Public information meeting brings residents up to date, but reopens old wounds
Nearly five years after plans for the Township 5 lifestyle center project were first announced, developers held a public meeting last week to update neighbors on the progress. The Sept. 29 meeting was a presentation by Kevin Eldred, head of investment and finance with Township 5 developer Cameron Group LLC, to bring neighbors up to date on the plans for the 96-apartment residential section of the lifestyle center. Architect Eugenia Brieva showed residents renderings of the multi-family apartment buildings QPK Design had created for the project. Brieva explained the design techniques used to make the buildings appear minimized and blend with the existing architecture of the neighborhood. She noted that, in addition to the required 50 feet of space between the existing homes and new construction, 10 to 25 feet of buffer space were added into the design, creating more physical distance between the new apartments and homes on Bennett Road. But the neighbors present at the meeting felt that the extra space was simply not enough.
Linda Paterniti, of 144 Bennett Road, complimented the exterior of the buildings but questioned the height of the three-story buildings. “Our houses are down… even the second floor will be looking right down on us,” Paterniti said. Brieva also pointed out the row of evergreen and deciduous trees that would be planted to act as a buffer between the Bennett Road properties and the apartments. “I’m sure that’s not going to be acceptable,” said Paterniti of the buffer. Another neighbor, Betty Gasparek, had her say.
“The buffer is not going to do it,” she said. “We don’t want to be a part of Township 5. I want something so I don’t have to look over there, quite frankly.” The sequence of development was also called into question by Jean Thomas of Bennett Road.
Eldred agreed that the first construction of Township 5 was planned to be hotels and retail space, but the economy changed that. When funding dried up for retail projects, the developers took advantage of the extra time to render drawings for the residential complexes and present it to the public, he said. But the basic plans for the 96 apartments had already been approved by the planning board, so while the public’s input was appreciated and would be considered, this was not an approval process, the neighbors were reminded. “So, it might be totally different?” one resident asked.
Without saying yes, the neighbor was reminded that a public hearing was not required for the final plans since the project had already been approved.