Chatham planning board approves 100‑unit inclusionary housing project on River Road

The Chatham Planning Board on July 16 voted to approve preliminary and final site‑plan application PD‑2601 from AJDM Chatham LLC for a 100‑unit inclusionary residential building with ground‑floor retail at 293–337 River Road.

The board’s approval, taken after two hearings, was subject to a package of conditions covering stormwater and engineering reviews, coordination with the borough on a future access portal, compliance with emergency‑service recommendations, a banked‑parking clause for four spaces, and confirmation of affordable‑housing income allocations. The clerk recorded affirmative roll‑call votes from members present and the board adopted the resolution as amended.

Applicant attorney Derek Ward opened the presentation and summarized the submission. Civil engineer John Digiacinto, testifying under oath, told the board the team had worked informally with Boswell on a stormwater review letter dated 07/16/2026 and would continue to resolve comments. On site circulation, Digiacinto said the applicant proposed reducing the main driveway widths to 18 feet "which allows us to maintain our access for vehicles in and out of the site" while tightening pedestrian crossings and still accommodating small‑truck maneuvers.

Architect Michael Lawson told the board the architectural set now designates which apartments are affordable and that the affordable units meet UHAC sizing and finish standards. "All of these are UHAC compliant," Lawson said, adding that the developer will hire an administrative agent to finalize income distribution and unit marketing.

Lawson presented four facade renderings and physical brick samples in beige, cool gray, red and dark maroon. Board discussion favored a darker red/maroon tone. Lawson said the team preferred the beige option but accepted the board’s direction; the board marked the dark maroon selection in the record as Exhibit A‑8 and the architect confirmed the maroon brick would be used consistently across the building.

Landscape architect Jason Tronco described a revised planting plan, additional shade trees and a courtyard amenity program that includes a pool deck and seasonal gathering spaces. He said the plan shows a brick‑based monument sign of about 31.16 square feet, which requires a design exception from the borough sign‑area limit.

Traffic consultant Douglas Poliniak said the team used counts from a nearby similar building and estimated roughly 0.5 peak‑hour trips per unit — about 50 inbound/outbound trips for the residential portion plus 10–15 retail trips, for an overall estimate of about 65 peak‑hour trips. Poliniak told the board the reduced 18‑foot driveway geometry is acceptable for on‑site circulation and recommended that any proposed landscaping preserve sight lines at the driveways.

Board professionals read a set of conditions the applicant must satisfy before permits are issued. The conditions include: revised plans and testimony as reflected in the resolution and the final architectural set; compliance with staff and professional reviews and agency approvals (police, fire, sewer authority and the Madison–Chatham joint meeting as applicable); a developer’s agreement approved by borough counsel and the borough affordable‑housing counsel; a banked‑parking clause allowing the owner to landscape four spaces initially and convert them to asphalt when a retail tenant’s demand requires additional parking; ADA, fire‑protection and Knox key requirements; a maintenance manual for porous pavement and stormwater systems; and a requirement that affordable units be identified and marketed under UHAC compliance, with the income distribution matrix placed on the plan set and coordinated with the administrative agent.

Attorney Derek Ward closed by asking the board to approve the preliminary/final major site plan and the sign design exception. After brief deliberation, a motion to approve the application passed on a roll‑call vote; the board’s approval was conditioned on the items read into the record and the receipt of required agency memos.

What happens next: the applicant must submit final, revised plan sets and the documents required by the conditions for staff and professional sign‑off and for any outstanding agency approvals. The board noted the applicant will coordinate with borough offices and the Shade Tree Commission on planting details and with emergency services on fire and ambulance access requirements.