For now, there will be no redevelopment project at 605 Warwick Road.
By a vote of 8–1 at a meeting held Tuesday, Dec. 2, the borough planning board rejected a proposal to divide 605 Warwick into three parcels and build three new homes on the site.
The planning board left open the possibility that the developer could submit a revised application that addressed concerns about drainage problems, among other things, said Commissioner John Moscatelli, who sits on the board.
Moscatelli said he voted against the proposal largely due to concerns that the project would exacerbate drainage issues. He said the proposal failed to address who would be responsible for storm-water management.
“We spent a lot of time on this application,” Moscatelli said.
The proposal featured a lot fronted by Warwick Road that would measure nearly 14,000 square feet, a proposed lot fronted by Warwick Road and Gill Road that would measure nearly 17,000 square feet and a proposed lot fronted by Treaty Elm Lane that would measure 19,000 square feet.
The developer’s attorney, Donald Cofsky, expressed disappointment with the decision. He has maintained that the plan conforms to zoning and borough requirements and that each of the three lots exceeded the 9,600-square-foot minimum required by ordinance.
The developer withdrew a previous application in July and resubmitted the revised proposal that was rejected last week. Initially, the developer proposed a four-lot subdivision.
The proposal brought forth objections from those neighboring the property and residents who feel the subdivision and proposed homes would take away from the character of the neighborhood and Haddonfield as a whole.
Cofsky said the next move would likely be in Superior Court.
“They know that we’re going to appeal. My clients are in for the long haul. It’s much easier to pass the buck to a judge,” Cofsky said. “I think, ultimately, when it is all done and the houses are built, it will look terrific.”
