Planning board approves parking expansion at Drs. James Parker Boulevard in Red Bank

The Red Bank Planning Board on May 13 voted to approve a site-plan application to expand parking at premises commonly identified as 10 Drs. James Parker Boulevard (consolidating the adjacent vacant 26 Drs. James Parker Boulevard). The board’s approval was conditioned on revisions noted in the borough engineer’s letter and coordination on signage with the borough’s visual arts committee.

Applicant counsel summarized the project as “filling the hole in the donut,” saying the owner purchased a vacant lot that had been a single-family home destroyed by fire and intends to add parking to serve an existing medical/professional office building. Engineer David Cranmer testified the building currently has about 109 parking stalls and the proposal would increase capacity to 128 stalls, moving the site closer to the ordinance requirement of 135 stalls for the existing use.

Cranmer described stormwater and paving design: the project will use a porous-asphalt paving system intended to reduce runoff and improve water quality, and the engineer testified that for the water-quality design storm there will be no runoff from the new porous surface. To improve sightlines and reduce headlight glare, the plan includes a headlight screen of shrubs along Dr. James Parker Boulevard, a landscape palette selected for year-round screening, and 15 proposed trees plus 78 new shrubs on the development parcels. The applicant also offered to install an additional 14 street trees along South Pearl Street and Dr. James Parker Boulevard rather than make a cash contribution.

The applicant acknowledged the landscaping does not meet the ordinance formula calculated for the consolidated lot (the engineer stated the ordinance would require 224 shrubs and 111 trees for the total frontage), and therefore requested a design waiver for plantings. The engineer placed the proposed waiver on the record and said the landscape plan will provide a headlight screen and year-round plantings even if it departs from the ordinance formula. The applicant also agreed to file a deed of consolidation for the lots if the board grants approval.

Board members and the applicant discussed accessible parking: three barrier-free parallel stalls historically present will be reconstructed to meet current accessibility standards and the adjacent sidewalk will be made barrier-free and flush with stalls; the board engineer confirmed parallel stalls are acceptable if the sidewalk is made barrier-free and level.

Lighting and dark-sky concerns were raised during public comment by resident Eric Wilus, who asked whether the project considered dark-sky principles and warmer, controlled lighting with metering. The applicant told the board the owner has replaced existing bulbs with controllable LED fixtures and that overnight hours will have dimmed, security-level lighting. The applicant also proposed relocating a 30-foot pole into a landscaped island to reduce light spill onto adjacent properties; the board asked that the relocation be shown on revised plans.

After closing public comment, a board member moved to approve the application with the engineering-letter revisions; the motion was seconded. The board approved the application by roll call; the approval is conditioned on the engineering revisions, the relocated light-pole detail being shown on the plans and coordination with the visual arts committee for sign details. The applicant was thanked for a brief presentation and informed about the required follow-up steps for permitting.

The board’s approval does not imply waiver of any requirement not explicitly recorded in the resolution; conditions and the engineering letter are part of the approval package. The board adjourned after completing the agenda.