Developer presents tentative plan for 640 Montgomery Ave.; commission discusses height, parking and affordable-housing bonuses

Developer representatives presented a tentative sketch plan Tuesday for 640 Montgomery Avenue, the former Rite Aid property, proposing a four-story mixed-use building with a partial fifth floor, about 42 residential units and ground-floor commercial space.

The proposal, presented by Adam (developer, Gaston Realty), would keep the Montgomery Avenue façade at the borough's 45-foot cap while adding an internal fourth floor and a set-back partial fifth floor perpendicular to Montgomery Avenue. Adam said the building footprint would be similar to the existing structure and that the project would include ground-floor retail space but asked the commission to allow some residential use at sidewalk level because small storefronts have been difficult to lease in recent years. "We built it. I think it's a nice addition to the community," Adam said in describing his prior nearby project and his intent to replicate that approach at the Rite Aid site.

Why it matters: Commissioners treated the sketch plan as both a site proposal and a test case for broader changes to the Montgomery Avenue zoning district, including how many stories can be allowed at the 45-foot height limit, what portion of the street-facing ground floor must be commercial, and how parking rules shape the economics of adding housing.

Key facts and materials presented - Developer materials: tentative sketch plan showing roughly 42 units, a ground-floor retail court and parking shared with an adjacent Phase 1 building. Adam said the design shows mostly two-bedroom units with some one-bedroom units (presentation materials listed unit counts; the transcript contains inconsistent counts). - Height and floors: Montgomery Avenue code caps height at 45 feet; the developer asked the commission to treat four stories as permissible within that 45-foot cap and to allow a partial fifth floor set…