Major Development Proposed For Larison's In Chester Boro
CHESTER BOROUGH, NJ — The Chester Borough council is considering a development plan for Larison's Turkey Farm that would create dozens of new homes, thousands of square feet of retail, office and medical space, and a new restaurant, Mayor Janet Hoven said in a statement.
Under the plan submitted by the owners of the farm, 20 townhouses and 36 affordable housing units would be built on the property, a significant decrease from the owner's original 144-unit proposal. The affordable units would be paid for by the developer, and would satisfy the Borough's obligation to create affordable housing.
The land owner would also manage the affordable housing at no cost to the borough, Hoven said. If approved, an ad-hoc committee would be created to help the developer with the site and design process.
Allowing the developer to build these units would ensure that the borough would not have to bond for the building of affordable units in the future, Hoven said. The current plan also ensures the units will be built without the influx of market-rate units that usually accompany affordable units. Typically, builders will designate 15-20 percent of the units in a development as affordable; this plan will see more affordable units than market rate units build.
Also included in the new proposal is a 6,500 square foot restaurant where the old Larison's Turkey Farm Restaurant used to be, with seating for 225. The owners are also looking to build a 14,600 square foot CVS with a drive-thru, a 5,000 square foot office building, and a 20,000 square foot medical building.
The Council will discuss the plan at the Sept. 18 meeting, held at Borough Hall at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend to voice their thoughts; comments are also welcome via email at development@chesterborough.org. Any comments submitted via email, personal contact or social media will not be responded to before the Sept. 18 meeting, Hoven said.
The owners of the land, set at the intersection of Rt. 206 and Main Street, have been trying to redevelop the property since 2002. The land grew larger in 2008 with the purchase of adjoining land on Mill Ridge Lane, where the owners attempted to build single-family homes.
The first plan for affordable housing would have been a 144-unit apartment complex with 28 affordable units. That plan was rejected and two and a half years later, the current plan was proposed to the borough.
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