Plans to build apartments in Asbury Park worry neighbors about parking
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ASBURY PARK — A developer has introduced its new concept for an apartment building at 1001 First Ave., cutting 20 apartments from its original plan.
The current concept consists of 114 apartments, which include 23 affordable housing units, 137 parking spaces, a lock-up garage, bike storage and “green features.”
The projected distribution of current apartments includes 20 studio units, 28 one-bedroom units, 12 one-bedroom units, 31 two-bedroom units, four affordable one-bedroom units, and 13 two-bedroom affordable units , and six affordable three-bedroom units. -Bedroom units.
Luke Rudowsky, owner of development company Rudowsky Development, presented the concept to the public at the Oct. 25 City Council meeting to gauge public reaction in hopes of gaining City Council approval.
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“We were brought in because we have a good sense of community,” Rudofsky said.
The company has offices on Bond Street and he stated that this is his 11th project in the city.
“Tenant needs, construction costs and design preferences have changed dramatically since the original redevelopment plan for 1001 First Ave. was created in 2017 and 2018,” Rudosky said.
Replace the old plan
A previous redevelopment plan for the site approved in March 2018 called for the construction of 80 apartments. However, the previous developer never started work. The city’s redevelopment plan allows for the proposed development to be modified and the new concept requires only two deviations from the original – the number of apartments and the overall impermeable coverage of the site, i.e. hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt.
“We are proposing 114 units, down from the 134 (we proposed) previously. With that, we’re keeping 20% (for affordable housing) aside,” Rudofsky said. “Initially there were 16 (affordable housing units) planned for this site, so there is a net increase in affordable housing.”
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He added that the proposed parking spaces are divided into “1.2 spaces per unit” and meet current redevelopment plans. The original plan proposed two entrances to the parking garage. The current concept has a concept that “will save on on-street parking,” according to Rudofsky.
“The site is located between First and Second Streets, in a central location just behind Asbury Street and west of Main Street. The site as it is today is vacant. There is an unsightly chain-link fence,” Rudofsky said. “If you walk out of The Lofts (apartment complex) across the street… you’re staring at warehouses. It’s not a very pleasant experience for pedestrians.”
He added, “It gets dark” at the site at night after speaking with neighbors.
“The lighting is not good, (the site) really deserves to have a building there to brighten up the area and add more to the community,” Rudofsky said.
There is contaminated soil at the site.
“There are underground tanks on the site. The previous owner did not notify (the Department of Environmental Protection), so we are facing fines for that. We want to clean this up, not only for our site but for the neighbors. There is potential for this contaminated water to seep into neighboring properties,” Rudofsky said. “.
The cleanup will cost between $500,000 and $600,000, according to the developer’s environmental specialists.
“(The site) has been vacant for over 25 years. There were safety concerns. I’ve talked to the neighbors, so we’re hoping to clean this up and solidify the community,” Rudofsky said.
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Fears of neighbors
Resident Rick Mortlock said he has lived in The Lofts across from the site for 13 years. “The (proposed) building overall is an attractive design and we seriously appreciate the increase in setbacks. We have a tall building. This building is going to be tall, and if you don’t have those setbacks, you feel like you’re being resealed,” Mortlock said.
He added that he believes that the increase in apartments “needs to be studied in terms of its impact on population density.”
“We have three Housing Authority buildings, plus our own building plus two dozen single-family homes, for a total of 275 units on a square block,” Mortlock said. “This revised plan seeks to increase the number of housing stock by 40%. This means more cars and increased pedestrian traffic in an area that already sees dangerous traffic.”
He added that Bradley Elementary School “is in the heart of it all, with hundreds of parents” and children crossing Comstock Street, Second Avenue and Pine Street, as well as Second Avenue and Langford Street.
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Resident Jordan Modell was more concerned, worried it would lead to a parking nightmare.
“We are hardline against this project as proposed,” Modell said. “It’s going to change the face of the West Side. It’s not the Asbury Park we know and love. It’s too dense.”
“There won’t be anywhere near enough parking spaces for people there,” he added.
“There will be no street parking, there will be no parking for people coming to visit this building. There will be no parking for our visitors. There will be no parking lot for the laundry around the corner. There are trucks stacked up there. Now,” Modell said. “We have no idea where they will go.”
“This is not something we should rush into, we should take a look at this plan and revise it so it’s right for the neighborhood,” Modell said.
The council will vote at an upcoming council meeting to decide whether or not to send the plan before the Planning Board. If they decide to send it to the Planning Board, the Planning Board will review the proposal before returning it to the Board for final approval.
Charles Day is a metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDyeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com
