Variance Granted to Allow for Townhouse Development

The Galloway Township Zoning Board granted Risley Development LLC a use variance Thursday night, Sept. 8. The variance will ultimately allow the developer to build 24 two-bedroom townhouses priced at $225,000 on four parcels currently zoned for commercial business.

The board voted 5-2 to grant the variance after a lengthy hearing that included both testimony from developer Norman Risley and his professionals, but had the public commenting on the request prior to the board's approval with mixed reviews.

Five affirmative votes were needed in order to grant Risley's request to build homes on the four lots along Towne Center Drive. The roadway links Risley Square to Pitney Road from behind the storefronts facing Jimmie Leeds Road.

Zoning Board members Ron Huber, Jerry Hauslet, Robert Mayer, Mark Sykes and Bill Wrigley voted yes, while John Forsythe and Alex Martin cast the two no votes.

Martin indicated he didn't believe the developer and his professionals showed enough “positive to change the zone" in order to issue the use variance.

He was in the minority when it came to the vote, and public opinion was not enough to persuade the majority to vote down the request.

Those residents who opposed the use variance cited an increase in crime, students attending school in Galloway, and environmental and traffic concerns as their reasons for opposing Risley's request.

Resident Constance Nedohon, for example, noted, "People already feel it's is a done deal (but) we should have more of a say."

She was among those residents who felt that there were enough townhouses and condominiums in Galloway Township and wanted the parcels to remain commercial, as did resident Christine McGee. The Galloway Township resident alluded to a New Jersey State Police report she said she had that indicated Galloway had a gang problem.

"Why are we trying to convince people that this is going to be a walking to shopping center?" Ed Baltera asked the board. 

One of the selling points Risley's professionals argued was that residents who will live in the townhouses would walk to and from stores within Risley Square and the surrounding area.

Baltera contended that "it's not going to happen."

Resident William Stevens, on the other hand, noted he'd prefer the property remain commercial because if they developed into commercial, "I'll know at a certain time of day (the business) will close."

He said he didn't care what type of business ended up going behind his home, whether it be a dry cleaner or a fast food restaurant.

"I don't care," he told Risley's attorney when asked.

Under his attorney's questioning, Risley testified that he had the parcels up for commercial development for the past 10 years—through economic highs and lows—but no interest.

Former Councilwoman Meg Worthington, who sat on the township's Economic Development Committee and a variety of other boards during her tenure in office, said that during her time on the economic development committee, they had heard from a number of businesses which indicated they had were interested in seeing a mixed use in that area of the township.

This was in contrast to when the township had initially targeted this area of the municipality as the town center. At that time, the area was primarily residential and there was a need to bring more commercial ratables to that area of the community.

Recalling the business people's sentiments from just three years ago, Worthington said of Risley's application, "maybe this is what we need."

She said that it could lead to other possibilities down the road, a sentiment that was shared by some of the zoning board members. Members Jerry Hauslet said that they don't always know what the future might bring.

Local businesses welcomed Risley's plans to build townhouses.

Christopher Black, who operates a local gymnastics school, said he would love to say  Risley's plans would draw business to his particular business, but acknowledged the traffic that it would bring to all of the of the businesses in the area.

Richard Price said residents had little to worry about. "When (Risley) builds something, he builds it with class."