Wetlands issue forces apartment project into 2nd zoning review round
GLASSBORO — A proposed apartment project is cycling through the local zoning review process, for a second time, after snagging in New Jersey wetlands development regulations.
PVA Investments LLC, a company out of Chesterfield Township, was back before the borough Zoning Board earlier this month hoping to get approval for plan revisions to satisfy state regulators. The company was only partially successful.
Board members approved amended use variances. But members would not reapprove the site plan, deciding another public hearing is needed.
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PVA wants to add two apartment buildings on a 5.17-acre property in a commercially zoned area at 149-151 South Delsea Drive. That zone does not permit housing, but there is an existing four-apartment unit building on it and the general area has a mix of uses.
In December 2021, the Zoning Board granted two use variances and several other departures from borough code. That approval came with a condition that a site plan be submitted later that the board could accept.
Apartment project shrinks, slightly
A site plan finally was reviewed by the board and approved this January. However, the state Department of Environmental Protection still needed to confirm boundaries for the wetlands.
At the board meeting March 16, PVA representatives testified they were back because the state wetlands delineation they got differed enough from their own to force revisions. They characterized the plan changes as relatively minor.
Essentially, PVA had wanted to construct two buildings, each with 20 apartments, for a total of 40 new units. As revised, there would be 38 new apartments overall, with 18 units in one building and 20 in the second.
“Consequently, we’re able to move the parking area forward, create a greater open space for recreation use and buffer to the stormwater basin at the rear of the site,” project planner Larry DiVietro told the board. “And that is the extent of the modifications.”
DeVietro said the owner already has renovated the existing apartment building.
Boro board cautious on quick reapproval
DeVietro and attorney Robert DeSanto pressed for site plan approval. They said the changes are inconsequential from a planning perspective, but the argument did not sway board members.
Board Solicitor John Alice told DeSanto the request for immediate site plan approval put the board in an “awkward spot.” The board needs to be seen complying with public hearing advertisement requirements, he said.
“And I would think that, really, it’s two sides of the same coin,” Alice said. “Because if we’re concerned about it, then you should be concerned about it. Because you’re the guy who’s spending the money and building the thing. I’m just putting it out there.”
After a brief recess, DeSanto said the owner had agreed to a separate hearing for the revised site plan but did not indicate a date.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Apartment builder cuts units from South Delsea project, wetlands issue
