HTPB Hearing Extended Care Proposal

On Thursday, October 4th, the Hillsborough Township Planning Board will begin hearing the Harding Corona,LLC, application proposing the construction of a five-building extended care facility on Route 206 near Old Somerville Road.

The 8.946-acre site is on the east side of Route 206 between Old Somerville Road and Doctor's Way, across from the historic Van der Veer-Harris House. This is also the proposed intersection of Route 206 and the Route 206 Bypass.

According to the application, an existing house and garage would be demolished, to be replaced with a medical/administrative office, two residential buildings, a dining-recreation building, and an activities building. The two residential buildings would contain a total of 28 bedrooms housing 56 patients. The five buildings would total 34,115 square feet.

The waivers requested include parking lot aisle width, parking space size, and stream encroachment.

The stream encroachment involves an easterly-flowing tributary to the Royce Brook on the north side of the property. A report from the township's engineering firm points out that a portion of the proposed stormwater management facility, outfall, driveway, emergency driveway, utilities, and grading are within the 100-foot DRCC stream corridor buffer and/or Hillsborough's 150-foot stream corridor. The applicant also proposes planting some replacement trees within the DRCC buffer and conservation easements.

Harding Corona is also requesting an Economic Hardship Waiver from Hillsborough's Tree Mitigation ordinance which, if approved, would require only a $27,198 contribution by the applicant. The ordinance requires a $325-per-tree contribution. The construction would involve the removal of 189 6-to-12-inch trees, 23 13-to-24-inch trees, and two 25+-inch trees, and the planting of 160 replacement trees.

The center is also referred to as the GenPsych complex and is associated with Somerset psychiatrist Dr. Henry Odunlami. The property is owned by the Kulina Asset Management Trust.

The Planning Board meeting starts on October 4th, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building. In January, 2011 the planning Board heard the applicant's concept plan.

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From October 4th Hillsborough Township Planning Board agenda:

HARDING CORONA, LLC – File #12-PB-05-SR – Block 182, Lot 37 – 351 Route 206. Applicant seeking Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan approval with Waivers: 2-way parking lot aisle; parking lot rows; parking stall
size; maximum front yard setback; pole lighting height; fencing; stream encroachment and an Economic Hardship Waiver requested to construct a 5 building extended care facility with medical and administrative offices totaling 34,115SF in the HS District (EC: 09-24-12).

Chase-ing Approval

Yesterday evening the Hillsborough Township Planning Board began hearing Southeast Investments' proposal to construct a Chase Bank on the former Charlie Browns Restaurant site on Route 206.

The applicant's engineer, architect, and traffic specialists testified and answered board members' questions regarding the lot size, impervious coverage, floor area ratio, lighting, site plans, traffic, and street trees.

Chase Bank agreed to remove one wall sign in order to make the plans more conforming to Hillsborough's sign ordinance.

There was extensive discussion regarding the traffic pattern around the remote drive-up which resulted in suggested changes.

The application was carried to the July 7th meeting to allow the applicant to make the suggested changes for the Board to review.
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HNJJ Quote of the Day:
"[Our signs] are in conformance except for the waivers."

Sonic: Over and Over I Keep Going Over...

Sonic's proposal for a restaurant at the corner of Route 206 and Oxford Place may or may not have become yet more problematic for the applicant as his attorney and engineer revealed, at the end of last night's almost three-hour-long planning board meeting, that their site contains wetlands.

Ron Gasiorowski, the attorney for the neighbors objecting to the Sonic proposal, opened the meeting by announcing that his clients had joined together as Save Our Neighborhood, Inc. Approximately 50 residents attended the hearing.

P. David Zimmerman, the neighbor's planning expert, then testified regarding the design of the building, the variances, the signage, the impervious coverage, setbacks, and the visual environment of the proposed building compared to the surrounding area. He testified that he felt there was "too much on too little property."

Five residents of the community then testified that they were concerned about traffic, garbage pickup, power washing, trucks, parking, lighting, noise from Sonic customers, overbuilding for the lot size, and the general impact on the quality of life in the area.

Following the public comments, Sonic's attorney Donald Whitelaw addressed the board about a clarification on their site plan that would require an amendment. According to their engineer Brett Skapinetz the NJDEP had just advised them that there were wetlands at the rear of the property about 20-feet off the rear lot line requiring changes in the site plan particularly in the stormwater management.

Attorney Gasiorowki objected to this testimony so late in the meeting and demanded that the planning board vote on the plan as presented. Sonic's attorney stated that they were merely "advising the board of a change of conditions."

Several members of the audience complained loudly about the last-minute information, asking for an immediate vote.

At the request of the board's attorney, the hearing recessed for a few minutes in order to allow the attorney to speak privately with the engineers and planners.

