Zoners hear more details on medical building plan
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO - Testimony continued in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment on Aug. 7 from an applicant seeking approval to construct a two-story, 40,000- square-foot medical services building on Route 520 about a quarter-mile east of Route 79.

Representatives of SFC Enterprises initially appeared before the board on March 20 to request relief from three municipal ordinances: having two principal uses on the lot (currently Avatar Spa is on the property), exceeding the permitted lot coverage, and exceeding the permitted floor area ratio.

At last week's meeting attorney Sal Alfieri, who is representing the applicant, told the board his client no longer needs relief from the floor area ratio requirement.

Jennifer Beahm, the zoning board's planner, agreed with Alfieri's remarks and explained that the floor area ratio excludes cellars, which is what the proposed building will have, therefore the applicant no longer needs that variance.

Other changes had been made which the project's architect, Robert Adler, pointed out during his testimony. These changes included adding a covered entrance and proposing a new facade for the existing spa business.

Lisa Girandola, the owner of Avatar Spa, said she believes the medical building will help her operation. She described her business as a day spa with a focus on healing. Girandola said she works closely with area doctors including pulmonary specialists, plastic surgeons and chiropractors.

Board members were concerned with the facility's parking situation.

According to the township ordinance, the parking requirement for a medical services building is three spaces for every treatment room, plus one space for every employee in the building.

When asked for an estimate of how many treatment rooms would be in the building, Adler said it would be difficult to estimate the number of treatment rooms without knowing who the tenants of the space would be.

Another concern expressed by the board was an increase in traffic on surrounding roads.

Mark Kataryniak, traffic consultant for the zoning board, recommended a machine count to see the traffic patterns on the area's roads. The count will be taken over the course of an average week to accurately gauge the conditions.

Testimony on the application for the medical building is scheduled to resume at the board's Sept. 4 meeting.