Board accepts Fellowship Village annual parking report after traffic counts show capacity

The Bernards Township Planning Board accepted Fellowship Village’s annual parking evaluation at the Jan. 20 meeting after hearing testimony from Dolan & Dean, the applicant’s traffic consultant.

Dolan & Dean’s representative summarized counts taken at a nearly sold‑out Dec. 14 theater performance (about 201 attendees; theater capacity 257). The consultant said the parking-management area includes 559 spaces, of which 349 were available at the observed peak, leaving approximately 210 spaces unused (about 38 percent of the studied area). Additional weekday counts in March and verification counts in May also showed substantial available capacity.

Board members asked whether multiple events could coincide and whether cast, crew and production staff parking procedures were being followed; the applicant’s executive director and theater staff said major events are coordinated to avoid concurrent large events and that cast/crew are directed where to park per the existing condition. The board referenced a prior modification of the 2016 parking-management condition (condition 22) that prohibits ticketed public theater events on weekdays during peak hours of 4–7 p.m. and requires cast/crew to park in specified lots.

A motion to accept the report was made by Miss Smith, seconded by Mr. Seville, and approved by roll call. The board recorded that the parking report complies with the conditions of prior approvals.

No new restrictions were adopted at the meeting; the acceptance confirms the applicant's compliance with the existing parking-management program as documented in the submitted reports.