Council may adjust what can be built in some zones
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Township officials pondered changes to several zones Tuesday night, but only went forward on one.

The Township Council discussed changes to the minimum parcel size in the age-restricted residential community zone (ARRC), making certain conditional uses allowed in the rural residential (RR) zone and several changes to the neighborhood commercial (NC) zone.

The ARRC zone, which was intended for senior citizens who wish to live in smaller, more affordable houses and apartments, currently has a minimum lot size of 15 acres.

According to Mayor Frank Gambatese, it was the recommendation of some members of the affordable-housing commission in order to increase flexibility. The zone is among the newest to be created, standing in contrast to the current planned adult residential community (PARC) designation created eight years earlier, which was made for larger senior homes. During the meeting, council members expressed caution about the changes proposed.

"I think we have to proceed with caution because the ARRC zone is a very new zone. ... To proceed down the road with the ARRC zone, we have to do so in a very cautious manner because we're still experimenting with the PARC zone. I mean, [it is just] now they're being built and we'll see the impact on the community," said Councilman Charles Carley.

Before the council made the decision to delay the ordinance in order to modify its language some more, it was also recommended that only two parcels out of eight requesting a zone change to ARRC be granted as test cases to gauge the impacts on the township.

Changes in the rural residential zone were recommended by the local YMCA, which has an application before the Zoning Board to construct a pavilion. Carley said that the YMCA often finds itself before the Zoning Board when making any changes to its grounds, and the recommended amendments to the ordinance were proposed to not have to go through hearings for small improvements. It would make many uses in the zone, which comprises a great deal of the town, that are allowed on certain conditions simply be allowed. The rest of the council agreed with the assessment that the needs of the YMCA can be addressed without making potentially dangerous changes to the ordinance. It was also tabled so the language could be worked out more.

"I have a concern that this is like approaching a mosquito with a shotgun. [The] RR zone makes up an awful lot of the land mass of this town and opening RR to such buildings without it being a conditional use is too broad an approach," Carley said.

The final change discussed involved the neighborhood commercial zone, accentuating the township's intention for the zone to host villages with small residential areas supporting small, local businesses. These include drugstores, restaurants (excepting fast food), professional offices, laundry services, banks and delis, among others.

One concern raised when the specifics were first brought before the council at the beginning of March was the drug store use. The council at the time was concerned that large drug stores might move in and disrupt the neighborhood feel, so a 5,000-square-foot limit was established. Gambatese said that a recent Planning Board application involving a Rite Aid that would have been far larger than that was kept in mind.

"This is what we wanted. We talked about the neighborhood drugstore no longer being just the neighborhood drugstore," said Gambatese.