Post by novillero on Aug 12, 2008 21:02:01 GMT -5
FREEHOLD — The approval of an addition to the Woodhull House office building on West Main Street means that an existing twoand a-half-story wooden frame dwelling behind it will be demolished.
The home to be demolished fronts on Broad Street.
The Planning Board voted on June 25 to permit the construction of an addition to the Woodhull House, which has frontage on West Main and Broad streets and is serviced by a driveway that connects Broad Street with West Main Street, according to the application.
The Woodhull House property has an existing building containing two- and threestory portions and totaling 14,264 square feet.
The principal owners of the Woodhull House, (commonly known as 46 Broad Street Associates), Carl P. Gross and Henry Bloom, received municipal approval to construct a three-story addition at the rear of the existing office building. The ground floor of the addition will be used for vehicle parking.
The existing wooden frame dwelling behind the Woodhull House, which is also owned by 46 Broad Street Associates, will be demolished. Parking will be provided in place of the home.
Freehold Borough Councilman George Schnurr, who sits on the Planning Board, said he voted to approve the application for several reasons.
"The application was for a site plan approval," Schnurr said. "The applicant did not request any variances. As such, a denial would not have been appropriate under New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, which the Planning Board is obliged to follow."
The board's vote in favor of the application was unanimous.
"Since the addition will be built on the area where there is existing parking, the applicant wanted to remove the building on Broad Street and put parking there, so that he would not have to ask the board for a variance," Schnurr said.
He said he seriously considered the fact that the Freehold Borough Historic Preservation Commission voted in favor of the application that called for the removal of the building behind the Woodhull House.
"The vote by the Historic Preservation Commission is for advice only and the Planning Board could have done anything it wanted, however, I put a great deal of weight in the commission's vote since I was conflicted myself on the removal of the building," Schnurr said.
He said the proposed addition will resemble the exterior of the rest of the Woodhull House.
"The owners of the property really take care of the place and it shows in the maintenance of the building and grounds," the councilman said.
Schnurr said the parking lot will be redesigned to eliminate the driveway that was being used as a thoroughfare between Main and Broad streets.
"There will be parking lot access from Main Street as well as Broad Street," he said. Hank Stryker III, Freehold Borough's code enforcement official, who also sits on the Planning Board, said he voted in favor of the application because he believes the plan will be a "nice addition" to Freehold Borough. He said the property is well-kept and in "nice condition."
Stryker said no application for demolition of the wooden frame building has yet been filed.
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