Manalapan 'flex-space' building near Monmouth battlefield approved

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

49 2 minutes read

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MANALAPAN – The township planning board has approved a settlement agreement that would allow construction of a 64,680-square-foot flex space building about a mile west of Monmouth Battlefield State Park.

The flex space, which critics have complained is just a warehouse by another name, would be located on the corner of Sweetmans Lane and Kinney Road. It would be located in the township's Limited Business-Millhurst zone, which allows for flexible space, but no warehouse buildings. Millhurst is a historic area where the township's first settlers lived.

On July 13, 2023, the planning committee approved plans for the industrial building, but imposed 51 conditions. The developer, LPG Capital, then sued the planning committee, arguing that the number of conditions was excessive and that it should not have to reduce its height.

According to the complaint, “the height requirement significantly impacts the application because the flexible building cannot be constructed in a commercially reasonable manner with a height of 24 feet.” »

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Planning board transcripts indicate the board argued the proposed building should be compatible with its neighbors even though the proposed 35-foot height was permitted by the township's flexible space ordinance.

A trial was originally scheduled for June 26, but both sides reached a settlement agreement.

On May 9, the planning board voted in favor of the settlement agreement by a vote of 7-1, with Deputy Mayor Jack McNaboe voting against the agreement.

Under the 12 modifications negotiated in the settlement agreement, the height of the proposed building was reduced slightly, from 35 feet to 31 feet, 5 inches.

The installation of benches would also not be necessary. The original landscaping plan would be reduced and the fire hydrant could be relocated.

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Storage of “vans and fleet vehicles” on site would be permitted, but other vehicles would not be permitted to be stored on site.

The public would also be barred from accessing the site from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. The initial condition was that the public would be prohibited from accessing the site from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The developer would also be required to widen Sweetmans Lane, north of the property, but would not be required to do a widening that would require the purchase of private property. The original condition required the developer to widen the road to create two northbound lanes of traffic.

Initial conditions of approval that were not part of the settlement agreement included reducing the number of loading docks from 18 to 13 and increasing the number of parking spaces from 56 to 81.

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The township ordinance defines flex space as: “A building occupied by two or more permitted uses in the zone and/or two or more of the following uses: contractor offices and stores; establishments producing, processing, assembling, manufacturing, composing, preparing, cleaning, maintaining, testing or repairing materials, goods or products, provided that these activities or materials do not create any risk of fire or explosion, or produce fumes, toxic or corrosive gases, noxious smoke, dust or vapor, offensive noise or vibration, glare, flashes or objectionable effluents; warehousing establishments, wholesale establishments and offices.

Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Three minute reading

Lina Portman

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