BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH -- The applicant for the Sapphire Beach project on Ocean Boulevard came back before the city's Planning Board last week and received preliminary site plan approval for a proposed townhouse complex.

The applicant had previously failed to receive site plan approval from the board in January for a proposed mid-rise luxury condominium project that included an automated robotic parking system.

Sapphire Beach LLC is proposing to construct a six-unit, three-story townhouse project known as Sapphire Beach, on a 43,000-square-foot tract between Ocean Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, across from Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park.

The applicant's attorney, James Siciliano, Long Branch, said at the July 18 meeting, "We did consider a mid-rise [project] with 24 units, but it was denied. My clients have reconsidered the use of this property and decided to switch gears and go with another permitted use."

The applicant is now seeking final site plan approval and is scheduled to be heard at the Aug. 15 Planning Board meeting.

The board granted the applicant one variance for lot depth at the meeting. The area is zoned as RC-1 and requires a lot depth of 200 feet while the site has an average lot depth of 168 feet, according to Project Engineer James Giordano of Benchmark Surveying and Engineering, Avon.

"There is no opportunity to expand that depth," Giordano said, explaining that the site is located between Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Avenue.

The site currently contains four vacant structures, including three two-family homes and one single-family home, which Siciliano said the developer plans to purchase at fair market value.

According to the project's planner, Tom Thomas, Brielle, the project will be an asset to the community.

"One interesting thing is the total number of units will actually be less than currently exist at the site," he said.

Robert Waldron, Riverdale, the architect for the original Sapphire project, also testified at the hearing and said he sat down with the applicant and redesigned the project.

The townhouses will stand just over 33 feet high and each of the six units will be three stories high and slightly more than 4,000 square feet, according to Waldron, who added that each unit will include an elevator.

He testified that the lower level of each unit will contain a two-car garage and a den with a bathroom. The second level will include a deck facing the ocean, a living room, a master bedroom suite, two other bedrooms and a bathroom in each of the bedrooms.

On the third floor there will be a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, another deck facing the ocean and a smaller deck on the other side of the building, Waldron said.

Waldron explained that the living area is purposely positioned on the third floor to take advantage of the view of the ocean.

"It is a quality project," Waldron said. "This proposed plan for six units complies with city ordinances for townhouse [projects]."

The project also calls for each unit to have a driveway in addition to a two-car garage, which Giordano said will exceed the onsite parking requirement for the project.

Planning Board Chairman Howard Marlin commented after hearing the testimony on the new application, "I commend the applicant for the revision. I am glad to see you converted to an elevator instead of robotic parking."

The applicant's original plan called for an automated mechanical parking system to be constructed below the 24-unit, mid-rise, luxury condominium complex.

Siciliano had said that the idea behind the parking system was to hide the asphalt of a parking lot.

But after much controversy over the mechanical parking system, the board unanimously denied the application and Marlin had said, "There are other ways the parking problem could have been solved."