272 Parsippany Road Project – still pending
Posted in: Development, View All Entries by admin on June 21, 2011
Yesterday evening, the Planning Board convened once again to discuss next steps for the 272 Parsippany Road Project. Though Monday’s meeting was initially planned to be a procedural review of the finer points of the Planning Board’s decision to limit the project to 3 stories and a parking garage, there instead ensued a heated discussion about the proceedings.
Discussion Continues…
The developer’s attorney (former Councilwoman Anne Grossi representing Cerbone-Prisco) re-opened discussion, pressed the Planning Board to re-consider their decision to limit the re-development project to 3 stories, and at one point inferred the Board had made their decision due in part to political influences. She stated that the “project has been unfairly targeted by the Democratic Party in this town.”
However, the Planning Board members spoke out strongly against this assertion. They instead cited the numerous concerns they had with the project as proposed. Moreover, Tom Dinsmore, a Planning Board Member said, “we have a robust land use process in place” and re-emphasized his preference for future developers to use the existing Zoning Board process. This project had originally been before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, but withdrew that application.
Additionally, though he initially voted twice in favor of the designation “Zone of Rehabilitation” on the Council and Planning Board – Councilman DiPierro is now calling to rescind that decision to “close the barn door” to prevent future developers from trying to use this process to bypass the existing Master Plan.
Following the discussion, Parsippany Town Planner, Ed Snieckus began to review some of the specific parameters of the new mixed use designation. Some of the factors he detailed included limits on water use, number of stories, and approved uses for the commercial space (i.e. the types of businesses allowed in that area). Due to water restrictions and potential noise disruptions, the space could not be used as a restaurant, eating/drinking establishment, a laundromat, an automobile garage, or an animal kennel. Approved businesses that Mr. Snieckus listed included any type of retail store, shop, barber shop, nail salon, or bank.
Next Steps
At the next Planning Board Meeting on July 11th at 7:30pm, the Board will continue to discuss the specific parameters allowed for this space and should finalize the recommendation to send to the Council for final approval. At that time, the Council would pass an ordinance that allows this 1.2 acre zone to be developed using these new parameters.
Our Take
“Anne Grossi was attempting to find a scapegoat for the Planning Board not granting approval for her client’s six story building. I attended the last two Planning Board meetings, along with dozens of other residents who cited multiple concerns the proposed development project including: height, density, traffic, inadequate parking, removal of trees, loss of privacy, insufficient buffer, and so on. So I would argue strongly that the decision was not about politics, but instead about the proposal being wrong for that area of town.
She also made it seem that as a Council Candidate, it was not my place to attend the meeting or take a stand on this issue — I couldn’t disagree with her more. If anything, I believe that voters prefer to learn how their candidate thinks, feels, and makes decisions.
Re-development is certainly needed in many older buildings across Parsippany — but granting designation’s of areas as “Zones of Rehabilitation” and bypassing the Zoning Process and the Master Plan is not the way to approach our goal of re-development. This is an instance where the Council should have more closely understood the impact and potential precedent that their decision would have on the dozens of vacant and aging buildings in our community.”