Grocery, two apartments sought for Main St. site Former building razed after furnace explosion earlier this year BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer MILLTOWN - Ten months after an explosion destroyed his business, Amgad Azir has presented the borough his plans to rebuild. Azir recently proposed the redevelopment of his property at 63 S. Main St. to the borough's Zoning Board of Adjustment, whose members raised concerns about larger apartments on the upstairs floor, the building being set back too far from the street, and parking. The board will hear from the public before a possible vote on the plans at a meeting scheduled for Jan. 3. The Jan. 8 explosion destroyed the former building, which housed Cleopatra Meats and Groceries, after a water valve failed, leading to the build-up of pressure inside the cast-iron furnace. No one was in the building at the time of the explosion, and nobody was injured, but tenants of the upstairs apartments lost everything that was inside. The 112-year-old building was razed after being deemed unsafe for entry. The building has housed a butcher shop since the late 1800s, according to local shop owner and historian David B. Schwendeman. It is Azir's intention to keep it that way. Azir testified before the board Nov. 1, saying that he and his wife, Magda, purchased the store in 1991. "For 15 years, we took care of the building," Azir said. Azir told the Sentinel that the building will likely be between 5,000 and 6,000 square feet of the 12,620-square-foot site. He requested that the board allow them to use the property for the same grocery store that was there before the disaster, along with an additional commercial use on the bottom floor. The board noted that the new plan would require several variances to be approved, including one for the two upstairs residential units, which would be larger than they were in the original structure. Azir said that the borough allows for the property to be 33 percent residential, but he is proposing it be 50 percent residential and 50 percent commercial. "In order [for us] to go with the new plan, we have to spend a lot of money to rebuild," Azir said. "We have to have a little extra income in order to cover the construction and planning board costs." Architect George Toma prepared the plans, and said the most significant difference with the new plan is that the building will no longer be on the front of the property line along Main Street. The former building had a front-yard setback deficiency, Toma said, adding that the narrow bottleneck driveway that led to the parking lot of the old property, which he described as a safety hazard, is not in the current plan. The new plan calls for a 24-foot driveway with a full width for the entire length, Toma said. Grass in the front would help beautify the property, and shrubs will be planted in the back, Toma added. Because the building would be 30 to 40 feet away from the road, it would no longer be adjacent to the neighbors, which was a distance of only 3.6 feet. "The current plan is preferable," Toma said. "We took care of the safety issue with sight obstruction, we took care of the handicap accessibility. ... This building is back, away from neighbors." Concrete curbing is proposed around the grass areas in the parking lot, Toma said, along with wooden fencing. He added that landscaping improvements include moving shrubs to the front of the property and planting evergreen trees in the buffer and a few more in the back as well. Two lighting poles are proposed, Toma said, adding that they are standard lighting fixtures with no more brightness than on any other house. A 4-by-8-foot free-standing sign would be at the front of the property in order to attract patrons to the business, Toma said. An old-style wooden sign would also hang from the front of the building, Toma said, adding that there are similar existing wooden signs on properties around town. "We are putting a new building there," Toma said, "which would improve the area and add value to [neighboring] homes. It would be the first new building on Main Street in many years." Toma said he tried to match the design of the building to neighboring properties, particularly with the exterior. "I went to great lengths in order to give you the old-fashioned style." Borough Planner Ray Liotta noted that a variance is needed for the percentage of residential space, because it is going over the borough's permitted limit and the application expands a pre-existing, nonconforming use. Liotta said a rear property line variance would be required as well. The hours of operation for the store will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Azir said. Board member Ruth Lupo asked that Azir's professionals improve the aesthetics of the proposed building, adding that she thinks it should be close to the sidewalk like other nearby properties. "It does not blend with the rest of Main Street," Lupo said. "The pictures of [neighboring] homes have a little bit more of a gingerbread look. That is what we need." Toma said that the design options are limited by the width of the lot, adding that he does not think that the building would look more appealing at the front of the property due to the way the property is shaped. Board Vice Chairman Michael Olesinski, who was acting chairman in Richard Ryan's absence, said the developer is providing only enough parking spaces for the uses being requested. "We do not know what is going to be there," Olesinski said. "You are asking for more apartment space, which [attracts] more cars." The borough wants to see Azir rebuild his business and recover his loss, Olesinski said, but he wants to see more details in the blueprints to address issues with the site plan before he renders a decision. Resident Bob Jandernal addressed the board, saying that he lives in an adjoining property to the proposed grocery store. He asked Azir's professionals to consider the impact that the project would have on his property. He added that he is concerned about parking on the site, which will include 13 parking spots, one of which would be for loading. "I am also concerned about traffic," Jandernal said. The zoning board will hear more public opinion at a meeting scheduled for 8 p.m. Jan. 3.