of prosecution against any defendant were vacated. The order then reinstated Atlantic Highlands for an active trial date of the allegations against Kappa. The Judge granted Kappa Construction Corp and its insurance company until Aug. 1 to respond to the revised complaint.
The new Case Management Conference is now scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug 21 via ZOOM.
With the new action currently pending the Conference, neither Cannon nor Thomas Hersch could be reached for any comment.
Presentation of a building plan that would require no fewer than 17 variances, would create the second highest building in the borough if approved, and would demolish the building currently housing two successful and popular local businesses is expected to draw a large crowd both in person and on ZOOM Tuesday night at 7p.m. July 18, when the Planning Board hears the preliminary and final site plan and variances application from Kalian Management for property at 160 First Avenue.
The property is one block in from Route 36 at the entrance to the borough near the intersection of E. Garfield ave.
The property is the current location of Mike’s Convenience and Scenic Liquor stores and immediately adjacent to Kalian’s other apartment complex still under construction. If approved this building would be one story higher than the adjacent apartment nearing construction completion by the same firm.
The applicant’s attorney, Ansell, Grimm & Aaron, also noted Kalian will “request such other variances, exceptions, interpretations and/or design waivers which may be necessary to accommodate the application as filed or as revised by the Planning Board and/or its professionals and will amend its application on the record accordingly.”
While the applicant in its request is initially seeking at least 17 variances, the 13 page report by CME Associates, the borough’s engineering firm, indicates other waivers may also be needed to be granted by the planning board as well.
Among the variances sought are to allow the building’s proposed 44-foot height to exceed borough regulations that set a maximum height of 40 feet in a three story building. Higher points for the elevator and stair towers would create construction at 61 feet, another 17 feet of elevation, where 15 feet is the maximum. The proposed construction, in addition to being higher than the current regulations allow, would also be four stories in height where three is the maximum.
Everything from a plan for a lack of shade trees and landscaping, along with insufficient parking spaces, both in number and in size, to undersized apartments and a lack of loading space required for commercial use would require variances before a building permit could be issued.
Kalian’s plan also calls for some units be for affordable housing, though no three-bedroom units as required are included, a matter which the borough engineer referred to the board’s counsel.
In its review, the borough engineer noted the applicant should be prepared to respond to numerous questions from the planning board as to its application, conducting the positive and negative effects of granting the variance.
The engineer noted there must be special reasons to grant the variance to show approval would “advance the purpose of zoning,” and that the site is particularly suited to allow for the construction of a building of this size. The applicant would also have to show that granting the variance would not create any “substantial detriment to the public good,” and would have to prove its impact on surrounding properties would not “cause such damage to the character of the neighborhood as to constitute a substantial detriment to the public good.”
Both the application and the engineer’s report are available at ahnj.com under the Planning Board’s announcement of tomorrow night’s special meeting.
The sound of Elvis filled the room and normally sedate ladies and gentlemen danced, jumped, hopped and hugged as the Vincent T. Lombardi Columbiettes 6552 staged a dinner and Elvis Entertainment evening Saturday in the Charles J. Hesse Hall at St. Agnes Church.
Committee members Louise Welch, Columbiettes President, Mary Vernarelli, Ann Dimaira, Jan Flanagan. Christine Dudek, Jenny Dimaira, and Gilda Healy accepted the praise and plaudits of the estimated 100 guests at the event which also included a buffet dinner catered by Taliercio’s of Middletown.
Elvis impersonator Scotty Alan, dressed in an Elvis traditional white suit and open-necked shirt, and wearing traditional Elvis sunglasses, danced and sang with groups of attendees, visiting tables and twirling delighted fans while capturing the tones, sounds and motions of the popular singer of the 1950s.
Knights of the Rev. Joseph J. Donnelly Council at Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St Agnes parish assisted the Columbiettes in making the event a success.
The women of the Columbiettes, who have the mission to assist the Knights of Columbus in their serviced work, meet on the first Wednesday of each month at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Highlands and invite women 18 years of age or older who are practicing Catholics to become members.
