Builder brings green ethos to retail plans
Monroe board OKs 60,000-sq.-foot plaza on Applegarth Road
BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer
T odd Ochsner is not the type of developer to pave paradise and put up a parking lot.

A rendering shows the proposed layout of the Village at Millstone River, as presented to the Monroe Township Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The Village at Millstone River, a project of Ochsner's that received preliminary approval from the Monroe Township Zoning Board of Adjustment July 29, is slated to be no exception.

"We definitely try and design projects that are obviously creating a win-win situation," Ochsner said. "When you design projects that raise the bar, you get tenants that raise the bar ... instead of a nail salon, you get a day spa. Instead of a pizzeria, you get a trattoria."

Located on an 11.5-acre tract along the west side of Applegarth Road and bordering the southern bank of the Millstone River, the project calls for a town center where residents can meet a number of their needs in one attractive setting, according to Ochsner, president of the Cranbury-based Verde Group.

The mixed-use development is set to include about 60,000 square feet of retail space, a bank with drive-through windows, a restaurant and offices including medical facilities.

Close to half the site, or 5.7 acres, will be a permanent conservation area, consisting of a butterfly park, walking trail and wildflower park. According to township Environmental Protection Manager John Riggs, Ochsner has made it standard procedure to leave about 50 percent of the land untouched in his developments.

"Basically, what he does is he looks at the property and designs the project around the property instead of designing the project first," Riggs said.

The walking path along the river coincides with one of the township's planned destinations on its network of walking trails, providing an added boon, Riggs said.

Ochsner's environmentally friendly plans preserve a mature stand of trees on the property, and do not infringe upon wetlands there. Landscaping features including greenery and wet ponds will be added to enhance the natural beauty of the site.

The five buildings will be a variety of one, two and three stories each, allowing for views of the natural landscape along the river, which includes a wooded area. Restaurant patrons can look out over the park setting from windows and outdoor decks, Riggs said. All buildings will be connected by pedestrian paths, creating an environment that encourages visitors to navigate it by foot instead of driving from one area to the next, Ochsner said.

"It's a first-class presentation, all the way," Riggs said. "[Other] developers come in and see what they can get away with, not what they can accomplish."

In order to leave more natural features of the land undisturbed, the plans also call for an underground drainage system, which is more expensive than typical ground-level basins, Riggs said.

According to Ochsner, though his projects cost more to build, their higher quality makes them worth it in the long run.

"You do get the rewards out over time," Ochsner said. "It pays dividends in the end."

The builder's words have proven true in the case of residential developments that Verde has constructed. In 2003, Ochsner received approval from Monroe to build both the Millstone River Preserve and Windhaven Estates, where Ochsner resides.

Conceptualized as "farmettes, or mini farms," the Millstone River Preserve consists of 120 acres off Mount Road, subdivided into 16 lots that average more than 6 acres each, qualifying them as farmland and thereby giving owners a tax break. Ochsner farms on some of the land there. The homes, averaging 6,200 square feet, have sold at an average price of $1.4 million each.

Windhaven Estates is an 18-lot subdivision built around a working horse farm. Ochsner footed the bill for keeping the farmland there preserved, and on it he breeds horses as a hobby.

The homes there average 5,800 square feet, and have sold for about $1 million each.

Other projects under construction by the Verde Group in the township include Elm Ridge Preserve, a seven-lot housing development on 28 acres, and an office complex.

Ochsner, who was on the "green" bandwagon before it became a trend, said his upbringing on a horse farm has made him a lover of nature.

"I try to work around what is already there, either to make it better, or exemplify what is there," Ochsner said.

Buildings at the Village at Millstone River will be constructed in order to blend with the natural environment, according to Ochsner, who uses a large amount of stone and natural woods in his projects.

He predicted that more builders will get onboard with ecologically conscious developments in the near future, whether due to incentive programs or for a variety of other reasons.

Ochsner must still obtain final approval from the Zoning Board before he can build. He said he expects to be back before the board in October or November to request that approval. The project has the endorsement of the township's Environmental Commission, and there has been no public opposition voiced regarding it, according to Zoning Board officials.

"Monroe has really grown out in the last few years," Ochsner said. "We really haven't had any expansion, or any new retail or commercial facilities. When you have all these new residences and all of these different retirement communities, they need a place to go. Obviously, there's a tremendous need for this."