Single-family housing approved on Dutch Rd.

Hidden Pond Estates to begin construction on 8 houses this summer

BY VINCENT TODARO

Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — A development of eight single-family homes has been approved for a wooded section of Dutch Road.

The Planning Board granted the approval to S. Wonderer Enterprises Inc. at the board’s Feb. 4 meeting. The approval paves the way for Hidden Ponds Estates to be built on the east side of Dutch Road, about 2,000 feet south of Fresh Ponds Road. The homes will start at about $650,000, according to data provided to the township from project engineer Maser Consulting, Matawan.

The development will make use of the township’s open land cluster option, so 65 percent of the roughly 29-acre property will be set aside for open space, according to a Jan. 9 report from the township’s Planning and Engineering Department. The 29 acres are essentially vacant now, and no variances were required for the application, which received both preliminary and final major subdivision approval from the board.

As part of the development, the East Brunswick-based developer will install curbs, sidewalks and street-side trees on Dutch Road, according to the Jan. 9 report.

According to the application, a septic system is needed for the development, which will be located in the township’s rural preservation (RP) zone.

The lots for the homes and an open space lot will be deed-restricted to prohibit future subdividing.

The anticipated start date for construction is this summer, assuming all necessary permits are issued.

The property, which is near the intersection of Dutch and Fresh Ponds roads, is undeveloped and wooded. The land is adjacent to single-family homes.

"The additional traffic generated by the property development can be serviced by the adjacent roadway system without resulting in any additional unfavorable conditions," Maser Consulting wrote in a letter to East Brunswick.

The center of the property has a pond running through it, and there are several old equipment trailers and campers on the land, according to the Planning and Engineering Department’s report.

The developer will maintain about 19 acres of the property as open space, the report said.

Each home is slated to be about 2,400 square feet in area, with two-car side-entry garages. Each home will have either four or five bedrooms.

A Phase I environmental study noted how parts of the property were used for agricultural purposes, which raised concerns about possible pesticides and herbicide use. The report said soil sampling for prior pollutants such as pesticides, arsenic and lead came back satisfactory.