Board considers retail for Washington Rd. Residential zone may be changed to allow some commercial uses BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer SAYREVILLE -- Washington Road's status as a residential zone may be changed to allow low-intensity commercial development. The Planning Board recently discussed the idea of rezoning Washington Road to allow uses such as nail and beauty salons, bookstores, boutiques, photography studios and other professional services. Such uses would not generate a significant amount of traffic, but would have a similar look to neighboring residential properties, Board Planner and Architect John Leoncavello said. If recommended by the board and approved by the Borough Council, the zoning could be changed to a "resident service zone" where residential and commercial properties can coexist. "We are looking for a compromise zone," Board Chairman Dr. John Misiewicz told the Suburban. "Washington Road is primarily in a residential zone, where businesses are not allowed." The businesses that currently operate there are considered pre-existing, non-conforming uses in the zone, Misiewicz said. "We have had a number of applicants before us that want to put a business up there, so the board has been looking at this," Misiewicz said. The Planning Board is considering certain areas of Washington Road for low-intensity commercial development, Leoncavello said, adding that several properties are not adequate for commercial redevelopment because they are not deep enough to accommodate patrons' vehicles. Properties that are appropriate for commercial are west of Deerfield Road, Leoncavello said. The ability for potential business owners to provide adequate parking on properties elsewhere on Washington Road is limited, he added. "There are not any lands [east of Deerfield Road] that are usable or appropriate for what we are talking about here," Leoncavello said. Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol would not be among the permitted uses, Leoncavello said, but pre-existing bars would still be able to continue. Bank branches may be desirable, though they are considered a higher intensity use, Leoncavello said. "Banks would be something that we may want in there," he told the board during a meeting last month. Misiewicz wants to ensure that if the zoning is changed, homeowners will not have to apply for a use variance every time they want to build a deck or put an addition on their home. Leoncavello responded that the board would allow single-family homes in the new zone, so decks and other work on existing homes would be permitted. Banks and professional offices should be considered carefully, Misiewicz said, adding that greater parking needs may create problems for neighbors. The board is looking to rezone parts of the road because it is one of the borough's major corridors, Misiewicz said. He noted that, if borough officials do pursue the zone change, the public would be notified and residents would have a chance to have input and ask questions. Board member Frank Bella said he hopes to see more businesses along roads such as Washington Road and Main Street over the next 20 years. Prospective homeowners generally don't want to move to such busy roads. "This is an opportunity for the board to set a tone for Washington Road," Bella said. The board should be careful about allowing certain commercial uses adjacent to residential property, Misiewicz said, citing the safety of children and other quality-of-life issues. "That is why I wanted to go over this," Misiewicz said. Board member Michael Macagnone, who is also president of the Board of Education, said the lack of parking along Washington Road is another factor that the board needs to consider. Macagnone also raised concerns about traffic, noting that while the board is looking at mostly low-intensity uses, banks generate more car trips. "If you take out the houses and put in more businesses on Washington Road, you will increase traffic," Macagnone said. Traffic on Washington Road and Main Street is largely the product of commuters and other residents of neighboring towns who use the borough as a cut-through to get to the Garden State Parkway, Board Engineer Jay Cornell said. Misiewicz said there will be several more discussions on the issue. "Any zone change has to go before the council and has to be addressed in the master plan, so the first step is to decide whether we are going to change the zone, notify the residents, and the third step is to make recommendations to the council," he said. The board, he said, wants to first "make sure that residents are not adversely affected in their quality of life."