This Redevelopment Plan has been prepared for Block 73, Lots
1-8; Block 74, Lots 6-10, 11.01 and 12; and Block 75, Lots 1-8 within
the Township of Manalapan, Monmouth County, New Jersey. The property
includes the Gaitway Farms horse farm and is zoned SED-20 Special
Economic Development for most of the tract with some lots being zoned
C-3 Commercial on the Township of Manalapan Zoning Map. This property
is referred to herein as the "Redevelopment Area."
On January 27, 2021, per Resolution 2021-84, the Manalapan Township
Committee directed the Township's Planning Board to study the
aforementioned properties to determine whether they constituted an
"Area in Need of Redevelopment" in accordance with the criteria specified
in the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law (LRHL) [N.J.S.A. 40A-12A-5(a)
through (h)]. On July 22, 2021, the Planning Board recommended that
Block 73, Lots 1-8; Block 74, Lots 6-10, 11.01 and 12; and Block 75,
Lots 1-8 qualified as an Area in Need of Redevelopment (without Condemnation).
Based on the findings of the Planning Board, the Township Council
adopted an Area in Need of Redevelopment designation for the subject
property on September 22, 2021 (Resolution 2021-312).
This Redevelopment Plan provides detailed standards and guidelines
to facilitate a non-residential redevelopment of the Redevelopment
Area. Given the decline in the horse industry, increase in traffic
congestion along Route 33 and the continuation of development along
the corridor, combined with the persistent problems caused by the
Manalapan (aka "Marianne") Manor and recent incidents of its residents
being struck by vehicles along Route 33, the Township has proactively
created this Redevelopment Plan to define the community's desired
redevelopment scenario for the Redevelopment Area. The Township intends
to capitalize on the property's location in relation to the New
Jersey Turnpike (site is approximately 6 miles to the east of the
Turnpike interchange) to facilitate the productive redevelopment of
the tract with one or more non-residential uses and require substantial
circulation improvements to control and direct truck circulation along
Route 33. The intent of the road improvements would be to redirect
the eastbound truck traffic returning to the New Jersey Turnpike from
existing and future developments west of the site into the Woodward-Millhurst
Road/Route 33 Corridor, and to provide a direct westbound connection
to Route 33 for traffic originating directly from the redevelopment
area by providing a safe and efficient circulation system through
the Redevelopment Area.
Figure 1 is a Key Map that shows the Redevelopment Area imposed
on a Manalapan Street Map. Figure 2 shows a color-coded tax map of
the Redevelopment Area, matched to the table below. Figure 3 provides
the aerial context with markings of land use issues, and Figure 4
illustrates the existing zoning designations. The area in question
comprises about 225 acres. The active portion of Gaitway Farm on Block
74, Lot 12 is 160 acres, while Lot 11.01 is 54.27 acres adjacent to
the active farm with 1517 feet of frontage on Woodward Road that has
been abandoned for farming and is currently under a foreclosure action
for default of a commercial mortgage filed in 2017. Other uses comprising
the 225 acres include the Marianne Manor on Lots 7 and 8 in Block
74, Lots 1 through 8 in Block 73 and Lots 1 through 8 in Block 75.
Uses proximate to but not included in the 225 acres include a bowling
alley on Block 74, Lot 13.02, and Block 74, Lots 1.01, 1.03, 2.011,
3, 4, & 5, which consist of several remnant highway uses of varying
degrees of functional obsolescence, with the exception of the Fireplace
Store on Lot 4, a former Walgreens pharmacy (recently reoccupied as
a Dollar Tree store) on Lot 2.011 and the equine veterinarian office
on Lot 1.01. This is a non-condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment
and those property owners, as of the time of designation, have not
expressed interest in being included in the area.
|
Table 1: REDEVELOPMENT AREA PARCELS
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DESIGNATION
|
BLOCK
|
LOT(S)
|
ADDRESS
|
OWNER
|
COMMENT
|
AREA
(ACRES)
|
|
ABANDONED FARM LOTS
|
74
|
9
|
HWY 33
|
WOODWARD ROAD CORP C/O J FISCHER
|
FARM
|
3.000
|
|
74
|
10
|
333 HWY 33
|
WOODWARD ROAD CORP C/O J FISCHER
|
COMMERCIAL
|
5.130
| |
|
74
|
11.01
|
WOODWARD ROAD
|
WOODWARD ROAD CORP C/O J FISCHER
|
FARM
|
46.140
| |
|
GAITWAY FARM (ACTIVE)
|
74
|
12
|
355 HWY 33
|
GAITWAY LAND, LLC
|
FARM
|
160.000
|
|
MARIANNE MANOR LOTS
|
74
|
7,8
|
327 HWY 33
|
GAYATRI RAMA AT MANALAPAN REALTY LL
|
MARIANNE MANOR
|
3.400
|
|
73
|
4,6,7,8
| |||||
|
75
|
3,4,5,6,7
|
HWY 33
|
GAYATRI RAMA AT MANALAPAN REALTY LL
|
VACANT LAND
|
0.362
| |
|
75
|
8
|
HWY 33
|
GAYATRI RAMA AT MANALAPAN REALTY LL
|
0.900
| ||
|
ISLAND LOT (MARIANNE MANOR)
|
73
|
3
|
HWY 33
|
TWP OF MANALAPAN
|
VACANT LOT
|
0.015
|
|
ISLAND LOT (MARIANNE MANOR)
|
73
|
5
|
HWY 33
|
ALLEN, CARRIE C/O LEWIS INGRAM
|
0.029
| |
|
BACK LOTS (MARIANNE MANOR)
|
73
|
1
|
HWY 33
|
ROESING, CHARLES A II
|
0.145
| |
|
73
|
2
|
HWY 33
|
ROESING, CHARLES A II
|
0.029
| ||
|
75
|
1
|
HWY 33
|
ROESING, CHARLES A II
|
0.164
| ||
|
75
|
2
|
HWY 33
|
ROESING, CHARLES A II
|
0.080
| ||
|
COMMERCIAL
|
74
|
6
|
321 HWY 33
|
321 RT 33, LLC
|
6.000
| |
|
225.393
| ||||||
|
The Redevelopment Area is located in the southernmost portion
of Manalapan located on the eastbound side of State Highway Route
33 approximately between the NJ Turnpike and U.S. Route 9 and is near
the border of Millstone Township to the south and west. The Redevelopment
Area is mostly surrounded by residential subdivisions to the south
and east, accessed from Woodward Road, and a large inclusionary residential
development to the north, accessed by Sawgrass Drive.
|
The remaining Chapters of this Redevelopment Plan are organized as follows: Chapter 2 sets forth the development standards within the Redevelopment District, including permitted uses, lot and bulk standards, access and parking requirements, and other site design standards; Chapter 3 provides a Consistency Review to establish the Redevelopment Plan's relationship to local objectives, the municipal master plan, and master plans of contiguous municipalities, the county, and the state; Chapter 4 summarizes the required redevelopment and Redevelopment actions; and Chapter 5 sets forth other general provisions of the Redevelopment Plan.
Figure 5 is a concept plan for a proposed Redevelopment project. The redeveloper designated by the Municipal Council in accordance with Section 4.1 of this Redevelopment Plan (the "Redeveloper") is required to develop the project in substantial consistency with these concept plans. However, the Redeveloper is also encouraged to make refinements within the limits of the requirements and guidelines described in Chapter 2 to effectuate the Redevelopment Plan.
Of note, comprehensive redevelopment of the entire redevelopment
area as one overall, interconnected development is critical to the
future success of the redevelopment effort. For instance, redevelopment
of the property known as Gaitway Farm (Lot 12, Block 74) as a stand-alone
project isolated from the rest of the identified Area in Need of Redevelopment
would effectively orphan the remainder of the redevelopment area from
having full signalized access to Rt 33 which is a critical element
of eliminating blight from the overall redevelopment area. In part,
this is a result of the NJDOT trip limitations resulting from existing
substandard driveway spacing along Rt. 33. Further, consolidation
of the existing driveways to a single, signalized intersection opposite
existing Sawgrass Drive with only limited, secondary driveways fully
conforming with all applicable NJDOT standards will improve both economic
viability of the overall area and more importantly pedestrian safety
in an area with documented pedestrian accidents.
This is particularly important given the Township is prohibiting
access to Woodward Road along the frontage of Lot 11.01 as part of
this Redevelopment Plan. The Township has experienced operational
problems at the signalized intersection of Woodward Road and Route
33 due to capacity limitations of the intersection. This concern is
supported by a traffic analysis prepared by Bright View Engineering
that shows existing Level of Service (LOS) conditions for the southbound
left turns at that intersection failing during the "no build" option
by 2023.
Finally, the Concept Plan in Figure 5 shows two alternative
intersection configurations: one with a new intersection and jughandles
at the project site and Sawgrass Drive; or only if access to Sawgrass
Drive is not available, improvements to the existing intersection
of Route 33 and Iron Ore Road.
 Figure 1: Key Map
|
 Figure 2: Redevelopment Area Map (See Table 1 for Color Key)
|
 Figure 3: Site Analysis Map
|
 Figure 4: Existing Zoning Map
|
 Figure 5: Concept Plan (WORKING DRAFT)
|
