The Zoning Board continued to hold hearings on an application to build townhouses in place of a florist on Schuyler Avenue and the board continued to raise concerns about airshafts beneath the property. A ground radar survey of the property to investigate potential airshafts was inconclusive, according to a report released by borough engineer Neglia Engineering.
The airshafts, a remnant of the Schuyler copper mines that dotted the landscape in colonial times, have been a major concern for the borough since at least 1989, when Forest Street resident Pat Acocella came home to find the ground had swallowed up a 40-foot tree in his yard. In 2002, a mine subsidence created a gaping hole in the street in front of 26 Morton Pl., the former home of Neil Swanson. It took elected officials over two years to completely repair the hole.
Eugene Cattanese, the developer who also owns and operates the current business, Arlington Florist and Garden Center, opposed the tests to determine whether or not airshafts existed beneath the property because in order to do so, he would need to demolish the existing buildings on the site.
The board recommended conducting a non-invasive ground radar test, which Neglia deemed inconclusive. At the Feb. 13 meeting of the zoning board, Neglia recommended drilling the property to search for airshafts.
John Dusinberre, the attorney representing Cattanese, said he would agree to drill the property to test for mineshafts as a condition of approval. This did not satisfy the board, who wanted drilling to be conducted prior to an approval.
However, the developer agreed to have a drilling company come to the site to make a "staging plan." This plan would find out the feasibility of checking for airshafts with drills without the need to knock down the existing structures.
"I don’t want to remove a series of non-conforming structures only to find out I don’t have an approval," said Dusinberre.
Brian Intendola, an engineer for Neglia, cautioned the board against approving the application without a definite answer on the mineshafts. "The worst case scenarios that you never think will happen do happen," he said.
Also, if an approval is granted and the buildings are demolished and mineshafts are found beneath the property, it might not be economically feasible for the developer to continue, leaving the lot vacant. "Now it’s an empty lot and it’s off the tax rolls," said Vice Chairman Richard Glennon.
According to old mining maps, the shaft would be in the rear corner of the property on the southern end. Currently, a garage stands on the spot, which holds all of the utilities for the property. The plan places an area for garbage on that spot and handicapped parking spaces nearby. "It’s where we are not going to propose any structures. We never have," said Dusinberre.
Dusinberre echoed previous sentiments from Neglia, questioning the reliability of old mining maps. He noted that the developer does not want to be sued either, but wanted assurance that the plan would be approved before spending money on drilling.
The board wants to develop the area, said Zoning Board Chairman Nick Antonicello, but safety is their priority. The property is zoned for townhouses and, during previous meetings, the board had expressed satisfaction with Cattanese’s other townhouse project on the corner of Schuyler Avenue and Park Avenue.
