06262026_PB 25 12 262 and 270 Main Street Planning Review 2

Memorandum 236 BROAD STREET, RED BANK, NJ 07701 • TEL 732.741.2900 • FAX 732.741.2929 • MAIL@HGAPA.COM • www.HGAPA.com TO: Township of West Orange Planning Board FROM: Malvika Apte, PP, AICP, Planning Board Planner Langley Oudemans, Associate Planner RE: PB Application 25-12 Planning Review # 2 262-270 Main Street Block 114, Lots 50 and 55 Preliminary & Final Major Site Plan Approval with Bulk “C” Variances Approval DATE: June 26, 2026 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Materials Reviewed Since our previous Planning Review dated May 19, 2026, we have reviewed the following materials: • Fifteen (15) sheets of 262-270 Main Street Civil Drawings prepared by Jordan Cecinini of Hudson Engineering LLC, dated May 15, 2025, revised through May 26, 2026; • Twenty (20) sheets of 262-270 Main Street Architectural Drawings prepared by Jorge Mastropietro Architects, dated revised through May 26, 2026; • Two hundred and forty-three (243) pages of Engineering Stormwater Narrative prepared by Hudson Engineering, dated May 26, 2026. The following materials were previously reviewed: • Six (6) pages of 262-270 Main Street Township of West Orange Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment Application Package dated September 12, 2025. • Two (2) pages of W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, prepared by 262 Main Street Realty LLC, undated. • Four (4) pages of 262-270 Main Street Proposal and Reasons for Relief Variance Requirement, prepared by Amanda C. Wolfe, Esq., undated • One (1) page of 262-270 Main Street Waiver Request prepared by Jordan Cecinini, PE of Hudson Engineering, LLC, dated September 17, 2025. • Six (6) pages of Township of West Orange Site Plan/Subdivision Checklist for 262-270 Main Street, undated. • Six (6) pages of Buffer Report and List of Properties within 200’ prepared by the Township of West Orange Office of the Assessor, dated April 21, 2025.

Memorandum Page 2 of 18 236 BROAD STREET, RED BANK, NJ 07701 • TEL 732.741.2900 • FAX 732.741.2929 • MAIL@HGAPA.COM • www.HGAPA.com • One (1) page of List of Public Utilities • Two (2) pages of Verification of Taxes & Sewer Charges Paid for 270 Main Street and 262 Main Street, prepared by the Township of West Orange Office of the Tax Collector, dated April 22, 2025. • Two (2) pages of Township of West Orange Application for Tree Removal and Replacement Permit prepared by Amanda C. Wolfe, dated November 19, 2025. • Seventeen (17) pages of Township of West Orange Tree Removal and Replacement Permit Application prepared by Amanda C. Wolfe, dated December 4, 2025. • One (1) page of Sustainability Checklist Form, undated. • Eight (8) pages of Block 114, Lot 50 Deed, dated February 19, 2025. • Eight (8) pages of 262 Main Street, Block 114, Lot 55 Deed prepared by Sara Hansen Wilson, Esq., dated March 12, 2025. • Three (3) pages of Adopted Resolution PB-12-28T prepared by the Township of West Orange Technical Review Committee, dated December 6, 2012. • Nine (9) pages of Professional Planner’s Report in Support of 262 Main Street Realty, LLC and 270 Main Street Realty, LLC, prepared by Kate Keller, AICP, PP and Nikhil Ramachandran, AICP, PP, dated October 2025. • Ninety-six (96) pages of Traffic Impact Assessment for Proposed Grocer 262-270 Main Street prepared by Dolan & Dean Consulting Engineers, LLC, dated March 11, 2026. • Thirteen (13) sheets of 262-270 Main Street Civil Drawings prepared by Jordan Cecinini of Hudson Engineering LLC, dated May 15, 2025, revised through February 26, 2026. • Eighteen (18) sheets of 262-270 Main Street Architectural Drawings prepared by Jorge Mastropietro Architects, dated March 9, 2026. • One (1) page of Copy of Application and Escrow Fees prepared by Yusef Siad, dated September 11, 2025. • Twenty-two (22) pages of Geotechnical Engineering Investigation Report prepared by Jordan Cecinini, PE, dated August 19, 2025. 2. Site Description (This is reiterated from our previous review dated 5-19-2026) The subject property includes two lots identified as Block 114 Lots 50 and 55 in the Township tax records. The site is located on Main Street, at 260-270 Main Street. The two lots combined create an irregularly shaped corner lot and occupy almost the whole block between Erwin Place and Prospect Place, with street frontage on all three

treet, at 260-270 Main Street. The two lots combined create an irregularly shaped corner lot and occupy almost the whole block between Erwin Place and Prospect Place, with street frontage on all three sides. The site has approximately 210 feet of frontage along Main Street, 162.5 ft. of frontage on Erwin Place and approximately 20 feet on Prospect Place. Overall, the property measures approximately 0.7 acres (30,218 SF) in area.

