MONTVILLE, NJ – The final piece of the Towaco Center revitalization puzzle is moving forward, following the Montville Township Planning Board's approval of a mixed-use building on the site of a recently demolished, long-vacant structure at 640 Main Road (Route 202), next to Sundae’s Ice Cream Parlor.The Planning Board, on Feb. 9, 2023, granted site plan approval to 640 Route 202, LLC, owned by Montville resident Giovanni LoGrasso, for the redevelopment of the property. The site, which once housed a dilapid...
MONTVILLE, NJ – The final piece of the Towaco Center revitalization puzzle is moving forward, following the Montville Township Planning Board's approval of a mixed-use building on the site of a recently demolished, long-vacant structure at 640 Main Road (Route 202), next to Sundae’s Ice Cream Parlor.
The Planning Board, on Feb. 9, 2023, granted site plan approval to 640 Route 202, LLC, owned by Montville resident Giovanni LoGrasso, for the redevelopment of the property. The site, which once housed a dilapidated service station, was described in the resolution as the "last truly derelict and deficient property" in the Towaco Center area. The board found that the project, situated on a small, 7,697 square-foot lot, represents a substantial benefit to the public and is consistent with the aesthetic upgrades made to the surrounding Towaco Center district.
Project Details and Variances
The new structure will be a mixed-use building, a type of development consistent with the surrounding zone. The first floor will be occupied with two units: a retail unit and an “eating and drinking establishment” on the right. The second floor will feature two residential apartments, both about the same size, according to architect James Cutillo, with balconies out the rear.
Due to the extremely small and constrained size of the lot, the developer required several variances from the township's zoning ordinance, including:
The owners had sought design waivers for: having a bicycle lane and bicycle racks, some streetscape amenities, extending an awning four more feet, relief from streetscape lighting, street trees, and some lighting and trash variances, for a total of 13.
The resolution emphasized that the ability to redevelop this property was a major win for the township, despite the numerous waivers and variances required. In the resolution, the board wrote, “that an improvement of this property represents a substantial benefit to the public is simply indisputable.”
Planning Board Chair Gary Lewis told LoGrasso that nothing makes him happier than when “the board, its advisory groups, and the applicant can work together and reach, what I hope, is a better project at the end, […] so I want to thank you for making changes that I think will be a better project in the end.”
The vote to approve was unanimous. (R. Conklin, M. Kayne, T. Braden, A. Adrignolo, L. Kornreich, R. Lipari, P. Repic, L. Hines).
Read the board resolution regarding the project HERE.
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