News
Temporary Parking Lot Needs Sprucing Up, Say RB Planners
By John Burton
RED BANK - A plan to establish a temporary parking area on the site of a former gas station and auto repair shop, ran into a roadblock last Wednesday, namely the borough Planning Board, as board members rattled off their objections to the current plan.
The applicant, Stavola Leasing, LLC, asked for an adjournment until next month as the property owner attempts to address some of the issues raised by board members at the Jan. 20 hearing on the proposal.
Stavola Leasing owns 39 Maple Avenue, a property on the corner of Maple and Monmouth Street, east across Maple from the borough's municipal complex, 90 Monmouth Street. Martin A. McGann Jr. Stavola's lawyer, said the applicant had received approval from the planning board in 2006 to construct a residential/commercial mixed use development on that property.
The location had been a gas station and auto repair shop for many years, McGann said.
"The economy being what it is," the developer, "has not been able to get off the ground," to construct the previously approved plan, according to McGann.
In the interim, the property owner paved the site - with borough code officials issuing a summons for doing it without the proper approvals - and has since allowed Red Bank Catholic High School, located on Peters Place, to park on the lot.
Stavola would like to be permitted to continue using the site for a formal parking lot for Red Bank Catholic, maybe for two to four years, until the economy sufficiently recovers to allow the owner to construct the original project.
"This is really a request for a temporary approval," McGann told the board. "We have every intention of moving forward with the mixed use project."
"Unfortunately, at this time there is no interest in building a residential project," said Gary J. Vialonga, president of the Stavola Realty Company, Tinton Falls.
Stavola and Red Bank Catholic had struck a deal, "not for a lot of money," Vialonga said, while the school continues to construct its student center.
The school would continue to use the parking site even after its own construction is completed. "As far as the evenings are concerned," for the use of the site, McGann told the board, "we're open to discussions."
The property owner would be amenable to allowing the Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth Street, use of the site, or possibly one of the area restaurants. But that has yet to be decided, McGann explained.
The developer has no intention of operating a "New York City-type parking lot," where the general public would have access, on an hourly or daily rate, he told the board.
And, "We are going to spruce it up, somewhat," McGann said.
But for some board members, the landscaping proposed was not nearly enough.
"Just because you're going for a temporary lot, doesn't mean it should look terrible for four years," countered Christine Ballard, the board engineer.
"I'm not going to vote for this as it is now," added Board member Louis DiMento.
"This lot needs to look better," added Daniel Mancuso, another board member.
Mancuso said he's opposed to the charity clothing collection boxes currently on site. "I don't like the way they look," he said, noting the borough council is considering an ordinance that would prohibit the boxes, as some in other communities are being used by questionable organizations.
Right now, however, it is permitted, McGann said.
As for the landscaping, "What we propose, it's about the extent we're willing to spend," Vialonga responded, expressing his frustration. Vialonga argued borough officials had approached him about sprucing up the deteriorating site and, "We came in and cleaned it up and made it safe," he said.
"From my standpoint," Mancuso shot back, "if that's the extent your willing to do, I'm not thrilled with it."
McGann asked the hearing be postponed until Feb. 17, when, "We'll make a determination as what should be done."
Upon leaving the hearing, Vialonga was overheard commenting to his colleagues that he thought the proceedings were, "ugly... unbelievable..."
