BMW dealer has plans to expand
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Plans for the expansion of a BMW automobile dealership on Route 9 North near Schibanoff Lane have received a favorable nod from the Planning Board.

Following a public hearing at its Jan. 15 meeting, the board directed its attorney to draw up a resolution that will approve an application filed by the owner of the property, DCH Investments Inc., South Amboy. The resolution to formally approve the application will be voted on at an upcoming meeting.

The application was presented by attorney William Mehr, of Freehold, on behalf of the property owner.

The application was seeking preliminary and final major site plan approval to construct a 5,394-square-foot addition to the existing sales/service building and to reconfigure parking areas around the building. Construction of a parking lot for storage and vehicles and 148 parking spaces was also part of the proposal. Additional site improvements will include paving, lighting and landscaping.

The application requested a variance for building height. The township permits a maximum height of 25 feet and the proposed height of the building is 26.4 feet. The application also requested a side yard variance setback for its 80.2-foot setback because the township requires a 100-foot setback. A variance for maximum impervious coverage was also requested. The proposal asked for 75.9 percent (the existing coverage is 65.7 percent) and the township permits 60 percent. Also sought was a variance for a scenic corridor buffer of 14 feet. The township requires a 50- foot buffer.

A number of off-street loading areas were also the subject of a variance. Three loading areas are required and none were proposed in the application.

According to a report from Guy F. Leighton, township planner, the location of the BMW dealership was originally the site of the King Cadillac/Oldsmobile dealership. The board approved the original site plan in 1969. An increase in paved surfaces was approved in 1982 and an addition to the showroom was approved in 1991.

The business eventually became a BMW dealership.

The proposal, according to Leighton's report, calls for a major revamping of the facility, which includes two additions totaling 5,394 square feet to the main building to increase its size from 21,756 to 27,150 square feet. According to the report, the auto body shop building will be remodeled, eliminating the mezzanine area to reduce the square footage from 11,192 square feet to 10,430 square feet, a decrease of 1,182 square-feet.

The proposal also calls for an increase in the parking/vehicle storage areas from 274 spaces (214 on pavement plus 60 on gravel) to 380 spaces, primarily by expansion onto lot 21.02 that had been wooded.

The proposal will provide direct access through lot 21.02 onto Schibanoff Lane. Access will also continue to be provided to Schibanoff Lane through an easement on lot 19.02 (an Exxon gas station property).

The proposal will bring the total square footage of the two buildings to 37,160 square feet, creating a Floor Area Ratio of 0.15, the maximum permitted in the zone. Also proposed are site improvements, including an underground storm detention system, site lighting, landscaping and new paving and striping.

Planning Board Chairman Robert C. Mc- Girr said the owners of the automobile dealership will be improving the drainage system and upgrading its facility. He said the project will have a "total overall positive impact on the community."

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