Wayne zoning board rejects 'massive' storage center for Hamburg Turnpike. Here's why
WAYNE — The zoning board has rejected a proposal to build a self-storage facility on Hamburg Turnpike after its members expressed reservations about the size of the building.
The proposal for the five-story facility by Florida-based Basis Industrial was denied by a 5-2 majority of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which heard testimony from a handful of experts at a public hearing on Monday.
The developer needed a use variance because such facilities are not allowed in the township’s zone for office buildings.
Board member Hilary Caruso said the proposed structure at 555 Hamburg Turnpike was too “massive” for the 3.5-acre site, now occupied by a single-family home of 1,136 square feet.
“I think it’s an eyesore,” Caruso said in making a motion to reject the plan. “I think the height is a problem.”
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The plan was met by mild opposition, as just two or three people showed real displeasure with it.
Joan Sarra, for one, said the facility “does not belong” in the proposed location.
“I have pride in this town,” said Sarra, who lives at Four Seasons at Wayne, a condominium complex. “I wish someone would get on my bandwagon and have the same pride. We’re building too big of buildings on small properties.”
Developer made changes after prior hearing
Amee Farrell, an attorney for Basis Industrial, told the board that her client had worked hard to fine-tune its plan since similar objections were made at a public hearing on July 17.
Those revisions resulted in a smaller building.
Christopher Michalek, an architect representing the developer, said the structure was reduced from 102,000 square feet to 97,000 square feet. Although it was technically five stories tall, it would have appeared to be four stories tall from the road because its cellar would not have been visible.
Michalek said he went a step further to break up the mass of the structure by setting back the top floor.
'It's a very tough site'
Buildable space on the irregularly shaped property is constrained by steep slopes and an unnamed tributary of Preakness Brook, which flows through the site. The design was also hampered by feedback from Passaic County officials, who said in their review of the plan that they intend to take up to 12 feet of frontage along the road for future improvements.
That caused Michalek to have to shrink the footprint of the structure and to make it taller.
“We’re doing the best we can,” said Anthony Scavo, the chief operating officer of Basis Industrial. “I think it’s a very tough site.”
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne NJ rejects self-storage facility proposal on Hamburg Turnpike