Memorandum Page 3 of 18 236 BROAD STREET, RED BANK, NJ 07701 • TEL 732.741.2900 • FAX 732.741.2929 • MAIL@HGAPA.COM • www.HGAPA.com The site is currently developed and occupied by two separate buildings, a vacant former Rite-Aid store in a single-story brick commercial building with an asphalt parking lot, and a diner in a single-story building with a separate asphalt parking lot. The applicant is proposing to demolish these structures and associated improvements to construct a grocery store with 44 off-street parking spaces in an onsite surface parking lot. The subject property is in the B-1 Retail Business district of the Township, which is a narrow zone that follows the commercial corridor along Harrison Avenue, Main Street, and Washington Street. Within that zone, it sits within the Central Business District and is directly adjacent to the Downtown Redevelopment Area. These commercial areas include mainly retail establishments, institutional uses, restaurants, higher density residential and mixed-use properties, and other commercial businesses. Conversely, the R-T Two- Family Residential sits to the east and west of the property, and single-family homes directly abut the subject property on the western side. Recently, the Planning Board approved project PB24-14 located at 172-174 Main Street, less than half a mile south of the property, which is proposing a mixed-use building with office space on the ground floor and seven (7) residential units on the upper floors. 3. Proposed Project Review: • During the last public hearing June 3, 2026, revised plans (dated 5-26-2026) were submitted as exhibits and then later submitted as a formal revised submittal. Upon our review, it is noted that there are not major changes to the plans, but the minor changes include the following: o 6’ vinyl fence between loading space and neighbor in Lot 58 o 8’ metal gate at loading space entrance o Firefighting system connection (label indicated “150ft near hydrant”) o Sheet A0.08 was added and includes the site and loading area traffic patterns o 42” railing at loading dock stairs and from employee parking area o Added fence details to arch plans o Curb cut openings • Further, two new variances were created for non-compliant fencing adjacent to the residential property on Lot 58. See Walls & Fencing section below. • For the most part, our memorandum/review remains the same with

new variances were created for non-compliant fencing adjacent to the residential property on Lot 58. See Walls & Fencing section below. • For the most part, our memorandum/review remains the same with changes and updated questions noted in bold, italicized, and underlined text. i. The Applicant is seeking a preliminary and final major site plan approval with twelve (12) “c” variances, two (2) waivers, and tree removal and replacement approval to construct a two-story grocery store of 18,078 square feet in area. This area includes, 13,934 square feet of ground floor to be used for sales and 4,144 square feet on the second floor to be used for storage.

Memorandum Page 4 of 18 236 BROAD STREET, RED BANK, NJ 07701 • TEL 732.741.2900 • FAX 732.741.2929 • MAIL@HGAPA.COM • www.HGAPA.com ii. The Applicant is proposing to demolish the existing buildings and regrade the parking area. iii. The proposal includes 44 on-site parking spaces including four (4) EV spaces, and two (2) parking spaces off of Prospect Place. iv. Floor Plans: a. The storage area on the second floor encompasses less than a third of the building footprint in a J-shape configuration. b. Employee bicycle parking is located on the second floor and accessed via an elevator with outdoor access from Erwin Place. The trash storage and cardboard compactor are located in a separate room on the second floor, and a corridor connects the trash room to the loading dock area. The remaining space is open to the first floor below. a. Applicant testified during June 3, 2026 public hearing that employee locker rooms and break rooms shall be located on the second mezzanine floor. Revised plans should depict the layout. c. The roof includes a 49’-2” x 20’-6” mechanical area enclosed by an 8’ high metal fence. The remainder of the roof space includes skylights and room for solar panels. A 42” high metal railing encloses the equipment on the roof on the parking lot, Main Street, and Erwin Place sides. v. Refuse and Recycling a. A trash storage room is proposed in second floor storage area. A note on the site plan indicates that the owner will be responsible for scheduling the pickup and disposal of refuse, and trash will be removed via the loading dock. a. During the June 3, 2026 meeting, the applicant testified that a private hauler shall be contracted for collection of trash. The applicant also agreed to comply with the timing of collection so that it will not occur between the hours of 9:00pm and 6:30am, per section § 4-4.2e. Compliance with this ordinance should be noted on the final plans. b. We also note in the revised plan that a 6-foot fence is proposed between loading dock and the adjacent residential property for screening. Proximity of the loading dock to the adjacent residential property is still of concern. c. The truck turning diagram, provided in the updated plans dated 5-26-2026, indicates possible damage to the proposed street tree on Erwin Place due to a tight turning area for large vehicles and trash trucks. Applicant to consider revising the

