Builder goes to board seeking bigger homes

Michael Kaplan says town will benefit from more sq. footage

BY JOLENE HART

Staff Writer

Kaplan Cos. is requesting a Sayreville ordinance be changed to allow bigger homes on the borough’s lots, following what their executives say is a national trend in housing.

Representatives of the company brought their case to the Planning Board last week but were met with outright skepticism.

Currently, builders in Sayreville are permitted to construct buildings with a structural base that covers no more than 20 percent of the total lot area.

"You’re not getting your money’s worth," Michael Kaplan said of the limits. "We’re not producing the best product for Sayreville’s needs. This affects livability and the things that make a house a home."

Buyers are now looking for two-story living rooms, sunrooms and master bedrooms that include a sitting area, Kaplan said.

"They are not looking for more bedrooms or even large yards — that is too much maintenance," he said.

Kaplan told the board that the homes his company is now building at Towne Lake in Sayreville have a footprint of about 3,500 square feet. He is proposing an addition of 1,500 square feet onto the current base of each home.

The company highlighted a plan that would increase the borough’s lot coverage allowances for all future construction to 30 percent for lots under 10,000 square feet; 25 percent for lots of 10,000 to 15,000 square feet; and would keep the 20-percent standard for lots over 15,000 square feet.

According to Kaplan, the setbacks and side yards would remain at their current sizes of 25 and 10 feet, respectively.

"This will not make it look more crowded, because setbacks are the same," said Kaplan.

Raymond C. Liota, planner for Kaplan Cos., compared Sayreville’s current lot coverage ordinance with guidelines for similarly zoned areas in South Amboy and South River that have 35 and 40 percent lot coverage.

"This would not add to the burden on the school system, but it would add to property value," Liota said of the increase in lot coverage.

Board members heard through the Kaplans’ testimony, though they stated that larger homes should be kept on larger lots.

"I don’t want to see an East Brunswick-sized house on a South Amboy-sized lot," said board member Frank Bella. "You’re going to make Edison look like open space."

The board requested that Kaplan Cos. provide estimates of the potential benefits to the borough, including market value increases that would result if the changes were made. Discussion is expected to resume at a future meeting of the board.

"It is shocking that this board is even considering this," said board member Michael D’Addio.

Kaplan Cos. also previewed plans for the adult community component of its Towne Lake development.

Towne Lake, which is centered around 260 single-family homes, is located between Main Street and Washington Road.

Under the current plan, the 15-acre adult community would feature age-restricted housing units in a three-story building. The two-bedroom condominium units would range in size from 1,100 to 1,300 square feet and would cost between $200,000 and $300,000.

"This fits in with the community and takes advantage of what Town Lake is all about — the lake and its surroundings," said Bill Feinberg, a Kaplan planner.

Much of the parking for residents would be underneath the building. A clubhouse area would provide meeting rooms, card rooms, an outdoor pool and spa and putting greens to residents.

"This plan enables us to provide [housing with] a lot of open space," Kaplan said. "We plan to orient the units with views toward the lake."

The design was introduced only for the review of the council and is not a final plan.

"We have studied the full gamut of housing styles and we felt that this was right," Kaplan said of the three-story senior housing component. "This type of proposal is going to come before the board frequently in the next five, six or even 10 years."