Green Ave. parking lot application put on hold By Patrick Farrell
Brielle — Plans to construct a parking lot on Green Avenue, here, have been halted without explanation, and while some residents are pleased, others are cautiously wary of what’s to come next.
In late August, an addendum for a zoning variance, filed on behalf of 608 Green Avenue, LLC, and Hoffman’s Marina West, LLC, sought to construct 23,237-square-foot parking area on a lot of the same size located at 623 Green Ave.
Filed on behalf of Larry Grafas, the application sought approval “for the creation of a parking lot limited to slip holders in Hoffman’s Marina West and Union Landing Marina,” both of which are properties currently owned by Mr. Grafas.
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The application was filed in response to a denied zoning permit application, dated June 16, that denied the construction of commercial parking facilities in a R-4 Single Family Residential Zone, on the basis that such a project would require a use variance.
Upon hearing of the plans for the parking lot, resident Jay Madison, of Green Avenue, began an initiative to protest the project, named “Stop the Lot,” which aimed to unite area residents to protest the parking lot.
The hearing for the lot was originally scheduled for Oct. 15, but as of last week, attorney C. Keith Henderson, on behalf of Mr. Grafas, requested the hearing be postponed.
“I respectfully request that the hearing scheduled for October 14, 2014 regarding [623 Green Ave.] be postponed until further notice,” the document supplied to the borough’s planning board read. “We do not wish to reschedule the application for hearing at this time.”
No further information has been provided by Mr. Grafas or his attorney as to why the application was pulled. Mr. Grafas has remained out of the public eye throughout the entirety of the process, and has not responded to requests for comment.
Additionally, Mr. Henderson did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Those in opposition to the lot, therefore, have no way of knowing if the plans have been cancelled, or if Mr. Grafas eventually plans to reschedule the hearing for a later date.
Borough planning board secretary Karen Brisben said that she believed the application would need to be rescheduled in a “timely manner,” and that if it was not, it would most likely need to be re-filed, though she could not provide a specific timeframe.
Borough planning board attorney Chris Ackerman did not respond to inquires by press time.
As such, the news has garnered mixed reactions from residents. While some are pleased, others say it raises more questions.
Angie Carden, of Green Avenue, was “immensely” grateful to hear that the hearing was cancelled.
“I’m so grateful that the application for a commercial lot on a resident site is withdrawn,” she said. “The surrounding community will greatly benefit.”
While the application was postponed, it was not entirely withdrawn, which has led other residents, such as Lynn Schambach, of Harris Avenue, to draw separate conclusions.
Ms. Schambach was optimistic, but still wary that the parking lot plans would reemerge in the future.
“I think [Mr. Grafas] is trying to be a good neighbor, and he’s aware of the local opposition,” Ms. Schambach said, “Hopefully he is paying attention to the residents’ concerns regarding their property values, and also the unsafe nature of the roads in that area.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it came back, unfortunately,” she said. “It’s nice to get things resolved, and to know if you have a real direction to go, as opposed to being in limbo.”
That feeling of limbo, according to Mr. Madison — the founder of Stop the Lot — has left him displeased with the decision to postpone the hearing.
“I’m disappointed that he pushed it back,” Mr. Madison said. “I wanted to find out everything about it, and we still haven’t gotten notification.”
“Now I have to wait another month, or another month and a half, to get things started,” he said, noting that being within 200 feet of the property, he is obligated to receive notice of plans for the property, but the hearing’s postponement has delayed any such notices.
Letter to the Editor
As the closest neighbor to 623 Green Ave., Brielle, I was astonished to read in the Sept. 11 issue of The Coast Star, that the reason for the variance allowing the replacement of a beautiful old home with a gravel parking lot, was that it “will advance the general welfare because the proposed use is particularly fitted to the particular location for which the variance is sought.”
Really? The sight has held a lovely lot and a stately large home for close to 100 years. Homestead Road is filled with residential housing and with families whose children need safe residential streets to play in and parents who need less traffic congestion, not more, in order to safely access and egress their homes.
Those homes will probably lose thousands of dollars worth of value if a lot zoned residence is altered to provide parking for the convenience of Brielle enterprises owned by one individual, valued at multiple millions of dollars. I was told by a realtor that my home in Brielle, 304 Union Lane, would likely decrease in value by $150-200,000 if a parking lot were built to replace the lovely grounds and home now there. Presumably, the other homes in direct proximity to the proposed parking lot would all suffer the consequence of substantially decreased value. Since the taxes that sLot stopped Photos1 2 Though the house standing at 623 Green Ave. in Brielle was bulldozed last week, those who wish to put a parking lot on the site have requested their zoning application not be rescheduled. Photo courtesy LYNN SCHAMBACH
“All the details on what [Mr. Grafas] wants to do, or what he wants to say, we haven’t gotten yet,” Mr. Madison said. “We’re not getting the exact information as to what he wants to do, and I’m really looking to find out everything.”
Mr. Madison said he is hoping that a request for another hearing will not emerge in the winter months, when some of those in opposition may be out of town for the season.
