PLANNING BOARD MINUTES

 

MAY 19, 2005

BOROUGH OF WANAQUE

 

REGULAR MEETING

 

 

Meeting called to order by Vice Chairman Joseph Graceffo with a salute to the flag.

 

ROLL CALL:

 

John DiMeglio                    David Slater

Joseph Graceffo                     Eugene Verba

Tony Brindisi                          Thomas Balunis

Kevin Platt                             William Rucci

 

PRESENT:  Attorney Steven Veltri and Engineer Michael Cristaldi

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:  Chairman Gilbert Foulon and Mayor Warren Hagstrom

 

READING:  Open Public Meeting Announcement

This is a Regular Meeting of the Wanaque Borough Planning Board and adequate notice has been given and it has been duly advertised by the placement of a notice in the Trends and the Herald News, mailed on January 21, 2005 and a notice thereof has been posted on the bulletin board in the Municipal Building in the Borough of Wanaque and a copy thereof has been on file with the Borough Clerk.

 

MINUTES:  from April 21, 2005 Meeting.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE: made by Member DiMeglio, seconded by Member Brindisi, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Balunis and Rucci. Member Verba abstained.

 

COMMUNICATIONS/REPORTS: No questions asked.

 

MOTION TO ACCEPT FOR FILING: made by Member Slater, seconded by Member Platt. Carried by a voice vote.

 

ENGINEER’S REPORT: Engineer Cristaldi said the only applications he has is what’s on for tonight.

 

APPLICATION #03-05 Villa Realty & Anthony D’Agostino, Authorized Agent is Attorney H. Shepard Peck. Property is located at 600 Ringwood Ave., & 17 Belmont Ave., Block 236 Lots 9 & 9.01. Minor Subdivision of Lot 9 into 3 parcels (A, B & D).

A & B will be conveyed to Anthony D’Agostino. Villa Realty will retain D.

Atty. Peck came forward on behalf of the applicants. Atty. Peck said last month at the meeting they left with the understanding to continue tonight, basically on one

issue and that was for the applicant to take into consideration the question of how they’re going to provide a separate water service to the house on Lot 9.02. They have spoken with the Water Supervisor and conferred with the applicants and they also addressed it to Engineer Cristaldi. They’re proposing to run a line through a newly created easement out to Ringwood Ave. They will not be involving any work in Laura Avenue. The Water Superintendent said that was acceptable to him. In Engineer Cristaldi’s report dated April 20, 2005, had said the sewer connections for the house and restaurant had to be acceptable to the Sewer Authority. Atty. Peck said they’ve been in contact with the Sewer Authority’s Engineer and the applicant’s surveyor and they’re very close to having it finalized and that would have to be a condition and basically they need to verify it as one more clean-out on the two lines that run from the house and restaurant to the sewer line in Laura Ave. Atty. Peck said with regard to the water, its not only running the line down Ringwood Ave. they also have to disconnect the existing water service and put a shut-off where the Water Superintendent told them where they should put it.

Eng. Cristaldi mentioned the County letter dated May 18, 2005. Atty. Peck said that the County wants a driveway to access directly into the parking isle for the Library Parking Easement and they also want the applicant to put some striping on the existing entrance and exit driveways for the restaurant and curbing.

 

MOTION TO OPEN PUBLIC DISCUSSION: made by Member DiMeglio, seconded by Member Platt. Carried by a voice vote.

 

No one came forward.

 

CLOSE PUBLIC DISCUSSION: Carried by a voice vote.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE PENDING THE APPROVALS FROM THE WANAQUE BOROUGH WATER DEPARTMENT SUPERINTENDENT,THE WANAQUE BOROUGH SEWERAGE AUTHORITY, THE PASSAIC COUNTY PLANNING BOARD AND THE EASEMENT TO THE BOROUGH: made by Member Brindisi, seconded by Member Balunis, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

APPLICATION #08-05 Sassafras Properties LLC, c/o Mega Management Corp., Union Ave., Block 468 Lots 3.01 & 3.02. Resolution of Approval for “Holiday Inn Express on Lot 3.01in Block 468 requires an Amended Site Plan as to Driveway and Parking Modifications for Burger King Site Lot 3.02 in Block 468. Authorized Agent is Attorney A. Michael Rubin.

Attorney Rubin, 1330 Hamburg Tpke., Wayne, N. J. came forward on behalf of the applicant. Atty. Rubin explained that during the application for the “Holiday Inn” it became clear that a change in the driveway configuration and parking for both 

sites had to be made. It was decided as a condition of approval for the “Holiday Inn” that the applicant come back to the Board with a revision of the “Burger King” final site plan application so there would be continuity between the two sites.

Arthur Hanson, Site Engineer came forward and was sworn in by Attorney Veltri.

