PETERSBURG — Plans are in the works for a garden center at 442-444 Route 9 South in Marmora on a property with two homes.
The Zoning Board on Jan. 9 granted an Ocean View man preliminary and final site plan approval and a use variance to allow construction of a 4,900-square-foot office/retail building, a 10,080-square-foot greenhouse, an outside storage area, parking lot and stormwater basins to operate a retail garden center.
According to the report by board engineer Greg Schneider, the total property is about 9.393 acres, meaning building coverage would be just 1.96 percent.
The project would include 49 parking spaces, nearly twice the required 25 spots. Variances were sought for use, front yard setback and tree preservation.
Jason Grecco requested use variance relief to permit the two primary uses, a garden center along with two existing residential dwellings. While the Marmora Town Center District allows mixed uses, residential use is permitted only on upper levels when nonresidential uses are proposed on the first floor. No stand-alone residential building is permitted along Route 9.
The applicant has requested variance relief for the front yard setback of all buildings. The maximum front yard setback of structures will be zero feet from the build-to line along Route 9.
The applicant has requested variance relief for tree preservation. The minimum tree preservation is 15 percent, where the applicant is proposing 6.54 percent.
Several sheds on the property will be removed to eliminate non-conformities of accessory structures.
Grecco also will have to obtain approval from the state Department of Transportation for new driveway access off Route 9.
Reached before the meeting, Grecco said the project is a long way from fruition.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff