The Livingston Planning Board, at its Tuesday, April 18 meeting, pushed back votes for the preliminary and final site plan applications submitted by Om Divya Realty LLC at 212,214, and 222 North Livingston Avenue, andMountPleasantPartners LLC at 389-405 East Mount Pleasant Avenue. The Board will reconvene to hear testimony from Om Divya Realty on June 6 and vote on Mount Pleasant Partners’ plan May 16, respectively.
North Livingston Avenue
The Om Divya Realty LLC hearing picked up from February 7. The application requested various expansions to the parcel - which consists of Livingston Mart, LTown Liquors, and Assado Portuguese Steakhouse - including a rear shed addition, maximizing the indoor seating arrangement, replacing outdoor spotlights and reconfiguring the allocation of parking signs.
Michael Lipari, counsel representing Assado, requested changes be made to Om Divya’s amended resolution in hopes of protecting his client. This included concerns about their seating limits, in an effort to not exceed the 79 seats permitted inside. He also requested reopening the hearing to discuss seating, relocating outside furniture, and offside street parking.
This request was accepted by Board member Peter Klein and a motion was passed to hear testimony on June 6.
East Mt. Pleasant Avenue
The Mount Pleasant Partners hearing vote was postponed earlier this month, fromApril 4. The application sought to construct 254 multi-family residential units on the space, complete with site improvements.
Resuming testimony from the last meeting, Laurence Appel spoke about the complex’s clubhouse, whose internal features included “common program tenant amenities” like a leasing office, model apartment, outdoor space, fitness area, and golf simulator. Appel also provided roadway-level images of the complex’s architectural elevation and confirmed that they intend to put solar panels on its building roofs. The all buildings will have sprinklers and, after construction, be tested by first responders to ensure radios are operational in each unit.
Afterwards, traffic engineer Gary Dean provided a traffic count and assessment of the complex in relation to Mt. Pleasant Avenue and Force Hill Road. Traffic, he claimed, carried about 600 vehicles per hour in the morning (8 to 9 a.m.) and, by the evening, slightly increased to 750 vehicles per hour. Measuring the level of service for both streets’ intersections, Dean said that both operate at a very favorable level.
While he acknowledged traffic was lower compared to five years ago due in part to COVID-19, alternate delivery service models, and changing demographics - Dean claimed the complex driveway will meet recognized design standards. This includes its boulevard configuration leading to the state highway, which will permit emergency vehicles to drive on both sides.
Dean then took questions from members Steve Santola and Ana Gucci, who expressed concern about a lack of tandem parking spaces for all residents. He responded that it will depend on who moves into the units, though Dean suggested that decals, leasing, and registered vehicles will help office staff recognize out-ofplace cars in the visitor’s space. Appel confirmed that all of their multi-family projects use tandem spots and, according to developers, work fairly well.
Engineer Michael Lanzafama went into detail about the complex’s loading area, which was re-evaluated since the last hearing. New additions include doubling the loading space on the south side of a cul-de-sac area, reducing a delivery area’s size while limiting its parking to 15 minutes, and modifying a loading area to help with move-ins. Lanzafama also confirmed that various trees will be planted on the residential units’ outskirts and surrounding backyards to “soften the appearance” from neighbors’ perspectives.
After listening to one Livingston resident’s concerns about parking construction vehicles on Force Hill Road, the Board offered closing statements praising Mount Pleasant Partners’ testimony presentations and public outreach efforts.
The Board plans to prepare a resolution for a vote on May 16.
