Wantage board OKs apartments on Route 23 site

Posted: Aug. 23, 2017 12:01 am

WANTAGE -- By a 6-2 vote, the Land Use Board, after nearly two hours of discussion, approved a developer's application to build three apartment buildings on Route 23 South -- a smaller complex than originally proposed.

The proposal was introduced during a June board meeting by builder John Maione, postponed to July and then re-introduced on Tuesday during a Land Use Board meeting.

During the July meeting, members of the Land Use Board and township engineer Harold Pellow had requested that the site plans for the apartment complex be re-worked, with the request for fewer buildings and units in the complex, as well as adding improved signage to the site and visiting issues with water build-up on the property.

The original plan called for four, 20-unit buildings for the complex, which was submitted under the name "Mountain View Manor," but to satisfy the board, Maione's revised site plans now calls for two, 22-unit buildings and one, 20-unit building.

The buildings will be two stories each and will, in total, have 64 rooms.

The change in plans seemed to satisfy most of the eight-member board with two lone holdouts during the motion to approve: Larry Bono and Michael Walther.

"Overall, I still think it will be pretty crowded," Bono said. He said the complex "belongs on a Main Street five counties from here."

Walther, who stressed that the board should consider the long-term effects of the complex, said that there were a whole lot of "what ifs" with the project.

"I just don't see where the community benefits," he said.

Although fewer than a dozen people were in attendance from the public, Chuck Meissner, of Wantage, had serious concerns about the project.

Meissner stated that with "bumper to bumper traffic on Fridays," a "landfill running out of cell space" and the "amount of people per acre," the proposal doesn't allow for the proper infrastructure for the housing.

Kathy Gorman, of Wantage, expressed her concern that the board had been against the project, citing Land Use Board minutes from 2015 when Maione's D-variance on the project was approved.

"Why has that changed?" she asked.

Although a few were quick to raise their concerns, more people were willing to consider the project at the meeting, including Ann Smulewicz, of Wantage.

"Maione is the economic development of Wantage. We need to do this in order to attract business," she said.

Smulewicz told the board she preferred 100-units, stating that Wantage needed a "economic shock."

Land Use Board member Patrick Stefanelli lauded the fact that Maione had considered the board's prior concerns from the July meeting and came back willing to listen.

Michael Cecchini, Land Use Board chairman, said the area itself is targeted for open development -- it is designated as "highway-commerical" zoning -- adding that the township intends to purchase more open space land in the future.

The property is located just off Route 23 near a church along with several other commerical businesses, including a Dunkin' Donuts that opened over a year ago.

Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.