Townhouses could go up on Undercliff Avenue

By Samuel Passow
Staff Writer | Aug. 13 2008

The Board of Adjustment heard testimony for an application to construct seven townhouses on Undercliff Avenue and Maple Street Aug. 6.

CVFF Development Corp.’s proposal for 906 Undercliff Ave. involves a two-story structure on the front of the property, a four-story structure on the back of the property, and a courtyard in between them. The courtyard will be on top of a parking deck.

The plan includes three, two-bedroom units and four, three-bedroom units.

The average height of the buildings is 38 and a half feet. A height variance is needed because the borough has a 35-foot restriction on building heights.

Robert Costa, the project’s engineer, said that part of the structure is approximately 63 feet tall.

Ian Gorenstein, owner of a neighboring property, 910 Undercliff Ave., questioned how the building would affect the view from his home. He said the top windows on that side of his house are approximately 25 feet high.

"That 63 feet is overwhelming," Gorenstein said.

Gorenstein was also concerned about proposed lighting for the parking deck and courtyard. Costa said the lights will be positioned low to ground and they will be blocked from view with bushes.

The owner of a neighboring house on Maple Street questioned the impact the development would have on parking in the neighborhood. The lot at 906 Undercliff Ave. is occasionally used for parking now, he said. A 21-space parking deck will be constructed in between the townhouses.

The Maple Street homeowner said that although the plan includes the required amount of parking spaces, he is nervous that another development will only add to the area’s already congested parking situation.

Part of CVFF’s application also involves widening a small portion of Undercliff Avenue the borough owns. Costa said widening it to 24 feet would make it easier for residents to drive on both sides of the road.

Costa said he understood residents’ concerns and plans to meet with them to discuss parking and landscaping options.

The board attorney said that if the board approves the application it would still be contingent on the mayor and council approving plans to widen Undercliff Avenue.

A representative from Neglia Engineering, the borough’s engineering firm, said a representative would attend the meeting between Costa and the residents.

The application requires five affirmative votes from the nine-member board. Because only five board members attended the meeting Carmine Alampi, the attorney representing CVFF, requested the application be carried to the board’s Sept. 3 meeting. He wanted the absent board members to read a transcript of the testimony given at the meeting before a vote on the application is taken.