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Bedminster Land Use Board approves mixed‑use conversion, variances for 432 Main Street
Summary
The Bedminster Township Land Use Board approved site‑plan and variance relief allowing a ground‑floor kitchen-and‑bath showroom and a two‑bedroom apartment above at 432 Main Street. Approval is effective immediately, subject to landscape and lighting conditions.
The Bedminster Township Land Use Board on Jan. 10 approved a site plan and bulk variances allowing BDE Holdings LLC to convert an existing commercial building at 432 Main Street into a high‑end kitchen‑and‑bath showroom with a two‑bedroom apartment on the second floor.
Attorney Michael Ogrodnik, representing the applicant, told the board the project seeks floor‑area‑ratio and lot‑coverage relief along with several design waivers to permit the mixed‑use conversion and modest rear additions. "We're proposing retail on the first floor and a two‑bedroom apartment above," Ogrodnik said during his opening remarks.
Why it matters: the board's approval authorizes owner‑occupied residential use above a small, appointment‑only retail operation in Bedminster's VN (village‑neighborhood) zone, a form of redevelopment the planner said aligns with the township's master plan and the historic character of Main Street.
Owner Heddy Coleman described the retail operation as a by‑appointment design studio that will limit deliveries and customer traffic. "We do not get cabinets or anything big delivered; I couldn't handle it personally anyway," Coleman said, describing existing arrangements for off‑site, climate‑controlled storage and small in‑studio displays. Coleman said she intends to live in the second‑floor apartment.
Civil engineer Rudy Holtzman summarized the site constraints that require variance relief. He said the lot is undersized (about 0.223 acres) and detailed pre‑existing nonconformities. Holtzman described an anticipated small net increase in lot coverage — about 72 square feet — tied primarily to ADA access improvements, a relocated stair and a platform lift. "The additional lot coverage is to accommodate the handicap access," he said.
Architect Corey Fernandez said the second‑floor apartment will total about 1,132 square feet, including the covered stair, and that the rear addition is modest and located out of public view. Planner Edward Kolling told the board the proposal is consistent with the intent of the VN zone, improves safety by adding a second means of egress and advances accessibility goals. "This project seems to be exactly what the town is looking for in the VN Zone," Kolling said.
The board approved the D(4) floor‑area variance, the C variances and the site plan with conditions requiring conformance with the engineering and planning reports provided by Paul and Frank, submission and board‑engineer review of an updated lighting plan, and compliance with the landscape plan. The chair said the approval "will be effective this evening" provided the stated conditions are satisfied.
What comes next: the applicant must submit the revised lighting plan for engineering review and finalize landscaping per the board's direction before full implementation. The matter was authorized to proceed immediately once those conditions are met.
Proper names and project details cited in the transcript: applicant BDE Holdings LLC; business Coleman Blau Kitchens & Baths; property 432 Main Street; planner Edward Kolling; civil engineer Rudy Holtzman; architect Corey Fernandez; attorney Michael Ogrodnik. The board set conditions to address lighting and landscape plans and relied on existing construction approvals and historic‑district reviews mentioned during testimony.
