Amended plan for business park gains board's approval
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO - The Triangle Business Park, Amboy Road, received approval from the Planning Board on an amended site plan at the board's Nov. 7 meeting.

Triangle Business Park, a project owned by brothers Steven Meiterman and Bernard Meiterman, was represented by attorney Jonathan Heilbrunn.

The proposed changes to the already approved project included an alternate parking configuration in which three additional parking spaces would be striped in front of overhead garage doors for tenants who would have no need for that type of door. Some tenants may still have deliveries using the roll-up doors.

Also shown in the plans was a 10-foot by 10-foot faux guardhouse which would serve as an aesthetically pleasing location to house electrical equipment for the sprinkler system and gate. The placement of the guardhouse created an issue with front yard and side yard setbacks.

After some discussion the applicant agreed to remove the faux guardhouse from the plans so as not to have to seek a variance from the front yard and side yard setback requirements. Instead of the guardhouse a post will hold the electrical equipment.

One concern expressed by the board members was for the safety of patrons in the buildings should parking spaces be allowed near the overhead doors.

In order to address the safety concern, the applicant agreed to place bollards (posts) at the front of the parking space with a guardrail across it to stop a car from moving forward.

Planning Board Chairman Peter Bellone suggested that the applicant work with the board's engineer, Jeffrey Staiger, to create a barrier that would withstand an oncoming car.

Between two of the seven buildings in the complex, there was an insufficient amount of space on the width of the access drive. The required amount of space is 22 feet, but according to the applicant's engineer Lorali Totten, there was only 21 feet.

In this particular area, between buildings A and B, there were four parallel parking spaces around the outskirts. To help ease the problem of cars backing out with the parallel spaces behind them, Totten put the spaces on a 60-degree angle.

After some discussion, it was agreed that those four additional parallel parking spaces would be removed, thereby eliminating the need for the planned parking spaces to be on an angle.

At that point board Vice Chairman Gerald Bergh said he was now in favor of approving the plan with the maximum number of parking spaces that would fit safely.

At a previous meeting there had been some confusion over the types of businesses that are planned to occupy the space and what their restrictions on parking might be. The issue was cleared up as the township code had no restrictions in parking for the types of businesses that are expected to occupy the site (identified as a day care center, karate school, recreational center and landscaping business).

Board member Elvera Fernandez made a motion to approve the Triangle Business Park amended site plan because it complies with Marlboro's master plan and because the applicant was willing to comply with the recommendations of the board's engineer and planner.

The amended site plan was approved with a 6-0 vote.

The approval was granted as long as stipulations placed by the board, including the secure rails in the parking spaces, are met.