updated plans dated 5-26-2026, indicates possible damage to the proposed street tree on Erwin Place due to a tight turning area for large vehicles and trash trucks. Applicant to consider revising the location of the tree or providing alternative protections to prevent damage. vi. Entrances/Accessibility

Memorandum Page 5 of 18 236 BROAD STREET, RED BANK, NJ 07701 • TEL 732.741.2900 • FAX 732.741.2929 • MAIL@HGAPA.COM • www.HGAPA.com a. The main building entrance/exit faces the parking area and is adjacent to the sidewalk on Main Street, providing access to both pedestrians and people travelling by car. b. There is an emergency exit on the Erwin Place side of the building at the western corner of the property next to the loading space. c. An enclosed stairwell in the western corner of the building and a service elevator in the center of the building on the Erwin Place side provide access to the second-floor storage area. Access to the service elevator is also available from the outside of the building. a. Applicant testified that the elevator shall only be used by the employees to gain access to second floor and shall be accessed via FOB key. This should be noted on the final plans. Additionally, Applicant should provide information regarding if this elevator will be used for loading and unloading from the street and how security during that is to be managed. vii. Exterior Materials: a. The exterior of the building provides a contemporary style with a mix of metal design elements. The front of the building on Main Street includes a dark gray aluminum and glass storefront, which extends up to the second floor. b. On the Main Street, Erwin Street, and parking lot sides of the building, angled corrugated metal panels cover the upper sections of the facade, and mirror-finished and photo-finished aluminum panels cover the lower sections of the facade. c. Several of the materials proposed fall under the “Inappropriate Materials” as per § 25-16.12 of the Façade Design Standards, including corrugated metal and the mirror-finished aluminum panels. a. During the June 3, 2026 Planning Board Hearing, it was noted that a waiver is being sought for this standard. We recommend that a list of all the proposed materials which are on the unauthorized list be provided.

Memorandum Page 6 of 18 236 BROAD STREET, RED BANK, NJ 07701 • TEL 732.741.2900 • FAX 732.741.2929 • MAIL@HGAPA.COM • www.HGAPA.com Subject Site Aerial Source: NJ Geo Web

Memorandum Page 7 of 18 236 BROAD STREET, RED BANK, NJ 07701 • TEL 732.741.2900 • FAX 732.741.2929 • MAIL@HGAPA.COM • www.HGAPA.com 4. Zoning Review i. Proposed Use: a. The subject property is in the B-1 Retail Business district where retail stores are a permitted principal use and accessory parking is a permitted accessory use. b. Applicant shall provide a statement of operations including number of employees, hours of operations, shift timings, number of deliveries and other such operational details. This is recommended to be provided in a written format. c. Supplemental provisions for all districts (§ 25-8.1b): Off-street parking abutting a residential district requires a minimum distance of 10 feet from the property line. The proposal includes off-street parking, which directly abuts the property line of a residential district. A variance is required (V). ii. Corner Lot: a. As per § 25-4b of the Land Use Regulations, since the subject property is a corner lot and access to the main entrance is on Main Street, the Main Street frontage is considered the front yard, the Erwin Street frontage is the side front yard, the edge abutting the residential properties to the northwest is the rear yard, and the edge abutting the neighboring commercial property is the side yard. iii. There are no previous site approvals or existing deed restrictions, covenants, or easements listed in the application materials for this proposal. iv. Bulk Standards: The following table reiterates the bulk regulations that are permitted in the zone and the proposed site plans compliance/non-compliance with the same from our last memorandum dated May 19, 2026. a. It was recommended that the Applicant update the zoning table in the plans based on the following table, but the revised plans do not have an updated table. This should be revised. Bulk Standards for Retail Business in B-1 General Business Zone Ordinance Requirements Existing Proposed Min. Lot Area (Chapter 25 Attachment 3) Non-Residence: No minimum 30,218 SF 30,218 SF Min Lot Frontage/Width (Chapter 25 Attachment 3) Non-Residence: No minimum Main Street: 210.41 ft Main Street: 210.41 ft Erwin Street: 162.47 ft Erwin Street: 162.47 ft