HOWELL – The Howell Zoning Board of Adjustment has approved an application that would build 17 homes on Cloverhill Lane.
The plan involves splitting a 41-acre tract of land that lies on the border of Freehold Township into a 20-lot subdivision of single-family homes. In addition, new roads will be created, connecting Howell and Freehold at a new location.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment voted on the application at their June 14 meeting. Chairman Wendell Nanson and board members Paul Sayah, Richard Mertens, Glenn Cantor, Matthew Hughes, James Moretti Jr. and Jose Orozco voted “yes” on a motion to approve it.
Gross and Gross Associates LLC’s proposal consist of 17 lots for single-family homes, one lot for an existing home on Cloverhill Lane and two lots for stormwater management facilities. Cloverhill Lane will be extended to the east, with the network of new roads connecting to Maher Road in Freehold Township.
Charles Cunliffe, the board’s engineer explained how Gross & Gross began lobbying for the subdivision in 2005 and the Planning Board signed off on the proposal that year. In 2007, zoning regulations changed, requiring larger parcels than those in the proposal. In 2015, the Zoning Board gave a preliminary approval to split the land into parcels smaller than two acres.
With Howell and Freehold Township bordering for several miles, this isn’t the first proposal for development around that area in 2021.
New warehouse development was opened up back in March when the Planning Board approved a 53-acre, eight-parcel subdivision off Vanderveer Road. Another developer FP Howell LLC is trying to convert 100 acres of mainly undeveloped land into 319 housing units, which includes 92 affordable-rate condos. This proposal has a scheduled hearing in July.
Also at the June 14 meeting, the board was to review an application for a commercial development near Howell Middle School North and Howell High School, but this was postponed to August 23. This proposal includes 30 units of “multitenant flex” space, meaning a mix of warehouse and office space.
