By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
HOWELL – The Planning Board has granted final approval to Elon Associates’ longstanding plan to build residences and a retail/office building at Yellowbrook Road and Route 524, Howell.
Yellowbrook Road runs between Route 524 (Adelphia-Farmingdale Road) and Route 33.
Approval was granted by the board at a recent meeting. Board members Thomas Boyle, Kenneth French, Robert Nash, Thomas O’Donnell, Thomas Russo and Paul Schneider voted to approve the application.
Elon Associates plans to build 69 single-family homes, a retail/office building and one building with 10 affordable housing units on a 47-acre property at Yellowbrook Road and Route 524. Each building lot that contains a single-family home will be a minimum of 10,000 square feet (about a quarter-acre).
A 5,400-square-foot residential building with 10 affordable housing units will be constructed on a 2.6-acre parcel at the site. The units will be available to individuals of all ages.
Affordable housing is housing that is sold or rented at below market rates to individuals and families whose income meets guidelines established by the state.
The houses will be accessed by two driveways from Yellowbrook Road.
The 22,050-square-foot building will be two stories. The ground floor will contain a commercial/retail use and the second floor will be office space. The building will have 188 parking spaces.
During a previous meeting, attorney Reade Seligmann, representing George Harms Construction, Yellowbrook Road, expressed concern about the traffic impact the Elon Associates project could have on Route 33.
There is no traffic light at the intersection of Yellowbrook Road and Route 33 and Elon Associates did not propose to install a traffic light at that location in connection with its project at the other end of the road (Yellowbrook Road and Route 524).
Attorney Sal Alfieri, representing the applicant, also said there is no plan to construct a traffic signal at the intersection of Yellowbrook Road and Route 524.
Township Manager Jeff Mayfield said the New Jersey Department of Transportation will have the final say as to whether a traffic signal will be placed at the intersection of Yellowbrook Road and Route 524.
Mayfield said Elon Associates will pay for a portion of the improvements that are required at Yellowbrook Road and Route 524, including the installation of a traffic signal if one is required, maintenance costs, road widening, curbing and drainage improvements.
