More Apartments Coming to Short Hills Business Area

More apartments are coming in the Short Hills business district along Millburn Avenue.

The Planning Board approved a second floor to be constructed at 508 Millburn Ave. during its meeting last week. The plan is for three apartments—one two-bedroom apartment and two one-bedroom apartments. The one-bedroom apartments will be 756 square feet, and the two-bedroom apartment will be 1,015 square feet.

The building is where three businesses, including Fruit to Nuts, are located. The Zoning Board of Adjustment rejected the proposal several months ago, but a change in the township's zoning ordinance now allows the second floor apartments.

Parking was an issue during the public hearing last week. The zoning ordinance requires 19 parking spaces on site, but currently there are only four. The Planning Board is requiring the site owner, Perri Urso, to purchase four parking permits. She has already purchased 11 permits for the site.

The permits are to be used in the township-owned parking lot located behind the building. Lloyd Perkel, M. Blaustein Furs co-owner, spoke during the hearing how the parking lot is not used as well as it should be.

"We have the best parking facility in town and it is under-utilized," he said. "There are 30 spots that are not used ever. I wish people would use it."

The Planning Board approved other apartments on Short Hills Avenue in the same vicinity in September. The second floor construction also will have three apartments. Urso also owns that building.