MARLBORO – Members of the Marlboro Planning Board have approved the construction of an addition to a veterinary office at 382 Route 79 in the Morganville section of the community.
The application was submitted by the Touchstone Veterinary Center with a request to expand a one-story building on the state road just south of Beacon Hill Road. The applicant was represented before the board by attorney Anthony Hatab during a recent meeting.
At present, the property contains a one-story veterinary center. There are 12 parking spaces at the location.
The applicant proposed constructing a 3,518-square-foot addition on the south side of the building, plus a second story and a basement level which would increase the gross floor area to 11,925 square feet.
The business’s expansion plan will add 13 parking spaces to the site, for a total of 25 parking spaces, according to engineer Marc Leber of East Point Engineering, Marlboro.
“Banked” space will be set aside for five additional parking spaces if those spaces are needed, Leber testified.
Dr. Mary Beth Morgan, owner of the Touchstone Veterinary Center, said the building is 50 years old and needs to be upgraded so staff members may properly perform modern medical treatment.
Morgan said the business currently has between four and five employees on site at one time and operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The veterinary center provides animal health checkups, sick visits, surgery and dental care. Morgan said the average length of a visit for a patient is about 30 minutes.
Following the conclusion of testimony by the applicant’s representatives, a motion was made to grant approval to the Touchstone Veterinary Center application.
Planning Board Vice Chairman Andrew Pargament and board members Michael Adler, Neil Betoff, Lynn Franco, David Gagliano, Rohit Gupta, Andrew Kessler and Michael Slotopolsky voted “yes” on the motion to approve the expansion of the business.
