Vote On Controversial Toll Brothers Application Is Wednesday In Franklin Lakes

The final hearing and a vote on the controversial Franklin Lakes Toll Brothers application is scheduled to be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at a planning board meeting.

The application calls for the redevelopment of 131 acres of land on the west side of Ewing Avenue along the Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes border. Fifty-five affordably-priced condominiums and 220 market-priced homes would be constructed on the property.

Of the 220 market-priced homes, 60 would be single-family houses worth about $1.3 million each and 160 townhouses worth $850,000 each, a fiscal impact analysis by Richard B. Reading Associates states. The 55 condominiums would have between one and three bedrooms each and could potentially sell for an average of $132,000 each.

The new units could potentially bring in $741,000 in annual tax revenue, the analysis states.

Residents said the development would have many negative impacts locally. They claim home values would decrease, water pollution would get worse, and taxes would dramatically increase.

“It is important that many voices are heard at this meeting,” Michael Petrino said in a recent e-mail to residents. “This will be your last chance to voice your concerns as to why this plan should not be approved in its present form.”

Residents are concerned that the Franklin Lakes School District is not prepared to handle the additional 63 students who would enroll in the district once the homes are built. Forty-three more students could potentailly enrolle in The Ramapo-Indian Hills Regional High School, according to the analysis.