Flood Concerns Addressed, ZBA OKs Garage

Accepting flood-plane justifications for building commercial storage garages in a residentially zoned property, the Springfield Zoning Board of Adjustment approved an expansion at 504 Eagle Road last week.

J. Tarquini & Sons Paving proposes adding a two-story, storage garage onto his property so smaller contractors can lodge their work trucks there. He needed the ZBA to approve the commercial use and to build within 25 feet of the flood plane.

"The main purpose is that I've been approached by a lot of small contractors who want to use a garage. The idea is not to build for heavy contractors but for the small scale," Tarquini said Oct. 25, saying private electricians or carpenters are examples.

His attorney, Vincent Mancini, said the plan benefits Springfield, in that smaller contractors can store their vehicles at the remote site, and not in neighborhoods.

"It's not a huge facility, but it will get some large vehicles off residential streets," he said.

The project will:

• Construct a seven-bay garage, each with 10-foot-by-10-foot doors;
• Add a second story for additional storage;
• Create 12 additional outside spaces, making 19 total; and
• Decrease paved areas by 55 percent, returning about 10,200 square feet to green space.

In 1993, Tarquini bought the two lots, totaling 2.16 acres, and in 1994 received zoning permission to build two commercial buildings. However, he only built the one structure and approval lapsed for the second one, which required him to again get the township's permission.

Springfield's flood-plane ordinances have changed since then, and now Tarquini needed approval to build within the new boundaries. In 1994, he proposed building within 9 feet of the flooding fringe, and in 2012, he pushed it back to 14 feet.

"We situated the building on the high point of the property... but that's also situated within the flood plane," said David Damon, a contracted professional engineer.

They plan combats broaching the flood plane by reducing the paved area in the property. Damon testified that the plans would add vegetative benefit to the area, and that an additional holding tank guards against flooding.

Additionally, real estate appraiser Kenneth Barrow testified that the area's light industrial character makes the proposed use more appropriate than a residential house, which he said would be hard to sell. 

ZBA member Craig Gardner inquired as to the type of roof (shingle) and if further flood permitting is needed. The Department of Environmental Protection will have to sign off on it, they said.

"I knew about the DEP permit already, but I wanted to make sure they were aware. Anyone who wants a variance, you need to make sure they are prepared," he said after the meeting.

Also, ZBA member Bob Rushton questioned the site plans, saying tool sheds were not accounted.

"There's a lot more buildings and so on and so forth that's not in the plan," he said. 

The ZBA approved the plan 4-1, with Rushton casting the only negative vote.

"The plans just weren't complete enough for me to support it," he said.

Springfield's zoning board next meets Nov. 15, a week earlier than usual due to the Thanksgiving holiday.