An open parcel of land where a self-storage facility was proposed. (Photo: Shorebeat)
The Brick Township planning board has approved a development project to take place at an oddly-shaped parcel of land where, amidst opposition from more than a dozen neighboring residents, previous proposals had been denied.
The property at hand is located at 345 Drum Point Road, but barely fronts Drum Point. Instead, it extends south, wedged between two residential streets, backing up to the backyards of residential homes on each. A previous application to place a mini storage facility there drew significant opposition from neighbors, leading the board to deny the application in a 5-2 vote. But the board, responding to pleas from property owner Albert Del Prete, ultimately approved an idea on a smaller scale than the nine-building, 175-unit storage facility.
The proposal that was approved Aug. 1 calls for construction of three buildings on the site that consist of contractor shops and offices with associated parking and site improvements, and the construction of a detached garage to support an existing residential dwelling on the property.
Del Prete told board that he had essentially run out of ideas on how to use the property, which at one time formed a portion of a private airport, most of which was purchased by the township and preserved decades ago. He said before proposing development there, he reached out to both the neighboring residents and the township to see if any parties were interested in purchasing the property, but aside from a single person who ultimately was not interested, there were no takers. The newest proposal by Del Prete complied with the allowable usage in the Village Zone, where the parcel is located; minor “bulk” variances were the only measures that required board approval.
A proposal to construct contractor buildings along Drum Point Road by Del Prete Construction. (Source: Planning Document/Shorebeat)
According to Township Planner Tara Paxton, Del Prete’s proposal includes the construction of three, two-story buildings that will be used as shops for a plumber, electrician, painter or similar tradesman, “exclusive of outdoor storage of equipment.” The buildings will have offices on the second floor and four garage doors. The site plan includes 59 parking spaces, four stormwater basins, and a significant landscaped buffer between the businesses and the homes that will measure between 10-feet and 25-feet in width.
“A one-story residential structure will also remain on the property, resulting in three new buildings plus the existing residential structure, for a total of four buildings on the 2.31 acre site,” Paxton wrote in a letter to board members.
The use, Paxton added, was permitted, however the property’s location squarely between residential streets – Huppert Drive and Leswing Drive – meant board members were recommended to focus on measures that would take into account residents’ concerns over noise and access to the property.
“I’ve done my share in trying to do the right thing by the neighbors and by the township,” Del Prete told board members, noting that he had been trying to develop the property, on which he has dutifully paid taxes, since 2003. Each time he has made a proposal, it faced opposition, however over the course of 20 years, there was seemingly no interest on the part of neighbors to purchase the property or bits and pieces of it – despite the fact that some of the homeowners had been using the parcel themselves for playground and recreational uses. The township, likewise, was not interested in buying the land, in part or in whole, for preservation, he said.
“I don’t know where else to go with this,” he said, throwing himself at the mercy of the board to grant the minor variances since the use of the land complied with the underlying zone.
Neighbors again objected to Del Prete’s latest proposal, however the board found itself in a position where the project qualified for a hardship variance for “exceptional narrowness,” which carries a less-stringent standard for approval versus a use variance, which was required to be granted for the earlier self-storage facility proposals. The residents suggested a smaller-scale facility, however Del Prete’s attorney, John Jackson, countered that the shops would take up only about 11 percent of the lot coverage on the site, where development of 30 percent would be allowed.
A proposal to construct contractor buildings along Drum Point Road by Del Prete Construction. (Source: Planning Document/Shorebeat)
Jackson also said the buildings were designed to appear residential in nature, and customers of the businesses would not generally be accessing the area, as it would be reserved for the business owners and employees to get ready for work in the morning, drop off materials after work, and complete administrative work in the office.
Variances granted include a front setback of 19.8-feet where 20-feet is required, a side setback of 6-feet where 1o-feet is required, and a minimum residential buffer of 10-feet proposed, whereas 25-feet is required. A signage variance was also granted.