South Orange Planning Board approves Irvington Ave. redevelopment project

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Planning Board approved the redevelopment project slated for 270 Irvington Ave., at the corner of Irvington and Fairview avenues, at its meeting on Nov. 1. It will include 60 units of housing at 270 Irvington Ave. and an underground parking garage; there will be an additional 12 housing units built across the street at 299 Irvington Ave. The project was approved unanimously.

There is a shared driveway to the left of the property at 270 Irvington Ave.; developer attorney Derek Orth said the company and the owner of the multifamily home that sits adjacent to the property have met several times.

“We did a field meeting; they’ve also had several conversations,” Orth said at the meeting. “We’re willing to provide a 2-foot access easement that will give a bit more space for vehicular entrance on the property. This access easement would stretch about 128 feet perpendicular into the site from Irvington Avenue.”

The fence will be moved back on the project site’s property line by 2 feet, which will accommodate the access easement.

A traffic study was done by Corey Chase, an engineer with Dynamic Traffic LLC, in preparation of the project being submitted to the planning board for approval. In addition to the underground parking garage, the building will have the five existing parking spaces on Irvington Avenue. Two more parking spaces, possibly three, depending on how stripes are painted, will be gained when driveways on the property are closed.

Eric Keller, South Orange’s engineering consultant, added that the county agreed to add a crosswalk on the street in front of the building.

“I’m pleased that the county was open to adding that crosswalk,” Keller said at the meeting. “I think it’s a great benefit. I’m supportive of the additional on-street parking, which I think will be a benefit not only for this project, but for the neighborhood.”

Olivia Lewis-Chang, who lives on Riggs Place around the corner from the proposed building, said she and her neighbors are enthusiastic about the project but spoke about the potential environmental impact it could have and the landscaping that they would like to see used.

“We are asking for less removal of the present trees, and we ask for another inspection to be allowed on the property,” Lewis-Chang said at the meeting. “The intent of the second look is to save more trees and to lessen negative environmental impact that might result in their removal.”

The Riggs Place neighborhood has seen significant flooding during storms recently, and Lewis-Chang said she and others who live there would like to see as much vegetation saved as possible while the project is under construction, to mitigate further flooding damage.

“We are aware of the impact of monoculture of previous plantings of street trees, and, to that end, most environmentalists recommend that we diversify choices when planting new trees in the neighborhood,” she said. “We ask that the developer consider planting varied species along the street. The Shade Tree Committee is willing to help with specific recommendations.”

Also included in the comments from Lewis-Chang was a request to add more native plants and shrubs. According to Orth, the developer was told they would have to present their plans to the Shade Tree Committee in the beginning stages of the project.

“We absolutely stipulate to that, and we look forward to presenting the plan to them,” Orth said. “We are happy and willing to consider incorporating more native plants and shrubs, in addition to the plantings that we have proposed.”

Greer Patras, South Orange zoning officer and a planner with Topology in Newark, said at the meeting that the commitment to work with the Shade Tree Committee and other local commissions is a good step toward completing the project.

“I think the agreements to work with the Design Review Board for the signs and the Shade Tree Committee for the trees bodes well for the success of this,” Patras said. “The fact that this meets the affordable housing plan that we have, (as well) as exceeds and provides one extra unit, is a good benefit, and the underground parking so we don’t have a parking lot in the back of all of the residents living around it is really huge.”

In his comments at the meeting, South Orange Planning Board Vice Chairperson Michael Lerman said the benefits of the project are too good not to approve it.

“This developer, it seems, at every turn has tried to do the right thing,” he said. “They certainly have spared very little expense in trying to make this a good project. I think it would be a benefit to the town. I’d like to see this project approved.”

The next step is for the South Orange Board of Trustees to consider and vote on the application.

  FEATURED, Irvington Avenue, Redevelopment, South Orange Planning Board