The chapter serves this parish as well as St Mary’s in New Monmouth as a support group for both the Vincent T Lombardi and the Rev Joseph J Donnelly Knight councils. They have been serving the community since 2010.
Like all their events the Elvis night was a fundraiser, this for the unit’s Scholarship Fund which supports young women in attending both Catholic high schools and Catholic colleges. The group also sponsors children who attend CCD classes in both parishes.
Nor does their generosity and energy stop there. In addition to the Scholarship Fund, the Columbiettes raise money to support Seminarians and Postulants, as well as Send a Hero home for the holidays. Their Charity fund also assisted the family of a young girl diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer and aided the child with a speech device to enhancer communication ability.
The Columbiettes have also collected school supplies and backpacks for needy children and participate in distributing toiletries for homeless shelters in all five Catholic dioceses in New Jersey, as well as tab tops for the Ronald McDonald House.
An evening at the First Avenue Playhouse to see “Laughing on the 23rd Floor” is planned for Aug. 25. Information and ticket reservations for that event will be announced shortly. Proceeds from this event at the popular First Avenue venue will benefit the unit’s Charity Fund.
Also already under preparation is a Tricky Tray event in January at the Rev. Joseph Donnelly annual Italian Night with proceeds of that happening aiding the Scholarship Fund.
Anyone wishing to make donations to the Columbiettes, become members or need further information can contact Louise Welch at 732-397-5601.
Presentation of a building plan before the Planning Board, that would require no fewer than 17 variances, would create the second highest building in the borough if approved, and would demolish the building currently housing two successful and popular local businesses is expected to draw a large crowd both in person and on ZOOM Tuesday night at 7p.m. July 18, when the Planning Board hears the preliminary and final site plan and variances application from Kalian Management for property at 160 First Avenue. The property is one block in from Route 36 at the entrance to the borough near the intersection of E. Garfield ave.
The property is the current location of Mike’s Convenience and Scenic Liquor stores and immediately adjacent to Kalian’s other apartment complex still under construction. If approved this building would be one story higher than the adjacent apartment nearing construction completion by the same firm.
The applicant’s attorney, Ansell, Grimm & Aaron, also noted Kalian will “request such other variances, exceptions, interpretations and/or design waivers which may be necessary to accommodate the application as filed or as revised by the Planning Board and/or its professionals and will amend its application on the record accordingly.”
While the applicant in its request is initially seeking at least 17 variances, the 13 page report by CME Associates, the borough’s engineering firm, indicates other waivers may also be needed to be granted by the planning board as well.
Among the variances sought are to allow the building’s proposed 44-foot height to exceed borough regulations that set a maximum height of 40 feet in a three story building. Higher points for the elevator and stair towers would create construction at 61 feet, another 17 feet of elevation, where 15 feet is the maximum. The proposed construction, in addition to being higher than the current regulations allow, would also be four stories in height where three is the maximum.
Everything from a plan for a lack of shade trees and landscaping, along with insufficient parking spaces, both in number and in size, to undersized apartments and a lack of loading space required for commercial use would require variances before a building permit could be issued.
Kalian’s plan also calls for some units be for affordable housing, though no three-bedroom units as required are included, a matter which the borough engineer referred to the board’s counsel.
In its review, the borough engineer noted the applicant should be prepared to respond to numerous questions from the planning board as to its application, conducting the positive and negative effects of granting the variance.
The engineer noted there must be special reasons to grant the variance to show approval would “advance the purpose of zoning,” and that the site is particularly suited to allow for the construction of a building of this size. The applicant would also have to show that granting the variance would not create any “substantial detriment to the public good,” and would have to prove its impact on surrounding properties would not “cause such damage to the character of the neighborhood as to constitute a substantial detriment to the public good.”
Both the application and the engineer’s report are available at ahnj.com under the Planning Board’s announcement of tomorrow night’s special meeting.
