The proposed development for Drum Point Road and Sky Manor Boulevard, Sept. 2024. (Courtesy: John Jackson)
An updated proposal to develop a lot that currently serves as a scrapyard along a major Brick Township road with a mixed-use building including tradesman shops and 18 townhomes is under consideration before the township’s zoning board, with a hearing expected to continue next month after being adjourned this week.
In a surprising outcome, the Brick Township zoning board last year statutorily denied the construction of a “flagship” high-end commercial and residential space at the corner of Drum Point Road and Sky Manor Boulevard, leaving an admitted “eyesore” in place along one of the township’s main thoroughfares. Board members voted 4-3 in favor of approving the application to build the mixed-use complex, however the application required a “supermajority” vote of 5-2 to pass. The project was opposed, at the time, by Pasquale Mennella, the owner of the nearby Baywood Plaza strip mall. It was expected that commercial space on the first floor of the previously-proposed building would have competed with his adjacent property. In the revised proposal, the first floor units will more closely adhere to the requirements of the “Village Zone” and contain small offices for tradesmen and contractors on the first floor amidst the residential units.
A hearing on the new proposal began this week before the township’s zoning board, and will continue when the board meets Oct. 23, 2024.
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The proposed development for Drum Point Road and Sky Manor Boulevard, Sept. 2024. (Courtesy: John Jackson)
The properties at 305/307 Drum Point Road, proposed for development. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The freshly-proposed plan calls for two commercial units and 18 townhome-style apartments in a single building to be constructed on an oversized lot. The 1.59-acre property is located in the Village Zone, which seeks to spur redevelopment along three of Brick’s aging main corridors, including Drum Point Road. The mixed use building would replace what was long known as the HG Welding Company property.
Similar to the previous proposal, the case has come before the board largely on a technical basis. The use of the building is allowed in the Village Zone, but the zoning ordinance contemplates lot sizes of 7,500 square feet, while the property in question measures more than 69,000 square feet in area. The application is numerically extrapolated to accommodate a larger project that would fit the larger property, however the deviation requires a use variance and, thus, supermajority support from the board.
The residential portion of the new proposal calls for 18 units in a three-story, wood-framed building beset with modern coastal architecture. There will be four two-bedroom units and 14 three-bedroom units, with a total of six units being designated for affordable housing. The first floor of the building will also include two commercial units, representing 2,360 square feet.
The building will be accessed by two driveways, one on Drum Point Road and one on Sky Manor Boulevard, each of which will offer ingress and egress from the property. The project includes 60 parking stalls, including spaces set aside for electric vehicle charging and handicap-accessible parking.
The proposed development for Drum Point Road and Sky Manor Boulevard, Sept. 2024. (Courtesy: John Jackson)
The properties at 305/307 Drum Point Road, proposed for development. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
Drainage concerns will be met with the construction of a retention basin at the southeast corner of the property, plus several areas of porous pavements that will allow water to filter into the ground from the surface. The project has already received approvals from the Ocean County Planning Board, as well as soil conservation and environmental permits.
Variance relief is required to allow the 18 units in the oversized parcel, and to allow any residential units on the first floor. Minor variances are required for impervious coverage (67 percent proposed, where 60 percent is allowed) and the placement of parking spaces within 20-feet of a right-of-way.
The project will return to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for testimony Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at the township municipal complex.
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