TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The Zoning Board of Adjustment on March 13 approved a 154-student private Apple Montessori School preschool for 95 Linwood Ave., nearly 15 months after the township attempted to buy the 1.5-acre site for public use.
The application was approved at its first and only hearing before the ZBA, which voted 5-0 on a use variance request and exceptions to code.
Nearly 15 months ago, the township moved, under threat of condemnation, to purchase the property for $1.35 million, first for a new DPW facility, and then a possible police facility, but public pushback and possibly contaminated piping below ground from prior use as a gas station caused the council to cancel its purchase plans.
Apple Montessori officials previously told Pascack Press in late 2022 that they had no concerns about contamination based on their environmental consultant’s study. The contamination concerns were not raised at the March 13 hearing.
Throughout the 2.5-hour hearing, the applicant’s professionals identified specific ways that a new preschool was “inherently beneficial” and would improve the present site, and agreed to work with township professionals on any outstanding issues raised by local police and fire officials.
Township engineer John Yakimic said resolution with Apple Montessori professionals on township professionals’ drainage comments, water and sewer comments, and a point-by-point response to recent engineering comments needed to be completed and applicant attorney Jason Tuvel agreed.
All these preconditions will be memorialized in a resolution of approval to be voted on at the next Zoning Board meeting, said officials.
Prior to voting, Zoning Board Chair Michael DeSena said the new preschool/daycare would provide visual enhancements to the neighborhood, reduce impervious coverage, and achieve Master Plan goals.
Voting in favor of the new preschool were DeSena, Anthony Capasso, Les Hanna, Michael LaGratta and Stephen Tekerian.
“Welcome, Apple Montessori, to Washington Township,” said DeSena after the vote.
The hearing featured testimony from the applicant’s engineer/planner James E, Henry, architect Robert Grimaldi, Operations Development Director Danielle Selby, and traffic engineer Corey Chase
Apple Montessori officials said that the preschool/daycare facility will operate from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, Monday to Friday, with children from 3 months old to 6 years old, and a two-month summer camp for children up to 8 years old.
Approximately 60, including teachers and administrative staff, may be employed at the facility with generally no more than 25 employees on site at any one time.
Applicant engineer Henry, who later testified as a licensed planner, went through a detailed list of Municipal Land Use Law criteria that he said qualified the preschool use as an “inherently beneficial use” as defined under the law.
Some reasons cited included a widespread shortage of child care in New Jersey, the site plan advances Master Plan objectives, the use encourages good design and reduces impervious coverage. (Overall, impervious coverage will be reduced from 77.9% to 62.9% coverage.)
Other “beneficial” reasons cited included it fits in well with the residential area, parapets (up to 48 inches) cover roof mechanicals, the school building is away from residential homes on Hemlock Drive and adjacent to the site’s Garden State Parkway side, Henry called the proposed preschool “an improvement to the (site’s) existing condition.”
Traffic Study
Corey Chase, applicant traffic engineer, said the applicant has worked closely with county planning and engineering officials on Linwood Avenue (a county road) traffic movement near the proposed preschool.
He said the facility would have a “full access driveway” for circulating vehicles in and out of the school grounds. He said using Institute of Traffic Engineers data on trip generation from specific land uses and peak-hour traffic counts, he estimated only one new vehicle every minute during preschool peak hour travel between 2 to 6:30 p.m.
Chase said the queue for dropping off children can hold up to 15 vehicles, and rarely goes over 7-9 vehicles during a.m. or p.m. drop off and pick up times.
He said a parking variance was being sought for providing 34 spaces, while code requires 108 parking spaces. Also, a variance was requested for parking space size, where 9 foot wide by 18 foot deep spaces were proposed, and code requires 9 foot by 20 foot deep spaces.
He said one electric vehicle spot and charger must be provided by state law. Zoning Board members asked that the charger be in service only during school hours to prevent public access during off-hours and the applicant agreed.
Operations Director Danielle Selby told Zoning Board member Anthony Capasso that the “majority” of parents dropping off children just pull into the queue, drop off their child to a staff member, and exit the circular drive.
She said most parents do not park, but adequate parking based on other Montessori operations, has been provided on site. She said she has not seen 10 or more cars in a queue at any one time to drop off children.
Public Comments
A couple residents questioned aspects of Chase’s traffic testimony.
Honeysuckle Drive resident Stephen Kalish said Linwood Avenue was a “pretty busy street” with cars often traveling at high rates of speed and wondered about cars making a left turn onto Linwood Avenue from Highland Avenue, which is in Paramus.
He asked if Bergen County officials had recommended re-striping Linwood Avenue to have a more effective and safe traffic flow. Chase said they had “extensive discussions” about the traffic movement along Linwood Avenue but they were not requested to modify any road striping.
Kalish said he would ask the Zoning Board “to think about that.” Later, DeSena said the issue would be directed to Township Administrator Mark DiCarlo to follow-up with county officials.
Hemlock Drive resident Rose Candeletti wondered about vehicles making a left onto Linwood Avenue from Highland Avenue encountering vehicles making a left onto Linwood Avenue from the preschool driveway exit.
Chase said the county had concerns about 95 Linwood Ave.’s original driveway location opposite Highland Avenue and wanted to move the driveway further west to “provide (an) offset” for vehicles turning “so that turning movements do not conflict with each other.”
Candeletti later said the preschool was “a good use for the property and I think they’ll be a good neighbor and I think you should approve it.”
Hemlock Drive resident John Kral wondered about converting the land use zone from single-family to another “nonconforming use” and requested the Hemlock Drive exit be only used for emergency vehicles.
He also wondered about the buffer between the site and Hemlock Drive residences. Applicant officials said they anticipated improving and expanding the Hemlock Drive buffer with more plantings.