Bank OK'd on site of old Forney Clinic
Board: Historic nature could not be factored in decision
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

A rendering of the proposed Valley National Bank on North Main Street.

After more than six months of hearings, Valley National Bank has won approval to build on the site of the nearly 150-year-old Forney Clinic building.

The Milltown Zoning Board of Adjustment voted to approve the bank branch on the North Main Street site at its March 7 meeting.

"The board had a hard decision to make," said Councilman William Deinzer, liaison to the zoning board. "No one wants to see an old house go, but unfortunately these things happen. I'm standing behind them 100 percent."

Throughout the proceedings, numerous residents spoke out against the proposal to raze the building so that a bank branch could be built. Though much of the opposition was because of the Forney Clinic's historic value, opponents also cited environmental and safety concerns as reasons why the application should be denied.

As conditions of the approval, Valley National will address some of those concerns. It has agreed to fix sidewalks on Main, Cottage and Clay streets so that children traveling to and from the nearby school on foot will be encouraged to circumvent the bank site.

Also, to control traffic in the area, the bank will contribute to a new signal at the intersection of John and Main streets, as well as to the re-timing of another nearby traffic signal. The bank's fair share contribution will consist of 3.3 percent of the total $500,000 for the project.

"The safety of the traffic light being put in there will be an asset for the town," Valley National Bank attorney Fredric Azrak said.

Valley National has also agreed to work with the borough Shade Tree Commission to preserve and replant as many trees as possible, and conserve what open space they can on the site.

Construction is slated for the summer months in order to minimize the number of schoolchildren present around the site while the work is being performed. The site will be closely monitored and secured during both demolition and construction, Azrak said.

Azrak pointed out that the bank made numerous changes to its plan based on recommendations from the board and residents throughout the process.

"Valley National went to the extreme," Azrak said. "I represent a lot of developers, and Valley National is very concerned with the community and always has been. Milltown wanted a certain look. We literally spent thousands of dollars changing our plans."

With the approval, the board granted several use variances for the site, the main one being the allowance of a drive-through for the branch. In their testimony, Valley National representatives said all banks now come equipped with drive-up windows. Although a town ordinance prohibits such uses, the board came to the conclusion that it would not be a detriment to the community.

Valley National was also permitted to reduce the number of parking spaces on the site, from the 38 required by ordinance to 19. Part of their argument for this was that the drive-through feature would require less parking, and that the fewer spaces would allow for more trees and land to be preserved.

"They're going to under-build the lot compared to another usage," Zoning Board Chairman Richard Ryan said.

Azrak said the site's use as a bank would be better for the community than other possible uses, because any retail operation is permitted there. A convenience store, for example, would be more detrimental, especially for the nearby schoolchildren, Azrak said.

Though a number of residents were unhappy with the board's decision to allow for the demolition of what they view as a historic landmark, it was not within the jurisdiction of the board to consider any historic issues relating to the structure or site.

"Obviously, that's beyond our scope," Ryan said. "The only thing that was before our board was the fact that they needed a use variance to put a drive-through there."

Moving forward, Valley National must gain approvals from the state Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), as well as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Since the bank is a federal entity, it is required to meet with OCC regulations.

In September, the SHPO deemed the Forney Clinic eligible for the state and national registers of historic places after Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership Chairman Michael Shakarjian submitted information about the site on behalf of citizens' groups. While the eligibility status helped to stall the process by making the bank adhere to certain guidelines going forth, it may not do much to protect the structure itself from demolition.

Azrak said that more than likely, Valley National will only be required to preserve artifacts and other elements from within the building, and not the building itself. Bank representatives said they will dedicate an area of the lobby to displaying photographs and other items from the longtime medical clinic.

"It really doesn't have any historic nature," Azrak said. "Whether we buy it or don't buy it, Dr. [Bhudev] Sharma is taking down the house. Valley National is not taking it down."

Sharma, the owner of the house, who practices medicine there, confirmed Azrak's assertion. Years ago, Sharma said, he applied for restoration of the building, but it was not possible because he would have been required to use the original materials, which were not available.

"I had one choice, to knock the whole thing down and rebuild," Sharma said. "The house is in such bad shape that it cannot be restored. I don't see any historic value. If you're going to say it's historic because people were born in this house, then every doctor's office in the country would be historic."

Some residents, however, continue to disagree. Shakarjian said he was surprised by the board's unanimous decision, and he is hoping the SHPO will put a stop to the project. Along with other concerned citizens, he will be contacting the SHPO to push for the clinic's preservation.

"It's a good group of people with a wealth of knowledge about history in the town," Shakarjian said.

Deinzer, a lifelong resident of Milltown, said it is unfortunate that the clinic cannot be preserved, but no one has stepped up to buy it except for Valley National. The asking price of the house is about $1 million, he said, and the cost of refurbishment would total at least an additional million.

"It's always a shame to lose any historic building," Mayor Gloria Bradford said. "We don't always like the law, but we have to follow it."

One councilman, however, questioned the board's adherence to protocols during the proceedings.

"I feel, clearly there were some procedural errors that went on during the process," Councilman John Collins, a vocal opponent of the bank proposal, said. "I felt the Zoning Board attorney erred with denying residents the ability to cross-examine the witnesses."

Though Collins, like many others, said he did not want to see the clinic go, he acknowledged that the town does not have the money to purchase the building. He said it is a positive that, going forward, the borough's recently formed Historic Preservation Advisory Committee will help to ensure that people maintain historic homes on Main Street.

"It's sad to see the building coming down. It really is," said Carol Jegou, an opponent of the project. "I'm hoping that the historic advisory committee is going to help out in the future."

Despite feelings of regret over the loss of a landmark, Bradford spoke optimistically of the new development.

"I'm sure the Valley National Bank will be a good neighbor," Bradford said.

According to Azrak, the bank will not only be a good neighbor, but also enhance the community.

"We're very excited to be a part of Milltown ... and all the things we said are going to come to fruition," Azrak said. "We're looking forward to adding some energy to some of the organizations in town."

Township Planner Raymond Liotta said banks are a good use in downtown business districts because of all they bring to the area.

"Milltown wanted something really special there, and I think we were able to do that," Azrak said.