A concept plan for a 44-unit, five-story building on East Cherry Street could come before the Planning Board at its meeting later this month.
Waldwick-based DMR Construction has proposed 44 units in a new five-story building that would replace 38-52 E. Cherry St. — from the driveway of Lot B up to, but not including, the building on the corner of East Cherry and Irving streets. The most recent version of the concept plan included 19 ground-floor parking spaces behind 1,175 square feet of retail along East Cherry Street.
The next meeting of the Planning Board is scheduled for Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. in City Hall. UPDATED: An application by R2-N2 Properties, LLC, is scheduled to be heard for a preliminary major site plan, final site plan approval and a minor subdivision with bulk “c” variance, for Block 318, Lots 18-21 and 1.03 (38, 44, 46 and 52 E. Cherry St.)
The Redevelopment Agency approved the site plan at its September meeting but the designation as redeveloper expires just as DMR is getting ready to make its application to the Planning Board, Executive Director Leonard Bier told commissioners at the Nov. 4 meeting. The agency will approve a conditional extension, which would require the Planning Board application within 60 days (January 2016). In the past, the agency granted two-year designations, he said, but nothing ever happened until 30 days before it expired.
Bier said they’ve been renegotiating with DMR and able to recusitate DMR’s project on East Cherry Street, although he did not elaborate at the meeting.
Engineer Jacqueline Dirmann told commissioners that they’re continuing to work with Slokker and DMR to get the project to the Planning Board stage, and still revising Slokker’s project (208-unit Main and Monroe project) for resolution of the property near DMR’s project.
DMR also has proposed a five-story, 75-unit mixed used development on the Irving Street block where Northfield Savings Bank is located, called Poplar Court. Bier told commissioners that DMR has not moved forward on that proposal because he wants to focus on the East Cherry Street project, which hit some obstacles. He said he would rather they concentrate on that project and get Planning Board approvals to be ready to break ground in the spring.