Eng. Hanson told the Board he spoke to Eng. Cristaldi earlier in the day and subsequent to the plans the Board has in front of them now, they received comments back from Passaic County Planning Board and were minor in nature. Eng. Hanson had with him revised plans that he passed out to the Board. The revised plans take care of all the comments from the County letter dated May 10, 2005. The map Eng. Hanson just passed out is exactly the same as the one the Board has except with three exceptions. The first is that the County asked for the width of the proposed driveway up by Union Ave., the second is the proposed “Do Not Enter Signs” at the end of the driveway on the “Holiday Inn” site this was on the original approved plans for the “Holiday Inn” and the third was the painting of the stop bars and center line stripe on the “Burger King” property which is actually what was approved by the Board for “Burger King”. Eng. Hanson went on to say that the original site plan for “Burger King” you would make the turn in from Union Ave.  in front of the “Burger King” driveway and there would be no access towards the right which is now the “Holiday Inn” property either up front by Union Ave. nor in the rear right by the detention basin. The parking that was created for “Burger King” had a grass area to its west and currently the “Holiday Inn” parking infringes on that grassed area by about 3 feet. The parking is different and they still meet code and there were three (3) spots taken out by the driveway up by Union Ave. The required for the “Burger King” is 49 and they are providing 59 spots. Atty. Rubin asked Eng. Hanson if there was anything in Eng. Cristaldi’s report dated May 19, 2005 that needs comment and Eng. Hanson said no and they are in accord with Eng. Cristaldi comments. Atty. Rubin asked Eng. Hanson if there is anything in the amendments to the “Burger King” site that would be any detriment or problem to the neighbors or to the roadway configuration or to the community at large and Eng. Hanson said no. Atty. Rubin also asked if there was any detriment to the zone planner’s configurations of this area on this part of the Borough in the event that this modification is allowed and Eng. Hanson said no there is not.

 

MOTION TO OPEN TO PUBLIC DISCUSSION: made by Member Slater. Carried by a voice vote.

 

Nancy Beck from 164 Greenwood Ave. came forward and would like to have a better look at the plans. Eng. Hanson explained what Ms. Beck wanted to know.

 

No one else came forward.

 

MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC DISCUSSION made by Member Slater, seconded by Member Rucci. Carried by a voice vote.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE APPLICATION: made by Member Rucci, seconded by Member Balunis, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

MOTION TO OPEN PUBLIC DISCUSSION: made by Member Balunis, seconded by Member DiMeglio, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

Jean Bakula, 21 Gorge Drive came forward. Ms. Bakula told the Board she has been circulating a petition regarding the proposed Redevelopment Plan for the “Candle Factory” site. Ms. Bakula said she’s been talking to a lot of people about this and there is a lot of concern. Ms. Bakula said there was not enough water for the project, a lot of people are upset that the condos will be four (4) stories high, the people on Decker Rd. have a lot of problems with flooding and when the hill behind their houses is blasted she doesn’t know what effect that will have. Another concern of Ms. Bakula’s was, if a lot of active adults from the Borough move into this proposed project and they put their homes on the market with three (3) bedroom homes with two (2) baths, you will have families moving in with children and then the school system will be overloaded.

 

MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC DISCUSSION: made by Member Slater, seconded by Member Rucci, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

Resolution for Application #05-05 Sassafras Properties, LLC, Union Ave., Block 468 Lot 3.02, Haskell, N.J. Authorized Agent is Attorney A. Michael Rubin. Amendment to prior Site Plan Approval to allow re-location of proposed Pylon Sign. Approved by a 7-0 vote.

MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION: made by Member DiMeglio, seconded by Member Brindisi, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

Resolution for Application #04-05 Dawn & Robert Roach, 27 Mountain Ave., Block 240 Lots 33 & 34, Wanaque. Authorized Agent is Charles E. Huber, Jr. Minor Subdivision to create two (2) conforming lots in an R-15 Zone.  No variance or public improvements are necessary. Approved by a 7-0 vote.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION:  made by Member Brindisi, seconded by Member Platt, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING THE APPROVAL OF THE MUNICIPAL STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND AMENDING THE MASTER PLAN ACCORDINGLY APPROVED BY A 7-0 VOTE: made by Member Balunis, seconded by Member Rucci, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING A MOTION WHEREBY THE PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE #10-0-05 TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE BOROUGH OF WANAQUE TO CREATE THE RD-4 ZONE APPROVED BY A 7-0 VOTE: made by Member Balunis, seconded by Member Brindisi, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

VOUCHERS: submitted by Atty. Veltri for Resolutions on Application #04-05 Roach for $350.00, Application #05-05, Sassafras Properties, LLC for $350.00, Resolution for Ordinance #10-0-05 for $250.00 and Resolution for Master Plan for $250.00, for a Grand Total of $1200.00.

 

VOUCHERS: submitted by Richard A. Alaimo Engineering Associates for Invoice #012190 Project # P0495-0000-000 for Fee Service & Mtg. Attendance for $185.00, Invoice # 012191 Project # P0495-0166-000 for Roach Application for $56.00, Invoice # 012192 Project # P0495-0167-000 for D’Agostino & Villa Realty, Inc. Application for $56.00, for a Grand Total of $297.00.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE: made by Member DiMeglio, seconded by Member Rucci, voting yes were Members DiMeglio, Graceffo, Brindisi, Platt, Slater, Verba, Balunis and Rucci.

 

MOTION TO ADJOURN AT 8:42 P.M.:  Carried by a voice vote.

 

 

______________________________

Gerri Marotta

Secretary to Planning Board