Planning Board To Prepare Redevelopment Plan For This East Brunswick Site

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – Council on Monday adopted a resolution directing the Township’s Planning Board to prepare a redevelopment plan for a parcel of land on the corenr of Cranbury Road and Ryders Lane.

The resolution designated Block 87, Lot 10.07, as a Non-Condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment.

The Planning Board is now authorized to prepare a redevelopment plan for the property and to present it to the Council for consideration.

Mayor Brad Cohen told the community that a large part of the property was made into an open space and six acres on the corner was not part of it.

“The township had considered whether or not we were gonna use our open space funds to purchase it. But the developer came in with a project that we thought was consistent with our plans and what already exists on that corridor,” Cohen said.

The plan is to build a continuing care unit, which is similar to an assisted living facility, on the parcel of land. The facility will be a combination of independent, assisted and memory care, Cohen said.

He said the building would be “beautiful”, located in a space that already has a well-known and established medical corridor.

The facility would contribute to much greater revenue for the township, Cohen said, noting that the space was not a great spot to build more housing.

According to township attorney Michael Baker, directing the Planning Board to prepare a redevelopment plan is the second step in the redevelopment process.

“Redevelopment is the rezoning of a property but for a very narrow specific purpose. Rather than going through the master plan process or having a partial reevaluation, which is a much bigger undertaking to redo the zoning, the council has started the process of having the area declared in need of redevelopment,” Baker said.

“So it is a rezoning but by a different operation, different statute under the local housing and redevelopment law.”

In March the council asked the planning board to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine whether the property should be considered a Non-Condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment.

The Planning Board then retained professional planners Hyer Gruel and Associates to conduct an investigation. The organization prepared a report dated May 11, and presented a testimony on June 21 recommending that the property does meet the designation, which was approved by the Planning Board.

The council said it agrees with the Planning Board’s recommendations and has directed it to come up with a redevelopment plan.

All members of the council voted in favor of the resolution with Dana Zimbicki abstaining.

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