New flood zone map may alter downtown project

A downtown mixed-used project proposed near the corner of East Milton Avenue and Fulton Street is now in limbo since flood zone maps of the area were revised by the state.

077de-img_5394Part of the project site is now in a flood zone, according to new Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) flood maps, Redevelopment Agency attorney Frank Regan said, which might have a significant impact on the project. Two adjoining properties as well as the Mangos property are in a flood zone after changes that DEP made to flood zone maps since Hurricane Sandy. Now, the developer would have to go to the DEP to determine how much the site would have to be raised.

It’s not necessary to pursue acquisition at this point, Regan said, as the developer’s engineer will review the new maps and determine whether to go before the DEP. At its meeting in October, the Redevelopment Agency tabled a resolution to authorize acquisition of the property, which is owned by Hayden Asset II, LLC. Regan’s comments came in response to a commissioner’s inquiry during Wednesday’s Redevelopment Agency meeting.

The developer, DMR Construction, also was working to acquire adjacent properties, or parts of them, as part of the project. The Warwick-based firm had proposed a five-story, 88-unit complex on Fulton Street.

After Hurricane Sandy, Regan said, the new flood maps determine how much higher projects must be built. For instance, the proposal for 248 units at the Center Circle site would have been required to be raised 4 feet, he said. In the case of the adjacent Meridia Water’s Edge, the project was approved prior to Hurricane Sandy.

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3 thoughts on “New flood zone map may alter downtown project”

  1. Just a point of info – NJDEP doesn’t redo any flood maps, FEMA does. Anyone can check the flood zone for any Rahway property address at http://www.region2coastal.com/sandy/table. Multiple properties in the downtown area of Rahway changed zones on the new map, generally an expansion of the A zone around the Rahway River. An A zone is a “special flood hazard area.”

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