Plan for condos unveiled
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD - Bay Dock Holdings LLC is hoping to be a part of the redevelopment of Orchard Street by helping to build a "community within a community."

Roger Passarella, of Bay Dock Holdings, said he will submit an application to the Planning Board seeking preliminary and final site plan approval to build 30 age-restricted condominium units on Orchard Street.

Orchard Street, which has been gated on both ends by Freehold Bor-ough, has essentially been uninhabited for years. Two developers now have plans to bring something new and exciting to the area off Institute Street.

Bay Dock Holdings plans to develop condominiums, while Sofia Homes, of Neptune City, will build 11 single-family homes on Orchard Street. Both phases of the new housing are part of a project known as Liberty Crossing at Freehold. Passarella said if Bay Dock's application is approved, Sofia Homes will build the condominiums.

The Borough Council recently adopted an ordinance that will make the construction of the age-restricted condominiums possible by rezoning Orchard Street from a commercial manufacturing zone to a zone in which age-restricted condominium complexes are a permitted use.

The ordinance states that the condominium complex must contain at least 5 acres and that no more than 30 units are attached in a series. The units cannot exceed three stories in height unless there is underground parking, then they may extend to four stories. The complex must have two parking spaces for each unit.

Passarella said the Bay Dock condominiums will be built on 1 acre of the 5-acre Orchard Street parcel, leaving 80 percent as open space. The buildings will be three stories tall and have parking underneath. Plans call for two buildings to be constructed - one with nine units and one with 21 units.

The condominiums will have two bedrooms, one-and-a-half bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area, living room and balcony. The units are expected to sell for about $260,000.

Passarella said there are plans to build an 1,800-square-foot clubhouse with an exercise room, meeting room, party room, card room and other features.

The plans for the redevelopment of Orchard Street drew approval from Councilman Robert Crawford, who said the new homes will be an improvement to what has existed on the street and will also bring in ratables to a town that is essentially built-out and lacking in new ratables.

If municipal approval is received in the near future, a ground-breaking for the condominium project could be held by September, according to Passarella.