By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN – The future of the Route 33 corridor in Manalapan will remain squarely in the crosshairs of the Township Committee in 2016.
Developers have proposed a number of residential and commercial projects that are or may be under consideration by municipal officials in the upcoming months.
One such proposal, for Manalapan Crossing at the corner of Route 33 and Millhurst Road, appears to have stalled following a Jan. 13 meeting during which no member of the committee made a motion to pursue the latest proposal put forth by the developer of the project, Cardinale Enterprises.
Township Attorney Roger McLaughlin said the latest revisions to the project put forth by the developer include a reduction in the number of market rate rental apartments from 598 units to 498 units, the relocation of affordable housing units on the site and the removal of a large amphitheater area from the plan. The proposal includes 124 special needs affordable housing units in four two-story buildings, according to McLaughlin.
McLaughlin said the developer is looking for a decision and action by the committee by mid to late February. The action would have to include the committee’s decision to permit residential uses on a property that is not zoned for that use.
After McLaughlin brought the committee up to date on the latest proposal, no one made a motion to proceed in any fashion on the Manalapan Crossing plan.
Committeeman Jack McNaboe said, “the fact that (residents) objected to the rental units, that is something I have to listen to. As long as they are rentals, as opposed to units that can be sold, we are going to have a stumbling block. That came out the loudest” from residents who spoke against the Manalapan Crossing plan in 2015.
McLaughlin also reviewed a proposal put forth by K. Hovnanian for a Route 33 parcel known as the Skeba property that is on Route 33 west, just west of the Knob Hill housing development.
Under one scenario, the developer is proposing to build a 165-home age-restricted community on a portion of the property. All of those homes would be sold at market rates. In conjunction with that development, the developer would donate 8 acres at the front of the site as a location for an unspecified number of affordable housing units, McLaughlin said during the Jan. 13 meeting.
On Jan. 20, the committee members voted 4-1 to direct McLaughlin to create an overlay ordinance that would, if adopted, allow residential uses in the special economic development zone in which the Skeba property sits.
Mayor Mary Ann Musich, Deputy Mayor Susan Cohen, Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz and Committeeman David Kane voted yes on the motion to draw up the overlay ordinance. McNaboe voted no and said he is not in favor of residential development on Route 33.
If the overlay ordinance eventually comes before the committee it will need four votes to be adopted, according to McLaughlin.
As part of a legal action against Manalapan, K. Hovnanian has offered a separate proposal for the Skeba property which consists of 500 market rate homes and 100 affordable housing units, according to McLaughlin, who said Manalapan and other municipalities are expected to have their affordable housing obligation clarified by a court later in 2016.
Another proposal before the committee is known as the Stavola plan that calls for 117 townhouses along with commercial and office space at Route 33 west and Woodward Road, McLaughlin said. In order to build the townhouses, the developer would need action by the committee to permit residential uses at that location.
At the Jan. 20 meeting, Maskowitz said an overlay ordinance for the Stavola property is not being entertained at this time.
McLaughlin informed the committee members and the public that a developer is expected to appear before the Zoning Board of Adjustment in the near future with a plan to build an adult community on Route 33 east, across from the Four Seasons adult community. A plan for an adult community at that location failed to gain enough votes of support from the zoning board when it was presented in 2015.
In comments during the Jan. 20 meeting, resident Deborah Smarth said, “I would be very careful about overbuilding on Route 33. However we proceed, it is important that no one area (of Manalapan) absorbs all” of the affordable housing units.
Kane said, “I am cognizant of the development issues on Route 33 and that is one reason I want to look at the options” K. Hovnanian has proposed for the Skeba property.
In other business on Jan. 20, committee members voted 5-0 to retain the services of Suburban Disposal to provide waste and recyclable collection services starting Feb. 1. Township Administrator Tara Lovrich said Suburban Disposal has already been in town to learn the routes and she said officials expect the transition to be a smooth one.
Manalapan’s current waste and recycling contractor has not provided the municipality with a performance bond for the new contract year, which starts Feb. 1, according to Lovrich.
“As a result, we are required to advertise for new bids and state regulations require that we give 60 days notice to potential bidders. Bids will be received in
early March and the township intends to award a new contract to be effective April 1. We will be notifying residents in advance that Suburban will start
collections as of Feb. 1,” she said.
Finally, the committee members reappointed Stephen McEnery to serve as one of Manalapan’s two commissioners on the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority and they authorized the reappointment of two part-time Special Class II police officers to work for the Manalapan Police Department. The two part-time officers are Douglas Zike and Peter Bylsma.
