Sewer questions hold up Saddle River's OK of 275-unit apartment project
SADDLE RIVER — A vote on a proposed 275-unit inclusionary apartment complex on Boroline Road has stalled until May due to questions about the project's access to sewers.
Avalon Communities began hearings in February as the contract buyer of the three-story Saddle River Executive Centre office building property at 1 Route 17 south. The company is proposing to build a four-story apartment complex with 242 market-rate units, 18 affordable, and 15 for developmentally disabled adults.
The sewer questions were brought up during Tuesday's Planning Board meeting.
Discussion centered on a list of issues left unanswered from the March meeting, including the location of electric vehicle charging stations in the building's garage, emergency generators, retaining wall height, and signage.
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However, board attorney Jonathan Drill and Avalon representatives disagreed over the sequence of events necessary to verify that neighboring Allendale has sufficient sewer capacity to meet the building's increased demand.
Drill insisted the board could not approve the proposal if it did not have a verified sewage system, one of four essential components for buildings that include affordable housing. Avalon Senior Vice President Ronald Ladell and attorney Derek Orth insisted the project could be approved by the board contingent on obtaining Allendale's confirmation, as is done with approvals from other agencies.
Saddle River is serviced by private wells and septic systems, impractical for large-scale developments. Saddle River's Boroline properties have been serviced by connections to Allendale's sewer system on the west side of the street. However, the apartment complex will require a larger capacity, which needs formal verification.
Because the capacity question must come from the borough rather than the Planning Board, Drill said he had attempted to contact Allendale officials that same day for a quick response, but none was forthcoming.
With an April 30 deadline looming for a vote on the proposal, both sides agreed to extend that deadline to May 16, with the hearing to continue at the May 7 regular meeting.
Allendale Mayor Amy Wilczynski confirmed by email Tuesday that officials had finished a new sewer agreement with the borough for the Choctaw Trail affordable housing project, but that "they are just coming to us now" about the Avalon project.
"This new development would be entirely different, and we would have to have the experts opine on the capacity issues," Wilczynski said. "We are not at that point yet."
Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect the correct number of units being proposed and the properties being purchased by Avalon.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Saddle River 275-unit apartment complex stalled by sewer questions
