Kalian Building Falls Short

Kalian Building Falls Short

At the end of a planning board meeting that was adjourned at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Planning Board voted to deny Kalian Associates the necessary variances to construct the high rise on First Avenue adjacent to the current Kalian building nearing completion. Only planning board member Dave Kupinski voted against the motion.

Members heard both from the professionals for the owner as well as local residents who stayed until past the 11^th hour to hear the results and express their own opinions.

Planning Board Chairman John McGoldbrick was generous with praise and thanks to the Kalian team, the residents and the planning board members for their professionalism, hard work and interest in the four-story building that would have changed the face of that end of First Avenue considerably.

Planners made the determination that the presentations failed to meet the specifics of the Master Plan both for its positive and its negative impacts on the borough.

The applicant was charged to meet both positive and negative stands, and the planning board members apparently did not feel they met both when the matter was fully evaluated and all presentations and impacts were considered.

Andrew Thomas, whose firm is in Brielle, explained he had helped write the borough’s Master Plan which was adopted in 2019, “not too long ago in planning time,” he said. He pointed out the goal of the Plan was “to limit future development and population density”  A primary goal to protect and continue the small town character of the borough.  The theme of the Master Plan, he continued, is to limit future development and noted the number of areas in which the applicant was seeking variances, from a higher elevation, to increasing parking issues, and increased density.  He pointed out among the negative criteria that the proposed building only offered approximately 5 per cent use of the first level for retail shops, with the vast majority allocated to parking and a gym for the residential units.

At least three persons spoke during the public hearing which did not start until 11 p.m., with James Krauss, chairman of the environmental commission, calling on the board to “slaughter the hog,” using Wall Street terminology that includes bulls and bears make money, an analogy that brought criticism from a local resident who is also employed by Kalian.

Resident Mark Fisher, who, like Krauss, has attended every meeting on the application and is known for researching all his information, also thanked Kalian for the beauty of the architecture and the design, but added, “This is not beautiful for Atlantic Highlands.” He agreed that if approved, “people would get used to it,” but reminded the property owner that “something more traditional for Atlantic Highlands would be better.”

Board members gave their reasons for their opinions, McGoldbrick called for a vote, and the possibility of this Kalian project being constructed on First and East Gatfield Avenues was put to rest.

Want to Read All the Stories on the Kalian Project?  Click HERE