Sayreville agency names Tova Living LLC conditional redeveloper for Main Street site; developers propose 81-unit, 55+ building

The Sayreville Economic Redevelopment Agency on May 15 designated Tova Living LLC as conditional redeveloper of property along Main Street (County Route 670) near the Garden State Parkway and voted to terminate the prior redevelopment agreement for the tract.

The developer’s attorney, John Wisniewski of Wisniewski and Associates, told the agency the proposal calls for an age‑restricted (55+) residential building on a site the applicants assembled to total slightly less than five acres. The concept submitted to the agency shows a four‑story building with about 81 units, an average unit size near 900 square feet and a proposed parking assumption of roughly 1.9 spaces per unit. The developer said 15% of units would be set aside as affordable housing and that special‑needs affordable units could be included within that 15%.

The agency’s action matters because the designation clears a first procedural hurdle: the conditional redeveloper status (approved for six months, renewable by agreement) authorizes the developer to move forward with required studies and preparations while the agency and municipal bodies consider formal amendments to the waterfront redevelopment plan needed to permit the project.

What the vote did and did not do

The governing body approved resolution 2025‑5‑13 to terminate the earlier redevelopment agreement for the parcel, and then approved resolution 2025‑5‑14 designating Tova Living LLC as a conditional redeveloper. Roll call for resolution 2025‑5‑14 was: Davis, Fisher, Grillo, Scott and Chairman Zabrowski—yes; Councilwoman Roberts—no (yes = 5; no = 1). The designation does not itself amend the redevelopment plan or approve a final site plan.

What the developer proposed and constraints discussed

Wisniewski said the applicants combined parcels (including a narrow strip formerly owned by National Lead) to assemble slightly under five acres and that their concept is constrained by parking and stormwater management requirements. He said the preliminary site concept is based on 1.9 parking spaces per unit (an average his architect used), but that a breakdown by unit type (one‑bedroom = 1 space, two‑bedroom = 2 spaces) would likely reduce that average to about 1.5 spaces per unit and might allow higher unit counts without adding height. The applicant said access would be arranged with a right‑in off Main Street and a full in/out onto Kennedy Boulevard to limit traffic impacts to Main Street.

Agency staff and consulting professionals flagged several procedural and technical items that remain to be resolved, including:

- Amendments to the waterfront redevelopment plan (Parcel J) to allow residential use, 55+ age restriction, and to permit fewer than the current five‑acre minimum lot size; a separate amendment may be needed for building height to match neighboring Gillette Towers. These amendments would move through Sayreville’s standard process: agency staff recommendation to the governing body, referral to the planning board for its review and recommendation, then final action by the governing body.

- A detailed site plan, stormwater calculations and a fiscal impact statement were requested so the agency can evaluate public costs and benefits.

- Parking, stormwater basin siting and the exact number of units will be refined through engineering review; the agency asked the applicant to submit the technical reports and engineering plans for review by CME (the agency’s engineering reviewer) and staff.

Points of contention and next steps

Councilwoman Donna Roberts voted against the conditional designation and later explained her vote, saying the proposed height and density (minimum 81 units on the tract as presented) exceed what she believes is appropriate for that location and that she wanted more clarity regarding the borough’s affordable‑housing position before committing the property to higher‑density housing. The record shows other commissioners emphasized outreach and early community engagement to reduce conflict at later public hearings.

Agency staff said the conditional designation will run for six months with a possible renewal and that the designation enables the developer to prepare the detailed materials the agency, planning board and governing body will require. The agency also indicated it will ask the applicant to provide a fiscal‑impact statement and more detailed engineering submissions as part of the next phase.

The agency opened the item for public comment; no members of the public spoke on the project during the meeting.

What remains unresolved

No redevelopment‑plan amendments or site approvals were adopted at the May 15 meeting. The approvals granted were procedural: termination of the prior redeveloper agreement and conditional designation of Tova Living LLC. Any zoning or redevelopment‑plan changes, final site‑plan approvals and redevelopment agreements must still be prepared, reviewed and adopted by the planning board and governing body in subsequent proceedings.