MINUTES
OF THE
CRANBURY TOWNSHIP
PLANNING BOARD
CRANBURY, NEW JERSEY
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
TIME AND PLACE OF MEETING
The regular meeting of the Cranbury Township Planning Board was held at the Cranbury Town Hall Municipal Building, Old School Building, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, New Jersey, Middlesex County, on November 30, 2006 at 8:30 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER
Thomas Harvey, Chairperson, of the Cranbury Township Planning Board, called the meeting to order and acted as the Chairman thereof.
STATEMENT OF ADEQUATE NOTICE
Pursuant with the Sunshine Law adequate notice according to the open public meeting act was provided of this meeting’s date, time, place and agenda was mailed to the news media, posted on the Township bulletin board, mailed to those requesting personal notice, and filed with the municipal clerk.
PROFESSIONALS PRESENT
Josette C. Kratz, Secretary; Cathleen Marcelli, Township Engineer, Joseph Stonaker, Esquire, Planning Board Attorney; Richard Preiss, Township Planner
MEMBERS PRESENT
Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Mr. Stout, Ms. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
APPLICATIONS
PB 116-06 Steve Feibus
Block 26, Lots 4 & 5.01
Route 130
Minor Site
Carried until next meeting, date uncertain
PB 107-06 Kerzner Associates
Block 2.01, Lot 3.01
1 Corporate Drive
Preliminary and Final Site Plan Approval
Carried until next meeting, date uncertain
PB 101-05 Prologis Park Cranbury (South Park)
Block 10, Lot 4 & 19
Station Road
Preliminary & Final Site Plan
REPRESENTATIVES: Richard Goldman, Attorney
Edwin Caballero, Engineer from Schoor DePalma
Karl Pehnke, Traffic Consultant from Shoor DePalma
Edmund Klimek, KSS Architects
Gerald Lenaz, Planner
Mr. Harvey announced that he had listened to the tapes and signed an affidavit statement.
Mr. Klimek felt Building #2 had the greatest amount of visual impact.
EXHIBIT A-16 North Elevation of Building #2
EXHIBIT A-17 Rendering of the Street View of Building #2
EXHIBIT A-18 Another Building #2 rendering only less obscure closer and behind berm
EXHIBIT A-19 Building #2 Elevations
EXHIBIT A-20 Building #1 Rendering
EXHIBIT A-21 Elevations of Building #1
EXHIBIT A-22 North Elevations of Building #1
EXHIBIT A-23 Building #3 Elevations
EXHIBIT A-24 Landscaping Plan, Sheet 1 of 1, dated 10/27/06
Board was not overjoyed by the architectural elements. They felt there should have been more elements.
Mr. Priess said that the DRC gave direction that Cranbury does not encourage buildings to be hidden. The loading docks are inevitable and the berm and plantings are used to hide the loading docks which he felt they achieved. But he felt, by the elevations, the top of the buildings and possible the bottoms would be seen. It does not create the image that the ordinance speaks to. If they could provide some vertical changes and create relief in terms of the horizontal variation or some materials or distinctive colors at various points along that building would break up the mass.
Ms. Marcelli said, looking at the work, that has been done and looking at the buildings and coming back. There are no bump outs, which on other buildings has improved the design greatly. It was explained at the DRC to look at the building and use some articulation along the side because we want to see the building.
Mr. Goldman said that the ordinance was in place long before Volkswagen was reviewed and approved.
Mr. Lenaz gave his planning testimony.
Mr. Preiss asked if Building #2 could not be broken into two buildings and have cross docking operation on the eastern and western sides of those buildings and possible have the parking on the south. Is there not a way to have a building or two buildings in that location where you would not need to have either loading or parking between Station Road or the buildings?
Mr. Lenaz said there was no way.
Mr. Goodman said that they could not have a functioning 600,000 SF. Mr. Preiss asked then if it was the 600,000 SF driving the building, not one building vs. two buildings.
Mr. Goodman said that the applicant likes the buildings as they are designed. They felt they were consistent with they are consistent with the eight other buildings that they have built in Cranbury. They felt this was consistent with the design of the VW/Cabot building. It creates the identity of Prologis that they like. The felt that trying to create “bump outs” would detract from the buildings.
Mr. Golubieski said he had an issue with the left turn “turning” movement on Route 130. Other board members voiced there agreement.
Mr. Speer questioned if there was someway that if Building #1 gets done even if it is Phase 2. IF they were to approve these design waivers it was clear to get all these things done. MR. Goodman felt that could be addressed with a bonding requirement.
Mr. Feranda stressed the problems of the site with regard to Route 130 and Station Road. MR. Goodman said that all the other projects were not tied with any timing. The tieing of the improvments to timing on a CO. You can not finance and start to construct 600,000 SF warehouse and hope that DOT approves us. Clearly this is an off-tract improvement and they were willing to create a pro rata fair share contribution. They indicated they are willing to take the lead on that. Although there have been two other projects before them that have been required to do that.
Ms. Marcelli said she was not concerned with what Alferi would be to this application, she was concerned with the safety issues. The stacking currently was an unsafe condition and adding to that with another 600,000 SF would create a major safety concern.
Motion #1 regarding 64 parking spaces
Mr. Golubieski motioned for approval and Mr. Speer seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Mr. Stout, Mr. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
MOTION CARRIED
Motion #2 regarding berm extension
Mr. Golubieski motioned for approval and Mr. Speer seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Ms. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
NAYS: Mr. Stout
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
:
MOTION CARRIED
Motion #3 regarding piping
Mr. Golubieski motioned for approval and MS. Weidner seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Mr. Stout, Mr. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
NAYS:
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
MOTION CARRIED
Motion #4 regarding front building parking
Mr. Golubieski motioned for approval and Mr. Speer seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Mr. Stout, Mr. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
NAYS:
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
MOTION CARRIED
Motion #5 regarding Building #2 parking and loading
Mr. Golubieski motioned for approval and Mr. Speer seconded the motion.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Ms. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
NAYS: Mr. Stout
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
MOTION CARRIED
Motion #6 regarding the architecturals
Mr. Speer motioned for approval and Ms. Weidner seconded.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Stannard, Ms. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
NAYS: Mr. Speer, Mr. Stout
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
MOTION CARRIED
Motion #7 regarding architectural design waiver
Mr. Golubieski motioned for approval and Ms. Weidner seconded.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Stout
NAYS: Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Ms. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
MOTION CARRIED
Motion #8 regarding traffic
Mr. Golubieski motioned for approval and Ms. Weidner seconded.
ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mr. Golubieski, Mr. Speer, Mr. Stannard, Mr. Stout, Ms. Weidner, Mr. Harvey
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Mr. Dreyling, Mr. Kehrt
MOTION CARRIED
ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING
There being no further business, on motion duly made, seconded, and carried, the meeting was thereupon adjourned.
CERTIFICATE OF SECRETARY
I, Undersigned, do hereby certify;
That I am duly elected and acting secretary of the Cranbury Township Planning Board and, that the foregoing minutes of the Planning Board, held on November 30, 2006, consisting of 7 pages, constitute a true and correct copy of the minutes of the said meeting.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name of said Planning Board this February 1, 2007.
Josette C. Kratz, Secretary
/jck