Preschool: New life at former Charlie Brown’s in WT

FROM PAGE 14 preschool peak hour travel from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

Chase said the queue for dropping off children can hold up to 15 vehicles, and rarely goes over seven to nine vehicles at drop-offs and pick-ups.

He said a parking variance was being sought for providing 34 spaces, while code requires 108 spaces. A variance was requested for parking space size, where 9 foot wide by 18 foot deep spaces were proposed, and code requires 9 foot by 20 foot deep spaces.

He said one electric vehicle spot and charger must be provided by state law. ZBA members asked that the charger be in service only during school hours to prevent public access during off-hours and the applicant agreed.

Operations Director Danielle Selby told ZBA member Anthony Capasso that the “majority” of parents dropping off children just pull into the queue, drop off their child to a staff member, and exit the circular drive.

She said most parents do not park, but adequate parking based on other Montessori operations, has been provided on site. She said she has not seen 10 or more cars in a queue at any one time to

drop off children.

Public Comments

A couple residents questioned aspects of Chaseʼs traffic testimony.

Honeysuckle Drive resident Stephen Kalish said Linwood Avenue was a “pretty busy street” with cars often traveling at high rates of speed and wondered about cars making a left turn onto Linwood Avenue from Highland Avenue, which is in Paramus.

He asked if Bergen County officials had recommended restriping Linwood Avenue to have a more effective and safe traffic flow. Chase said they had “extensive discussions” about the traffic movement along Linwood Avenue but they were not requested to modify any road striping.

Kalish said he would ask the Zoning Board “to think about that.” Later, DeSena said the issue would be directed to Township Administrator Mark DiCarlo to follow-up with county officials.

Hemlock Drive resident Rose Candeletti wondered about vehicles making a left onto Linwood Avenue from Highland Avenue encountering vehicles making a left onto Linwood Avenue from the preschool driveway exit.

Chase said the county had concerns about 95 Linwood Ave.ʼs original driveway location opposite Highland Avenue and wanted to move the driveway further west to “provide (an) offset” for vehicles turning “so that turning movements do not conflict with each other.”

Candeletti later said the pre- school was “a good use for the property and I think theyʼll be a good neighbor and I think you should approve it.”

Hemlock Drive resident John Kral wondered about converting the land use zone from singlefamily to another “nonconforming use” and requested the Hemlock

Drive exit be only used for emergency vehicles.

He also wondered about the buffer between the site and Hemlock Drive residences. Applicant officials said they anticipated improving and expanding the Hemlock Drive buffer with more plantings.