A proposal to build townhouses near Flanagan Field is expected to be heard by the Zoning Board of Adjustment next week.

Become a Patron of RahwayRising.com

The application is on the agenda for Monday’s regular monthly meeting of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, scheduled at 7 p.m. via Zoom. A proposal to construct 10 units was on the agenda at the December meeting, then postponed before being pushed to April.

The initial application had proposed two, five-unit townhouses on two vacant, wooded lots. Since then, the developer, Colonia-based Pine Street Rahway, LLC, is under contract to purchase a home on the corner of Barnett Street that will be included in the new plan. New site and architectural plans feature another 4-unit townhouse for a total 14 units. All units would consist of three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The new designs still require variances but fewer than the original plan. A d(1) use variance still is required because the property is located in the R-2 Residential Zone, in which townhouses are not permitted. The application also requests six bulk variances and one for design standards (two fewer than the original application):

• Floor Area Ratio: Maximum 40% permitted/63.65% proposed
• Minimum front yard setback: 30 feet/14.93 feet proposed
• Minimum side yard setback: 20 feet/13.75 feet proposed
• Minimum rear yard setback: 30 feet/16 feet proposed
• Maximum building coverage: 20%/32.1% proposed
• Maximum improved lot coverage: 50%/64.83% proposed
• Paving location: 5 feet from property line/3 feet proposed

The townhouses would run parallel to Barnett Street with the four-unit structure on the corner of Barnett and Pine. The project would require approval from City Council to vacate and convey Pine Street, a paper street. The developer would pave Pine Street, with curbing, lighting and an underground stormwater management system. Additional variances may be required if the city does not vacate Pine Street.

The three lots (Block 358 – Lots 8, 9 and 10) have a combined area of about 43,126 square feet, or about 1.13 acres, according to the April 9 planner’s review. Approximately one-quarter of the area consists of wetlands, with King’s Creek nearby, which raised concerns of the Environmental Commission.

Vehicular access to the homes is proposed from Barnett Street by way of a 28-foot-wide cartway, including a 7-foot wide parking lane on Pine Street and the eastern part of Lot 10. The cartway is proposed to be accessed by a 47-foot-wide curb cut on Barnett Street, according to the application. The townhouses would be located on the western portion of the property and front on the proposed 28-foot-wide cartway.

Each townhouse would have a driveway and one-car garage. The site plan was revised to expand the cartway and allow for a proposed 14 parallel parking spaces within the street, which would be used as a mix of residential spaces and visitor parking.

The city planner’s review also requests testimony, among other things, on how many single-family homes could be constructed, based on zoning with “minimal deviations cause by irregular lot shape,” and “demonstrating that proposing approximately double the number of units than what is permitted will not negatively impact the neighborhood.”

The application and related materials can be found at the bottom of the Zoning Board page of the city’s website.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider supporting RahwayRising.com by becoming a Patron.