Two developers are planning new townhome developments in Red Bank, and city commissioners voted unanimously to rezone several properties in the city at the developers' request.
Tommy Austin requested that the property at 1700 Ashmore Ave. and 0 Mason Drive be rezoned from R-1, which allows for single-family residential dwellings with a minimum road frontage of 60 feet, to RT-1 residential townhomes, which allows for single-family townhomes with a minimum lot width of 18 feet. The development will have up to 31 lots, though several are unbuildable and will be used for common areas, said Austin, who plans to build 28-30 townhomes on the parcels' combined 6 1/2 acres.
Mike Price of MAP Engineering requested the rezoning of less than 5 acres of undeveloped property around the 400-500 block of Lullwater Road on behalf of Sam Piper Development, who Price said is planning to purchase the property from the current owner. Previously zoned R-1 residential, the property is now zoned R-TZ, allowing for single-family detached dwellings with minimum lot widths of 35 feet and zero lot lines, meaning the dwellings must be at least 10 feet from the adjacent property line. Plans for the development are still in a state of flux, Price said, but the developer has discussed building 16 two- to three-story homes ranging from 1,500-2,200 square feet. He said the current plan is to build single-family residences with rear-loaded lots, meaning garages will be located in back and accessed using a private alley. Two driveway entrances off Lullwater will lead to the alleyway offering access to the overall development.
No one expressed opposition to either development during the related public hearings July 18, though several neighboring property owners asked questions. A resident who lives at 426 Lullwater asked if a traffic study had been done on the narrow country road, which is mainly undeveloped and includes a small one-lane bridge that she was concerned may not be able to handle the extra traffic this development would bring.
"We're looking at that bridge in the future," responded Mayor John Roberts.
Price said he and the property owner have complied with the request of adjacent property owners behind the proposed development to include landscaping that would provide a screen. The project will likely begin in 2018 and take between 18 months and two years to complete, he said.
Austin said he does not yet have a start date for his development.
A second approval vote by the city commission is required in each case before work can begin.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.