12-home development proposed in Spotswood
Board has drainage concerns about area near Old Stage Road
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

SPOTSWOOD - The Planning Board is expected to soon vote on final approval for 12 new single-family homes off Old Stage Road.

The applicant, Edison-based Zigga Homes, which is owned by developer Zigga Roshanski, wants to build the development, called Old Stage Estates, in the borough's R-10 residential zone. The currently wooded 5-acre site is bordered by Old Stage Road and the East Brunswick border to the north, West End Avenue to the west, and New Brunswick Avenue to the east.

According to the latest plans, six homes would be built on each side of a new road to be called Henry Street. There is one pre-existing dwelling that is on the development property and would remain in place.

The application - a rare major housing subdivision in the largely built-out borough - was scheduled to be heard Tuesday, but due to some unresolved engineering issues it is now expected to go before the board on Feb. 13.

Mayor Barry Zagnit, who sits on the Planning Board, said the board has raised issues about drainage and flooding in part because the property receives water from Old Stage Road and land that is on East Brunswick's side of that road. He said the board wants to ensure that the new development includes an adequate drainage system. With the additional homes, asphalt and sidewalks, there would be less area to absorb stormwater.

Zagnit said a number of residents in the area have raised concerns about drainage at previous hearings on Old Stage Estates.

The plans have been whittled down from an initial proposal for 15 new homes, which would have included three homes backing up to Henry Street and facing Old Stage Road. The Planning Board did not support the earlier concept.

According to the plans, the lot sizes for the homes would vary from about 10,000 square feet to 17,000 square feet, and each dwelling would have up to four bedrooms.

The development will require at least two variances from the board, because two of the properties have insufficient lot depth based on Spotswood's zoning regulations.

There are also a number of pre-existing nonconformities in the plan, including the sizes of front- and side-yard setbacks.

The proposal would include plenty of parking for the future residents, as Spotswood ordinances require space for 33 vehicles, but room for 46 cars is provided in the plans.

The plans call for pavement and curb removal and replacement along part of Old Stage Road. There is also a 10-foot right of way to be widened and dedicated to the borough, handicap ramps to be built at each corner of New Brunswick Avenue and Henry Street, and some curb and sidewalk improvements along the fronts of properties.

Some of the properties being purchased by the developer belong to the family of Spotswood Municipal Clerk Patricia DeStefano.

Zigga Homes is also proposing to fill some freshwater wetlands located on the site by obtaining general permits in accordance with state regulations.