The Planning Board granted approval that opens the door to allow a restaurant, including an outdoor rooftop, and music venue to operate at a former bank building downtown.
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During its May 28 meeting, the Planning Board unanimously (9-0) approved Application #19/23, granting minor site plan approval and a bulk C variance after about 80 minutes of testimony and questions.
Owners of the Rahway National building at 1420 Irving St. presented a concept of a restaurant with rooftop seating to the Redevelopment Agency in December 2022 and were designated as redeveloper. A year ago, City Council amended the Central Business District (CBD) Redevelopment Plan to add “quasi-educational uses” among the permitted uses. The governing body on Monday gave final approval to an ordinance (O-19-24) granting 44-foot and 40-foot easements on the north end of Train Station Plaza to allow for construction of two stairwells with landings for emergency access purposes.
Attorney Chris Murphy of Newark-based Murphy Schiller and Wilkes opened last month’s meeting with an explanation of proposed improvements to the existing two-story commercial building. The application is changing the use by adding a restaurant on the first floor, a rooftop outdoor dining area, and a music school and performance venue on part of the first floor, he said.
The former Rahway Bank building was constructed around the turn of the 20th century and most recently served as a Wells Fargo bank. Owners purchased the property for the purpose of developing a multi-tenant use, renovating the second floor which is now occupied as flex office space that will remain, architect Stephen Carrozza testified.
The main alterations will subdivide the ground floor into multiple tenant spaces. The largest tenant area to the south, facing Train Station Plaza, is intended as a restaurant though there is no tenant at this point. Another space of about 1,457 square feet (B1 in the plans above) is proposed to be an occupant that does recordings and music lessons, with a couple of lesson rooms, one of which will serve as an isolation room for recordings, and a control room. Another space of about 1,663 square feet (B2 in the plans above) will be a performance space that could also be used for rehearsals and other music and performance-related functions. Public performances would only take place in the music venue (B2), which also may be put to use for recording sessions when not open to the public.
The proposed restaurant would accommodate 49 occupants on the ground level and the rooftop area of about 2,458 square feet would also accommodate 49 occupants for a total 98. Both outdoor dining areas would be regulated under the seasonal dining ordinance, operating no later than 10:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).Total occupancy could be 325, with 99 for the performance space, 99 inside the building, 29 for the recording studio, and another 98 outside between the ground level and rooftop area. Because of constraints on space, there is no room to add parking, Murphy said.
Storefronts would occupy primarily the south side of the building with some on the east facade facing Irving Street.
The performance space, B2, would have a barrier-free access ramp and stairs to the main entrance and an exit on the side that already exists along Irving Street. A large opening with a glass and aluminum door could be open to the public for some events. Plans for the exterior elevation of the east and south, facing Train Station Plaza, show three ground-floor tenants would have three separate signs. One will be RMC Studios, a Garwood-based music instruction, and the other two still to be determined. Five groups of large windows would face the plaza on the south side, with two new entryways and landing and stairs.
Chris Kozlowski, an attorney who owns 30 Vail Place, which abuts the property directly next door, raised concerns about noise since a music venue is a “substantial change from what’s been there.” He suggested having a noise control certified. Likewise, the property has never been a restaurant and he requested that trash be stored properly, in addition to a sidewalk slab in the alleyway between the two buildings be pitched away from his building because of flooding.
There was some discussion about restrictions on music at the outdoor dining area. The applicant’s representatives said they’re amenable to restricting loud music in the outdoor dining area. Murphy said they are very confident that sound won’t be heard because of the existing thick masonry exterior walls but also insulation and other products installed. In addition, there are two staircases and a vault between dining area and the law office building, he said.
The performance space (B2) is entirely detached and away from the attorney’s office building and any sound within the music studio (B1) can be contained, especially in the back wall, and less so in the front area facing Irving Street because of glass openings but the windows are still well insulated. “We can certainly test it and make sure it meets requirements of the noise ordinances for sound transmission during business and other hours,” Murphy said.
Editor’s note: This post was based on an audio recording of the May 28 Planning Board meeting.
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