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Developer scales down condominium project
(by COREY KLEIN - November 06, 2007)
Eugene Cattanese, a developer with plans to build condos in place of Arlington Florist and Garden Center on Schuyler Avenue, scaled down the project from nine to eight condos. For the first time since June, the zoning board heard testimony from the developer.
Cattanese, who has owned and operated Arlington Florist and Garden Center since 1972, subtracted a unit to make the proposal more attractive to the board.
The developer requested three variances: one for density, one for a parking buffer and one for the number of stories. Schuyler Avenue is zoned for townhouses, but properties are restricted to eight units per acre. Cattanese’s property is just over one-half of an acre and would need to have four or less housing units to meet the zoning requirements.
The parking buffers will be 3.9 feet and a minimum buffer of five feet is required. While the two buildings will be three stories tall and zoning ordinances dictate a maximum of 2.5 stories on Schuyler Avenue, the building meets the height requirements. According to the attorney representing Cattanese, John Dusinberre, the developer chose to make the building three stories because the architects could not build a basement “due to the topography.”
The two buildings, containing four townhouses each, would have a two-car garage on the bottom floor and the dwelling unit above.
Zoning board vice chairman Richard Glennon raised concern about airshafts on the property, remnants of copper mine shafts in the borough dating back to the 17th century. Cattanese planned on surveying the property to find out where any airshafts might be after the project was approved and the flower business had been demolished.
Glennon disagreed, hoping to have a survey completed before any approval was given. Dusinberre assumed one would need to demolish the existing buildings before a ground survey could be done while Glennon believed a cost effective, non-invasive technique could be used without the need to demolish the buildings.
“I would be very hesitant to even think about putting people in a building in an area with those airshafts,” said Glennon.
Schuyler Avenue resident Gerry Dellisanti said he lives next door to Cattanese’s last townhouse project on Schuyler Avenue. He raised concerns about traffic on Schuyler Avenue and believed residents would have a difficult time getting in and out of their driveways, particularly during the afternoon rush.
Cattanese will return to the zoning board in December to provide more testimony, at which point the board will decide whether or not to approve the project.
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