Thought I would strat a new thread on this one.

Parking deck boosts scope of plans for

By Rob Jennings, Daily Record

ROCKAWAY TWP. -- Christ Church of Montclair has submitted a revised building plan showing a slight increase in the project's size and additional details on a parking deck.

The revisions were mailed last Friday in response to board questions at a Dec. 20 meeting, the 10th on the 5,000-member, evangelical Christian church's building plan on Green Pond Road.

Overall, the church's plan -- including a 2,512-seat sanctuary, private K-5 school, fellowship hall, youth center and recreation facilities -- would total 304,306 square feet. Christ Church previously described the project as totaling 303,000 square feet.

A parking deck with 148 spaces would bring total parking to 1,541 spaces, 24 more than required by local ordinance.

"It is our opinion that the property would be less impacted by proposing a parking deck over existing parking areas, rather than currently landscaped, pervious area," read a note in the revised plans, submitted by Gruskin Group of Springfield.

Planning board chairman Mort Dicker said Wednesday the number of spaces on the deck was part of the additional information sought by the board. The information was mailed by Christ Church on Jan. 21, the deadline for submission for consideration at next Monday's planning board hearing.

ADVRTISEMENT

Dicker said the church previously discussed the deck "without any great specificity." The board, he said, would have a number of questions on the deck.

"They have to show us how it is accessed," said Dicker, who had not yet reviewed the plans.

Christ Church spokesman Marc Weinstein did not have additional information on the revisions.

Christ Church's original plan, totaling 412,334 square feet, was submitted on Sept. 24, 2003.

The church significantly reduced the project last August to 287,000 square feet in order to gain an exemption from the new state Highlands law, which dramatically limits development in a preservation zone that includes the proposed church building site.

Shortly after the Highlands exemption was granted on Sept. 29, the church acknowledged a slight miscalculation and raised the total space to 303,000 square feet.

Weinstein said, at that time, the increase would not jeopardize the church's exemption from the Highlands law, which was contingent on the accuracy of information provided by Christ Church.

Rockaway Township is challenging the state Department of Environmental Protection's exemption ruling in appellate court in Trenton. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

DEP has said that its decision granting the Highlands exemption is not being reviewed.