Steer clear of the mid-rises
for the sake of all residents

The LaMer development of Sayreville is a court mandate, and its builder is permitted by law to eventually construct 1,524 residential units. That includes a mix of townhouses, garden apartments, senior citizen units, patio homes and other types of housing.

But in no way does it have to include "mid-rise" apartment buildings, which were proposed last week in the preliminary plans for a future section of LaMer. The developer, Kaplan Cos., discussed the plans during an informal hearing before the Planning Board. The plans called for three six-story buildings with upscale apartments for what the developer described as corporate employees uninterested in buying a house.

Though the builder said the buildings would preserve more greenery on the ground, board members sent the plans back to the drawing board, saying the buildings went against the aesthetics of the community. In other words, the board would rather see more buildings across the 6-acre section than have behemoth structures that could be visible for miles.

They made the right move. Such mid-rise buildings — which probably could be considered "high-rise" buildings in this community, since presently there are no taller buildings in the vicinity — have no place in Sayreville.

Why should Sayreville’s board be any different from most competent planning boards in suburban New Jersey, who do not allow such buildings because they detract from the view of hundreds of already existing homes, and over time they are likely candidates to become eyesores?

Let the developer come back to the board with plans that call for a less intrusive style of residential housing, as has been approved in earlier sections of LaMer. It’s in the interest of the entire community.