Borough Zoners Review Office Building Proposal

By Andrew Gorosko

Borough Zoning Commission members are reviewing the details of a developer’s proposal to construct an office building on land near the corner of Church Hill Road and The Boulevard.

Applicant Raffie Aryeh, representing Serell, LP, is seeking a site development plan approval, a special exception to the borough zoning regulations, and a Village District zoning approval to construct a two-story office building. The land is near the western corner of Church Hill Road and The Boulevard. The street address of the site is 1 The Boulevard.

The proposed 6,440-square-foot building would be constructed on a site to the north of the existing office building that houses Prudential Connecticut Realty. The driveway at 33 Church Hill Road, which now serves Connecticut Prudential Realty, would also serve the proposed office building. That driveway is located just west of the intersection of Church Hill Road and The Boulevard. The two-building office site would have about 50 parking spaces.

The Borough Zoning Commission held a public hearing on the office building construction proposal July 12.

Commission Chairman Linda Shepard recused herself from participating because her husband, Alan Shepard, is the engineer representing the applicant. Commission member David Francis served as chairman for the public hearing.

Architect John Madzula of 20 The Boulevard, representing the applicant, presented architectural plans for the project to the borough zoners. The proposed two-story office building, which would be capped by a clerestory, would be 39 feet tall. The structure, which would house four offices, would be built in the style of a barn.

“We want to keep this really dignified,” Mr Madzula said, adding that the building would visually fit in well with the neighborhood. The structure would contain a full basement for storage, as well as an elevator.

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members discussed the office building application at their July 6 session. The P&Z serves as the borough’s planning agency and makes recommendations to the borough zoners on construction applications.

In a letter to the commission, P&Z Chairman William O’Neil noted that the project would generate additional traffic in a congested area. Mr O’Neil suggested that the existing driveway entrance at 33 Church Hill Road be eliminated and be replaced with a driveway entrance on The Boulevard, which would serve both the existing office building at 33 Church Hill Road and the proposed office building. Mr O’Neil wrote that he expects there eventually would be a traffic signal installed at the difficult intersection of Church Hill Road and The Boulevard to improve traffic flow in that congested area.

If a new driveway entrance is not created on The Boulevard, Mr O’Neil suggested that certain restrictions be placed on the use of the Church Hill Road driveway.

The P&Z chairman urged that the two land use agencies work together to best manage traffic flow in the face of increasing local commercial development.

In a letter to the borough zoners, Police Chief Michael Kehoe said the Police Commission, acting as the local traffic authority, plans to discuss the traffic-flow aspects of the construction proposal at its August 1 meeting.

At a July 5 session, Police Commission members expressed concerns about the traffic implications of the proposed office building, saying that additional traffic would worsen existing congestion problems in the area. The Police Commission plans to meet with the traffic engineers for the project on August 1.

In a traffic report, the traffic engineers state that the presence of a new office building should not adversely affect traffic flow in the area.

In a letter to the borough zoners, Borough Engineer Ronald Bolmer stated that much information on the project had not been provided to him and consequently he does not recommend the project’s approval.

Mr Bolmer is expected to review additional technical information provided by the applicant, including stormwater drainage data, before the public hearing resumes on August 9.

Mr Shepard told the borough zoners that the applicant requires state approval for the project due to its location on Church Hill Road, which is a state road.

Mr Shepard said, “The [Boulevard/Church Hill] intersection is a tricky intersection and its gotten trickier over the years.”

Resident Anthony Baiad of 4 Budd Drive said that a traffic signal is needed at that intersection to improve traffic flow.

Mr Baiad disagreed with the P&Z’s recommendation for a new driveway on The Boulevard for the two office buildings. The Boulevard is overtaxed by traffic and such a driveway there would worsen conditions, he said.