Parties prepare for Hilltop hearings
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
By OWEN PROCTOR
Verona’s Hilltop designated for development is about to undergo its final signoff.
The Verona Planning Board met with K. Hovnanian and Cenrose representatives last week to prepare for the township’s biggest housing proposal in decades. Upon the application’s completion and witness/consultant arrangements, the public hearings are tentatively set for Feb. 9, March 9, March 30, May 4 and June 8.
Aside from these special Thursday night meetings to be held at the Verona Community Center, the board’s regular meetings in the Council Chambers may also hear the application if the agenda permits, to get through the process as quickly as possible.
According to engineering firm Schoor DePalma, the applicants will be seeking major subdivision and site plan approval for Hilltop’s parcel 3 and site plan approval for part of parcel 4. Parcel 3 is the much-discussed 100 age-restricted units by K. Hovnanian and 95 rental units by Cenrose, both in Verona. Cenrose is a partnership between Century 21 and Roseland Properties.
Parcel 4 is primarily in North Caldwell, where 108 units are proposed. The Verona portion of that piece consists of some land and a proposed roadway. The boulevard would be the main entrance for the North Caldwell and Verona residences from Bloomfield Avenue. There would be a less conspicuous entrance via Elm Road in North Caldwell and emergency only access from Fairview Avenue in Verona, according to the developers.
The approval will not be based on variances but Verona’s Hilltop redevelopment ordinance, recently passed by the Township Council, board attorney Gregory Mascera said. Any proposed changes will be reflected by amend-ments to the ordinance, he said.
The developers plan to present a site engineer, traffic engineer and fire safety expert as witnesses, according to their attorney, Ralph Salerno. Additionally, Township Engineer James Helb recommended the board attain its own site engineer, traffic engineer, architect or architectural review group, environmental firm, landscape architect, planner, and other experts as needed, paid for by the applicant.
Helb said measurements would be taken to make sure the consultants have no conflicts of interest.
Council liaison Kenneth McKenna recommended that township officials and commissions attend meetings pertinent to them, e.g., the Office of Emergency Management regarding traffic and emergency access, and Shade Tree Commission regarding landscaping.
Board Chairman Steven Janett asked about access for individual site inspections. A K. Hovnanian representative said the company would make arrangements with the Essex County Improvement Authority as well as provide board members maps and markings on the site. The property is basically between the old Essex County Utilities Authority water tank to the south and the Verona water tower to the north, he said.
Janett reminded board members to update their planning board identification cards with the Verona Police Department.
In the 1990s, the proposal for Verona’s 151 Hilltop acres included 103 for a county reservation, 41 for development and seven for Verona recreation. The housing development included 36 single-family homes and 18 town-houses scattered throughout the property.
Earlier in the 2000s, the township negotiated a redevelopment plan that cut housing development from 41 to 24 acres while increasing recreational space from seven to nearly 30 acres. Single-family houses are now limited to six along Fairview Avenue, already approved by the planning board.