The Sayreville Zoning Board of Adjustment voted May 28 to approve Sterling Towers Holding LLC's application to consolidate adjacent lots at 879 Route 9, renovate the existing building and add site improvements, granting a use variance and multiple waivers.

Attorney Peter Clouser represented Sterling Towers and outlined the proposal to combine the existing undersized lot with two adjacent parcels to create a single lot of about 10,406 square feet, remove an existing detached garage, build a two-story addition and create parking and site improvements. "We're looking to remove the detached garage, construct an addition to the existing building," Clouser said.

Engineer Andrew "Drew" French testified the renovated building would provide approximately 2,200 square feet of office space (with about 1,800 square feet of additional attic and basement storage). The plan provides 10 parking spaces — the number required for the general-office calculation used by the borough — including one van-accessible space and a dual EV charger. French said the site would use porous pavement for the new parking area and an underground detention system to manage runoff, and that the development constituted less than one acre of disturbance.

The applicant asked for relief from several borough requirements. Items discussed and granted or noted for memorialization included: relief from a 50-foot landscape buffer where residential abuts nonresidential uses (the existing lot depth leaves only ~69 feet overall), a waiver for not providing a 50-by-12 loading area for this low-intensity office use, partial sidewalk exceptions along Route 9 frontage, curb waivers for part of an existing driveway, driveway-width relief for a 25-foot Lee Avenue access rather than the 30-foot standard, and sign-setback relief tied to a proposed reorientation of a monument sign. French said the building coverage would be about 13.2% (under the R-10 20% limit) while lot coverage would be about 65% (above the R-10 40% standard) but lower than what would be allowed in a B-1 business zone.

Architect Dan Fortunato described design details aimed at a residential character: hardy siding, black energy-efficient windows, a stone base, and a cohesive attached garage for parking with office space above. Fortunato said the plan includes a ramp of about 48 feet to achieve ADA access to the first floor and that the first floor will be wheelchair accessible.

Planner James Higgins framed the relief as an expansion of a preexisting nonconforming use and emphasized net improvements: removal of nonconforming detached structures, enhanced buffering and landscaping, and overall aesthetic upgrades. "There are substantial benefits in terms of the function of the site," Higgins said, noting the application converts an otherwise difficult-to-develop 3,500-square-foot parcel into a more appropriate configuration for commercial use along a four-lane divided highway.

Board professionals — Mr. Cornell and Mr. Fowler — said the applicant had responded to many technical comments; Cornell described the requested waivers as consistent with prior board grants for similar sites. Fowler reviewed lighting placement and accepted the proposed fixtures as low-profile and directed downward, noting the applicant agreed to dim lights to 50% during nonoperational hours.

The board moved and seconded a motion to approve the application with the conditions discussed during the hearing. Roll call showed unanimous approval from board members Mister Green, Mister Kaczynski, Mister Esposito, Mister Emma, Mister Bella, Missus Gottstein, Mister Castle Grant and Mister Bellick. The chair said the board would memorialize the resolution at the next meeting.

Conditions and commitments recorded during the hearing included: deed consolidation prior to final approval; provision of porous pavement and underground detention for stormwater mitigation; installation of a 6-foot solid vinyl fence and new evergreen buffer along rear and side property lines; landscape plantings and tree preservation where feasible; building and site lighting controls with a dimming feature during off-hours; a concrete pad for two refuse and recycling containers and screening for that enclosure; and compliance with outside-agency approvals and technical items in professional reports. The board's memorialized resolution will list the full technical conditions and any final plan changes.