By JACQUELINE DURETT
Correspondent
SOUTH AMBOY — Real estate firm Woodmont Properties is looking to convert the townhomes that were approved for construction off lower Broadway to rentals.
Woodmont attorney Stephen Santola said during the March 23 Planning Board meeting that the original townhouse plan, announced in 2012, is not a viable project in the current economy.
Instead, Woodmont proposed converting the project from 86 two- and three-bedroom townhomes to 126 one- and two-bedroom rentals. These rentals would take up the same footprint on John T. O’Leary Boulevard and Broadway, although the building height of the buildings on O’Leary Boulevard has been reduced from three stories to two stories.
“We really made every effort to following the existing plan and to follow the existing approval,” Santola said.
Santola said rent would range from $1,600-$2,200. The apartments would be approximately 1,300 square feet. The majority would have their own garages, so the 11-building project would have more than 300 parking spaces available for residents and visitors, 100 more spaces than required.
Santola said Woodmont would market the apartments, most of which will be located next to the YMCA building, to highlight their proximity to the train station. They will be positioned to those who have disposable income and are renting by choice, not by necessity.
Santola said there would be no low-income housing component to this project.
According to Santola, Woodmont could start building in the fall and could have the buildings up within a year from then. Santola said he was confident, based on similar properties Woodmont has developed and its own research, that the units would rent quickly. Woodmont has another luxury rental project under construction in Metuchen.
However, the project was not without opposition. Kevin Murphy, a Sayreville resident, said he felt the project was going to box in the Venetian Care & Rehabilitation Center, where his father lives. He said the new buildings could obstruct his father’s partial water view.
Murphy also expressed concern about the combined traffic impact of this project. He said should there be an emergency like Superstorm Sandy and everyone need to evacuate at the same time, lower Broadway would have trouble handling existing traffic from the Venetian and waterfront developments as well as the new apartments.
Should that happen, “You’ve got a problem,” he said.
Other residents cited concerns such as whether YMCA parking would be impacted and potential flooding. According to the board, the flooding issues on John T. O’Leary have been addressed.
A few representatives of Frog Hollow Swim & Tennis Club, including Frog Hollow President James Bello, expressed concerns about ensuring adequate road access to their facility at the end of John T. O’Leary Boulevard. As part of the project, Woodmont would be widening the end of John T. O’Leary, which currently narrows at its terminus, but how wide has not been finalized.
They also discussed the potential for Frog Hollow’s property value to drop if the buildings go into disrepair and also possible trespassing, which is already a problem for the club.
Santola said the intent is to encourage renters to sign up for and use the YMCA.
One of those advocating for adequate access to Frog Hollow was former Mayor John O’Leary. O’Leary also addressed residents’ concerns about the potential for the buildings to fall into disrepair. He said an important factor in preventing decay is for the city to strictly enforce its annual rental inspection ordinance.
“It’s incumbent for the city to do those things that are necessary over time to keep the integrity of the properties up,” O’Leary said.
The board had minimal challenges to the plans. However, board consultant Jason Valetutto did recommend that Woodmont remove the proposed 20 dedicated parking spaces on John T. O’Leary Boulevard from its plan.
In the end, the board unanimously approved the application.
