Hovnanian townhomes get final approval
Planning board overwhelmingly OK's "South Grand" project
The Asbury Park Planning Board granted site plan approval for a set of 28 townhomes national homebuilders K. Hovnanian Homes plans to build on the western waterfront at a special meeting held Thursday.
The vote was 6-1.
The development, called “South Grand” brings 28 two- and three-bedroom residential units to the western side of the block bound by Grand, Monroe and Sewall avenues and Heck Street.
Individual units provide either 2,300 or 2,900 square feet of living space and include private, two-car garages accessible from the rear of the buildings.
Plans for the second phase of the project to be constructed on the western portion of the block have not been formally submitted but may include a taller, “L” shaped building or more townhome units.
Representatives from master waterfront developer iStar are pleased the project is moving forward with an overwhelming majority from planning board members.
“We remain committed to the successful redevelopment of the Asbury Park waterfront and look forward to continuing our partnership with the city, community members and local business owners as we work together to revitalize this iconic city,’ said iStar Residential’s vice president of land, Brian Cheripka in an email to the Sun.
Planning board member Robert Feinstein, who provided the only dissenting vote, did not think the project was an “appropriate fit” for the city.
“If they [iStar] truly believe they are here to build a strong community then they would know this type of architecture (from a planners perspective as well as the design) [does not fit and] they would have presented a much different project,” he said. “We are now stuck with the one thing this town was never ever built on — conformity.”
Feinstein also expressed concern the lower unit count proposed for the site would wind up contributing a smaller amount to mandated affordable housing funds.
Payments mandated by the agreement the city has with the developers require a contribution to be made into the city’s affordable housing community initiative fund, according to Don Sammet, director of planning and redevelopment on the city.
The payments are based on milestones reached in terms of how many certificates of occupancy are issued in the entire waterfront redevelopment zone, Sammet said.
Developers partitioned the redevelopment block into two phases because they did not yet own all of the lots on the block. In addition, the subdivision was made so that the developers could conduct “environmental cleanup” in two phases, he said.
Due to “historic fill” from previous buildings that existed on the block, sections of fill must be removed and replaced with clean soil, however, there will not be a need to monitor the environmental conditions on the site, he said.
“We’re pleased to see another project on the waterfront,” Sammet told the Sun. “Apart from the Vive it has been a while since we’ve seen redevelopment on the waterfront.”
It marks the first time since 1984 a national homebuilder has entered the Asbury Park market, according to a statement previously released by iStar.
Click here to see previous Sun’s coverage of the South Grand project.
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