When the meeting reconvened, the application was carried to the March 10th Hillsborough Township Planning Board meeting at which time Sonic must submit its new site plan.

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Enjoy Frank Sinatra while you read...It just seemed appropriate. For you youngsters who don't know the lyrics, go here.

Home Court Advantage

The Hillsborough Township Planning Board unanimously approved the application of Hillsborough Tennis Plus to construct an indoor tennis facility on Dickerson Road.

The 31,440-square foot building will be located on a 3.6-acre lot on the west side of Dickerson Road between Campbell Road and Dukes Parkway East. The property had previously been approved for a HVAC contractor facility which had never been built.

Variances were granted for minimum lot depth and minimum rear yard setback and a waiver for parking stall size.

The building will contain three tennis courts, locker rooms, a fitness room, sauna, activity room, and offices. There will be 32 parking spaces.

Residents of the adjoining Courtland Development spoke at the October 14th hearing, expressing concerns about traffic, parking, lighting, fencing, buffers, the hours, noise, and tree cutting on the lot. Half-a-dozen residents spoke in favor of the facility.

Sonic Boomlet

This evening the Hillsborough Township Planning Board began hearing the application of Tom Mascia/SONIC to construct a restaurant at the corner of Route 206 and Oxford Place.

The applicant presented testimony by Robert Mascia regarding operations and engineer Brett Skapinetz testified regarding the site plan.

A dozen neighbors from the residential development behind the proposed SONIC attended the meeting and asked questions regarding lights, safety, privacy, stormwater management, and complaints from neighbors at other SONIC locations.

The hearing has been continued to the October 7th Planning Board meeting when the applicant's traffic expert will present his testimony.

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For additional HNJJ information regarding this application, go here.

Hillsborough Going Sonic?

The Hillsborough Township Planning Board will be reviewing Thomas Mascia's application to build a SONIC drive-in fast-food restaurant on Route 206 at the corner of Oxford Place.

The 1.5-acre site currently contains a karate school, but is probably best remembered by long-time residents as the old location of Briken's Dairy Farms, a burger and ice-cream joint with a barn shape and a black-and-white cow hide patterned roof.

The applicant proposes razing the existing building and constructing a 1,818-square-foot building with a drive-through lane, outdoor seating, and 46 parking spaces with 23 of them under a canopy where car-hop service would be provided.

As designed, the restaurant would need variances for lot size, lot width, front yard and side yard setbacks, and impervious coverage. Waivers would also be needed for parking, no loading spaces, parking buffer along Oxford Place, the size of the rear-lot parking stalls, and the width of the rear 2-way aisle.

SONIC should be prepared to reconsider the size of their proposed freestanding sign. According to the file, Hillsborough allows one sign, not to exceed 40-square-feet per sign face and not to exceed 15-feet high. SONIC proposes a 24-foot-high sign with 112.3-square-feet per sign face.

Other board considerations include landscaping and buffering, lighting and wall signs.

The September 2, 2010, Planning Board meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building at 379 South Branch Road.
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The canopy over the car-hop spaces looks like the perfect place for a solar array.
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The Planning Board's September 2nd agenda may be viewed here.
From the agenda:

"Thomas Mascia / SONIC – File #10-PB-07-SRV – Block 177, Lot 22B (New: Block 177, Lot 22.02) – 838 Route 206.
Applicant seeking preliminary and final major site plan with ‘c’ bulk variances from minimum lot area; minimum lot width; minimum front yard setback; minimum side yard setback; and maximum impervious coverage and waivers from minimum parking spaces; minimum loading; minimum parking buffer; and parking aisle width to demolish the existing building and construct an 1,818 sq. ft. Sonic fast-food restaurant with drive-through lane, an outdoor seating area and covered area for service at vehicles on property in the C-1 District."

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For more information on SONIC Corp., go here.
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In March, 2009, the Lebanon Borough Board of Adjustment heard a Thomas Mascia/SONIC application.

The Route 22, proposed Green Brook SONIC appeared before their BOA in January, 2009.

Mr. Mascia's Franklin Township (Somerset)Sonic was set to "open soon" on Route 27 when this September, 2009, article appeared.

2009 Planning Board

There were no surprises at the Planning Board reorganization meeting last night.

The Board members re-elected members Greg Burchette as the Chair, Sam Conard as the Vice-Chair, and Steven Cohen as the Secretary of the Board. New Township Committee member Gloria McCauley joined the Board.

Following the reorganization, the regular meeting was a little livelier. The Board heard the application of Mary Mother of God Church for additions to the Church; it seems as though not all the church members were in agreement over the plans.

The Board also began hearing the application of Cornerstone Professional Center for a 16,470-square-foot building on Route 206 north of Homestead Road.

The next meeting is scheduled for January 15 at 7:30 p.m.