“I guess I’m hoping he’s not trying to slip something through,” he said. “A lot of locals around here go down to Florida, so I hope he’s not waiting until then to slip something through.”
The house that stood at 623 Green Ave. was bulldozed last week, which Mr. Madison said neighbors were upset to see.
For now, he said, the Stop the Lot campaign strategy is to continue spreading awareness, and he made it clear that he has no plans to stop.
“We’re getting letters, we’re getting emails, people are writing letters to the editor, which is great, and everyone seems to be interested in stopping this, which is good to see,” he said. “We’re not going away.”
upport Brielle are based on property value, it would seem likely that the town would not gain, and may indeed lose, needed income. The fundament of any zoning change needs to be that it benefits the “general welfare.” This change of use from residential to commercial, would be of great detriment to the public good.
Increasing traffic congestion in the area of Union Lane, Union Landing, Green Avenue and Homestead Avenue, an area filled with bars, restaurants, condos and marinas, also negates the town plan, which calls for higher population density in the area. The proposed change, if adopted, would significantly undermine the character of this residential area. This proposal is a real threat to the prosperity of the surrounding homeowners, due to the loss of property value, and the decrease in each homeowner’s right to peaceful enjoyment and safety, due to the increased noise and hazards incumbent on a 49 person parking lot spilling traffic onto multiple avenues. [Please see Mrs. Schambach’s letter printed in The CoLot stopped Photos1 2 Though the house standing at 623 Green Ave. in Brielle was bulldozed last week, those who wish to put a parking lot on the site have requested their zoning application not be rescheduled. Photo courtesy LYNN SCHAMBACH
Green Ave. parking lot application put on holdBy Patrick Farrell
BELMAR — Plans to construct a parking lot on Green Avenue, here, have been halted without explanation, and while some residents are pleased, others are cautiously wary of what’s to come next.
In late August, an addendum for a zoning variance, filed on behalf of 608 Green Avenue, LLC, and Hoffman’s Marina West, LLC, sought to construct 23,237-square-foot parking area on a lot of the same size located at 623 Green Ave.
Filed on behalf of Larry Grafas, the application sought approval “for the creation of a parking lot limited to slip holders in Hoffman’s Marina West and Union Landing Marina,” both of which are properties currently owned by Mr. Grafas.
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The application was filed in response to a denied zoning permit application, dated June 16, that denied the construction of commercial parking facilities in a R-4 Single Family Residential Zone, on the basis that such a project would require a use variance.
Upon hearing of the plans for the parking lot, resident Jay Madison, of Green Avenue, began an initiative to protest the project, named “Stop the Lot,” which aimed to unite area residents to protest the parking lot.
The hearing for the lot was originally scheduled for Oct. 15, but as of last week, attorney C. Keith Henderson, on behalf of Mr. Grafas, requested the hearing be postponed.
“I respectfully request that the hearing scheduled for October 14, 2014 regarding [623 Green Ave.] be postponed until further notice,” the document supplied to the borough’s planning board read. “We do not wish to reschedule the application for hearing at this time.”
No further information has been provided by Mr. Grafas or his attorney as to why the application was pulled. Mr. Grafas has remained out of the public eye throughout the entirety of the process, and has not responded to requests for comment.
Additionally, Mr. Henderson did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Those in opposition to the lot, therefore, have no way of knowing if the plans have been cancelled, or if Mr. Grafas eventually plans to reschedule the hearing for a later date.
Borough planning board secretary Karen Brisben said that she believed the application would need to be rescheduled in a “timely manner,” and that if it was not, it would most likely need to be re-filed, though she could not provide a specific timeframe.
Borough planning board attorney Chris Ackerman did not respond to inquires by press time.
As such, the news has garnered mixed reactions from residents. While some are pleased, others say it raises more questions.
Angie Carden, of Green Avenue, was “immensely” grateful to hear that the hearing was cancelled.
“I’m so grateful that the application for a commercial lot on a resident site is withdrawn,” she said. “The surrounding community will greatly benefit.”
While the application was postponed, it was not entirely withdrawn, which has led other residents, such as Lynn Schambach, of Harris Avenue, to draw separate conclusions.
Ms. Schambach was optimistic, but still wary that the parking lot plans would reemerge in the future.
“I think [Mr. Grafas] is trying to be a good neighbor, and he’s aware of the local opposition,” Ms. Schambach said, “Hopefully he is paying attention to the residents’ concerns regarding their property values, and also the unsafe nature of the roads in that area.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it came back, unfortunately,” she said. “It’s nice to get things resolved, and to know if you have a real direction to go, as opposed to being in limbo.”
That feeling of limbo, according to Mr. Madison — the founder of Stop the Lot — has left him displeased with the decision to postpone the hearing.
“I’m disappointed that he pushed it back,” Mr. Madison said. “I wanted to find out everything about it, and we still haven’t gotten notification.”
“Now I have to wait another month, or another month and a half, to get things started,” he said, noting that being within 200 feet of the property, he is obligated to receive notice of plans for the property, but the hearing’s postponement has delayed any such notices.
