TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Hypothetical businesses to be located at the proposed “4 Seasons Marketplace” at the Pascack-Washington intersection will close by 11 p.m., said the applicant’s attorney at the Nov. 15 Zoning Board hearing.
Moreover, the attorney repeatedly said that no specific tenants have been signed up — and that tenants will not be solicited unless the project receives Zoning Board approval.
During the application’s second Zoning Board hearing, Nov. 15, board members and residents raised concerns about traffic flow, possible stormwater impacts, landscaping, lighting, store hours, and what retail stores might be coming to the busy intersection, now being upgraded under a shared-service agreement with Bergen County.
The intersection improvements are scheduled to be completed by late 2022 or early 2023, officials have said.
Moreover, the applicant architect, John Montoro of Montoro Architectural Group of Saddle River, told the board it was unlikely the project — which includes two retail buildings, a smaller one near Washington Avenue and a larger one near Pascack Road — would total more than 11 retail businesses.
660 Pascack Realty LLC’s application proposes two new retail buildings comprising more than 17,000 square feet of retail space — a larger one of 14,700 square feet and a smaller one of 2,400 square feet. The smaller retail center will be off of Washington Avenue; the larger retail building will front the Pascack Road side.
A first hearing, Oct. 18, featured testimony from the applicant engineer.
Much of the Nov. 15 hearing was taken up with questions for the engineer and a presentation from applicant architect John Montoro.
The next hearing, Tuesday, Dec. 20, will feature questions for the architect and a presentation by its traffic consultant.
The project requests a use variance, or change in land use zoning, plus minor variances and waivers. The property is zoned “AA” for single-family homes on half-acre lots, and the applicant proposes a commercial use.
Previously they cited commercial uses including a gas station, offices, and Seasons Catering on the three adjacent properties to the Pascack-Washington nexus.
660 Pascack Realty LLC, the applicant, owns Seasons Catering as well as the properties to be developed at Block 2110, Lots 6-11, from 660-682 Pascack Road. 660 Pascack Realty LLC, owners include James Kourgelis (67.3%); George Kourgelis (16.7%); and Carl Carfello (16.7%).
James Kourgelis, an owner of Seasons Catering, has signed the proposal’s use variance application as a managing member.
The proposal, tentatively called “4 Seasons Marketplace” and also “Four Seasons Town Square,” in application materials, would cover just slightly under 75% of the 2.16-acre site north of Seasons. The site contains several dilapidated houses deemed unsafe that have lain vacant for years.
Liquor store possible?
Several residents also questioned Nov. 15 whether a liquor store might possibly be included as a future business, and wondered whether any current town ordinance prohibits such a use.
Braeburn Drive resident Jim Case asked why the developer, 660 Pascack Realty LLC, would not know in advance what tenants are planned for such a large retail center. He suggested a few possible stores might be 7-Eleven, a doggie daycare and a liquor store.
Applicant attorney Bruce Whitaker, McDonnell and Whitaker, LLC, Ramsey, said the proposed facility is a “neighborhood retail center…with typical types of tenants” and said no tenants had yet been selected.
Resident Kevin Zitko said that up to two liquor licenses may be available for purchase, citing Charlie Brown’s and another that might become available.
Officials were not able to confirm Zitko’s statement, though Zoning Board Chair Said Toro said they would look into it.
Applicant engineer Calisto Bertin went over minor revisions made to the site plan, based on prior comments from board engineer Paul Azzolina.
Bertin said only one monument sign will be placed at the site, versus three initially proposed, and said that in concert with the architect, they had reduced building heights to be below the maximum 30 feet allowed.
Both proposed retail buildings are one-story structures, Bertin said. The retail proposal includes 108 parking spaces for both buildings, he said.
Bertin said at 11 p.m., when shops will be closed, site lighting will be reduced by half to minimize any neighborhood impacts.
Several residents also questioned the nearby stream’s status as a “non-regulated” waterway, wondering about the three studies cited by Bertin.
Bertin said that three prior engineering studies (two studies done a couple years ago and one study done a decade ago) reached the same conclusion. All three showed that the drainage basin was approximately 48 acres, less than the 50 acres required by NJDEP to be a regulated waterway, said Bertin.
Stephen Manzione of Meisten Street, Brian McLaughlin of Meisten Street, and Henry Cenicola of Braeburn Drive questioned the determination that the nearby stream was not regulated as a protected waterway.
Manzione noted the stream may be a so-called “C1” waterway, which NJDEP’s website defines as having “exceptional water quality and ecological diversity.”
Whitaker said the applicant has verification from NJDEP that the waterway is not regulated and included the letter as part of its application.
Azzolina said when a prior application to site a CVS on the property was made years ago, a challenge was made on its non-regulated status and it was not successful.
Bertin said the three engineering consultants’ studies used stream drainage maps prepared by state and federal agencies, not maps they prepared themselves.
Cenicola also questioned whether the storm runoff detention basin proposed near the smaller retail structure would adequately filter out pollutants from parking lot runoff before entering the adjacent stream, should the basin overflow after heavy rain.
Bertin said the detention basin met all state DEP requirements, and storm runoff will be reduced under the proposed runoff detention plan.
Near the hearing’s end, applicant architect John Montoro described materials and finishes used to differentiate and complement the retail buildings.
He said the height of the larger retail building is 29 feet, 10.5 inches from mean grade, and the smaller retail building is 27 feet high.
Montoro said the mechanical units placed on each 1-story building will be hidden by parapets and screening, and also centered in the middle of building roofs where residents and passersby will not be able to view.
He said rooftop units would not be visible from either Pascack Road or Washington Avenue, noting they would be out of line of sight.
“—Unless you’re a bird,” quipped Montoro.
He said he would provide a rendering so board members could see where the units will be located and screened from view.
Montoro said that a smaller and larger building was proposed for the site to allow more parking on site.
After questioning building height calculations at the last hearing, Azzolina told board members that he agreed with Montoro’s new building height calculations.