Date: Fri 23-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-Route-34-office-Maguire

Full Text:

P&Z Reviews Office Building Plan

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members will be taking a closer look at a

proposal to build a 7,500-square-foot office building on Route 34 in Sandy

Hook.

P&Z members were set to act on the development project at the May 15 meeting,

but P&Z member Heidi Winslow posed some questions on the proposal, prompting

members to decide to visit the site before taking action.

P&Z members want to view the site to learn how the proposed office would

relate to nearby properties.

The one-story building, with dimensions of 75 feet by 100 feet, is designed

for office space and storage. The structure would have a flat roof, a brick

veneer, a fluted metal fascia panel near the roof, and oblong vertical

casement windows. Garage doors would be installed at the rear of the building,

and landscaping would be provided.

James and Kathryn Maguire, the applicants, want to build an office building on

the east side of Route 34, about 1,200 feet north of its intersection with

Mile Hill Road.

The land is in a B-3 Business zone. The one-acre site would contain 28 parking

spaces. The building, proposed for general office use, would have an on-site

water well and septic system.

The building would have a positive effect on nearby property values, according

to the applicants.

Fire Marshal George Lockwood has approved the design of a water storage tank

for firefighting at the site. The health department has expressed concerns

about the quality of water which would be produced by a well on the site,

asking that the well be drilled before a building is built to check water

quality. The site is in the general vicinity of a former landfill.

The construction proposal meets all zoning requirements, according to the

town's zoning enforcement officer.

Approximately 2,800 cubic yards of earth materials would be removed from the

site in conjunction with the project.

An office building had been planned for the site about 10 years ago, but it

was never built.

The P&Z has until mid-July to act on the proposal. The P&Z's review of the

site development plan for such an office building doesn't require a public

hearing, but what is known as a site plan review.