New building approved at Ridge Manor Apartments in Park Ridge

Wednesday, February 15, 2012    Last updated: Thursday February 16, 2012, 1:59 AM

BY KATHRYN A. BURGER

The Park Ridge Planning Board has approved the construction of a fifth apartment building at the Ridge Manor Apartments located at 71-91 Hawthorne Ave. The approved plan complies with all borough codes, with one exception. A variance was needed to allow the front of the new building to be 23.3 feet from the front of an existing building; the zoning ordinance calls for a minimum of 60 feet.

STAFF PHOTO BY KATHRYN A. BURGER

The Park Ridge Planning Board recently approved the construction of a fifth building at the Ridge Manor Apartments, 71-91 Hawthorne Ave. The four existing buildings, portions of which are pictured here, face west. The new building will be located partially in this open lawn area and will face the existing buildings.

There are currently four, two-story buildings on the site, with a total of 44 apartments. The buildings all face west. The new building, which will have 12 units and be similar in style and appearance to the existing buildings, will face east and be situated adjacent to the existing parking area, located along the westernmost border of the property. According to the minutes of the Nov. 16, 2011 Planning Board, William Hamilton, a New Jersey-licensed planner, speaking on behalf of the applicant, stated "that there would be no negative impact whatsoever resulting from the proposal, since the changes were made to the interior of the site and would not be visible from surrounding properties." The existing buildings are staggered on the property that, the board noted, is nearly twice the size required by code.

There will also be an affordable housing unit created in an existing building.

The plan includes drainage improvements that will reduce the amount of runoff from the site; new fire hydrants; additional handicapped parking spaces, additional sidewalk ramps and other enhancements.

According to Lyn Beer, the borough's land use administrator, the borough recently received the developer's agreement for the project. Once that is executed, the Mayor and Council need to approve it, which she said, was "pro forma" since it will have already been approved by the Planning Board. Beer said the paperwork won't be completed until sometime in March and that there is no timetable as yet for the construction phase of the project.

Email: burger@northjersey.com

Continued here:
New building approved at Ridge Manor Apartments in Park Ridge