Monroe Township Planning Board voted to grant variance relief to application BA5251-24257 from 257 Applegarth Road LLC, approving a plan for one retail building and two residential lots and allowing development on about 5 acres of a 15-acre parcel while dedicating roughly 10 acres to a conservation easement.

The vote followed presentations and revisions to a plan first heard in January and updated in June; the board approved the use and bulk variances necessary because the parcel exceeds the NC zone maximum lot size of 5 acres and because a portion of residentially zoned land lies on the other side of an on-site stream corridor. Kenneth Pape, attorney for the applicant, summarized the application as a pared-down proposal from an earlier plan that had included two retail buildings, a warehouse and additional bulk variances.

The variance matters were technical and focused on site constraints. "The application is a request for a retail building in the NC zone and 2 residential lots that are primarily in the residential zone," Kenneth Pape said. He told the board that about 10 acres of the 15-acre parcel are environmentally constrained and would be placed into a conservation easement so that only roughly 5 acres would be developed. The applicant also agreed on the record to address monument sign design, the retail building facade and a loading area at the later site-plan stage.

Mark, a board planning professional, told the board the proposal before them is much reduced from the January submission. "They did have an industrial building that was a warehouse, as well as 2 retail buildings. The warehouse has been eliminated," Mark said, adding that driveway locations, parking and buffer landscaping had been revised since the original filing. He said the applicant provided a traffic report and that he and the board’s professionals were satisfied with the peak traffic counts presented.

Board discussion identified remaining technical variances: D-variance relief tied to the NC zone's five-acre maximum, a D-variance connected to the residential parcel separated by a stream corridor, and one bulk variance related to a smaller parking stall area intended for employee parking. The applicant’s parking plan uses standard 10-by-20-foot stalls for retail spaces and smaller stalls behind the building for employees.

During roll call multiple members recorded affirmative votes and the motion passed. One board member voiced continued concern about the traffic analysis on the record. "I'm okay. Don't speak for the whole board," Mister Masters said before the roll call; another member said on the record that they remained "not satisfied with what they presented" and registered a no vote. The board approved the application with the understanding that remaining design items and site-plan details will return for review at a later hearing.

The board noted landscaping will be provided to meet the intent of the township ordinance and that site-plan review will address driveway coordination with the county and other engineering details. No site-plan approvals were granted tonight; the action was limited to the use and bulk/D-variance relief reflected in the motion.

What happens next: If the variances remain in effect, the applicant must return with a site-plan application to resolve monument signage, architectural facade treatments and loading areas, and to obtain any county approvals required for driveway connections.