“All the details on what [Mr. Grafas] wants to do, or what he wants to say, we haven’t gotten yet,” Mr. Madison said. “We’re not getting the exact information as to what he wants to do, and I’m really looking to find out everything.”
Mr. Madison said he is hoping that a request for another hearing will not emerge in the winter months, when some of those in opposition may be out of town for the season.
“I guess I’m hoping he’s not trying to slip something through,” he said. “A lot of locals around here go down to Florida, so I hope he’s not waiting until then to slip something through.”
The house that stood at 623 Green Ave. was bulldozed last week, which Mr. Madison said neighbors were upset to see.
For now, he said, the Stop the Lot campaign strategy is to continue spreading awareness, and he made it clear that he has no plans to stop.
“We’re getting letters, we’re getting emails, people are writing letters to the editor, which is great, and everyone seems to be interested in stopping this, which is good to see,” he said. “We’re not going away.”
ast Star on Sept. 11 for an effectively outlined description of the dangerous traffic conditions endemic to this area.]
There is only one person who benefits and profits from this requested change of zoning. There is no “consistency” in this proposal except with the river side of Green Avenue. The residential zoning, where it exists, has protected homeowners in the area from the river from further incursion by commercial interests.
It is time to stand up and say “no” to the proposed violation of the intent of the residential zoning for 623 Green Ave. as well as the intent of the town plan to increase population density in that area. Please come to the meeting on Oct. 14 and let your voices be heard.
ANGIE G. CARDIN
Union Lane, Brielle
PLEASE KEEP SAFETY FIRST — PLEASE STOP THE LOTSubmitted by LYNN SCHAMBACH
The certified letters regarding a use variance to rezone the residential property at 623 Green Avenue into a commercial parking lot have been mailed. I believe that this property which is bordered by Union Lane and Homestead Road is an unsafe location for a commercial parking lot.
Summer traffic in this area swells to twice the number of cars than in the off season. The most recent Coast Star article regarding the Glimmer Glass Bridge noted that according to Freeholder Curley, “on average, the bridge sees 2,000 cars daily during the winter season and up to 6,000 cars during the summer season.” It is highly conceivable that a great number of those cars approach the bridge and/or travel back into Brielle by way of Green Avenue. Over the summer months, the volume of bicycle riders and pedestrians who are out and about also multiplies.
Ashley Avenue meets Union Lane just around the bend from 623 Green Avenue. Local residents are acutely aware of the confusing, congested and dangerous traffic conditions at this spot. I believe a bicycle rider even lost his life to a car collision at this junction in the recent past. Locals also know it is not unusual to witness disoriented drivers make a last ditch left hand turn from Union Lane onto Green Avenue when they realize the road they’re on dead ends at the river. Summer weekend traffic which leads to bottlenecking in the vicinity of these aforementioned streets is commonplace. This creates a hazard for many. Of equal concern is the proximity the lot is from the Jean H. Wetzel Memorial Playground, a mere 150 paces [wearing a women’s size 7 1⁄2 running shoe]. Excessive traffic in the summer, dangerous intersections, innumerably more summertime bike riders and pedestrians, the residential neighborhood and the nearby playground should be reasons enough for the Zoning Board to deny the application for a commercial parking lot.
Concerned Brielle residents should make their voices heard at the Brielle Planning/ Zoning Board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Please keep safety first — please stop the lot.
LYNN SCHAMBACH
Harris Avenue, Brielle
BRIELLE — A development application filed with the borough last week confirms that plans are in the works to level a Victorian house on 623 Green Ave. to construct a commercial parking lot.
Last week, signs were erected around town promoting a campaign named Stop the Lot — an effort to prevent the plans for a parking lot from moving forward.
An addendum for a zoning variance, filed on behalf of 608 Green Avenue, LLC, and Hoffman’s MarinaWest, LLC, looks to construct a 23,237-square-foot parking area and site improvements on the 23,237-square-foot lot.
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The application seeks a bifurcated approval to permit a commercial parking lot in a residential area, “for the creation of a parking lot limited to slip holders in Hoffman’s Marina West and Union Landing Maria.”
The reason for why the variance should be granted states, “the construction of the parking lot will advance the general welfare because the proposed use is peculiarly fitted to the particular location for which the variance is sought.”
The application for the zoning variance is signed by Larry Grafas, the owner of Hoffman’s Marina who recently purchased Union Landing restaurant.
The application is in response to a denied zoning permit application, dated June 16, that shot down the construction of commercial parking facilities in a R-4 Single Family Residential Zone, on the basis that such a project would first require a use variance.
Last week, Jay Madison, a part-time Brielle resident who began the Stop the Lot initiative, said he is worried that the parking lot will detract from the character of the neighborhood.
He said that he has spoken with a lawyer, and plans to garner signatures opposing the project this weekend during Brielle Day.
“We didn’t want to upset Brielle Day, so we’re going to be outside trying to get signatures,” Mr. Madison said, noting that there is already an excavation crew on site at 623 Green Ave.
Mr. Madison said he has received “a lot of good reactions” from the community, and that thus far, his website has reached over 5,000 views.
Mr. Grafas declined to comment.
The borough’s planning board will review the application for the use variance on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
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