Housing Development Proposed For Madison's Historic District

MADISON, NJ — A developer is seeking Madison Borough Planning Board approval to construct two complementary new mixed-use building on Central Avenue in Madison.

The applicant, 66 Main, LLC, proposes to construct two four-story mixed-use buildings on two properties that will be designed to look like a series of five buildings, according to planning board documents.

The structure at 5 Central Avenue will appear to be three buildings, while the structure at 3 Central Avenue will appear to be two.

Project Attorney Steven Azzolini, who is representing both applications, explained that the plan for this development was created because the property owners want to create cohesive neighboring complexes.

The proposal for 3 Central Avenue was submitted last year, according to planning board records. Following that, the neighboring property owner, Ledan Holdings, LLC, of 5 Central Ave., suggested that the property owners present the same team to the board and work in conjunction.

The potential housing structure, according to the application, would include retail businesses on the ground level and nine residential apartments on the upper levels, one of which would be an affordable housing unit.

The applicant is also requesting a variance to allow four stores to be located in the retail section of the two buildings, despite the fact that the typical allowance is three, according to officials.

According to planning board engineer Dennis Harrington, the proposed site is located within the Madison Civic Commercial Historic District, which means that the Historic Preservation Commission must conduct a thorough review of the proposal.

Despite the fact that the application makes no mention of additional on-site parking, officials previously identified nearby public lots such as Waverly Green Lot as a possibility. The applicant, according to Harrington, requested a waiver from the requirement for a traffic study, which was granted.

No stormwater management is required for the building's specific dimensions, but applicant engineer Anthony Facchino is proposing a "blue roof" to help with flash flooding by slowing the rate of runoff.

The "blue roof," according to Harrington, is a type of system that is connected to the existing roof drains under the sidewalk along Central Avenue.

At the Oct. 18 board meeting, board members raised issues that they said would be addressed at the next meeting, such as a lack of parking and building materials. The board canceled the next scheduled meeting, which was scheduled for Nov. 1, and it will now be held on Nov. 15.