Zoners OK changes for Coventry Woods development

SPRINGFIELD » The township’s Zoning Hearing Board held a rare meeting at the end of August to consider several requests for the Estates at Coventry Woods. Approval was given for relief in five specific areas, which all apply to the first phase of development and not overall plans for future residential construction.

National Realty Corporation (NRC) has appeared before the planning commission with regard to a single three-story medical office building of about 30,000 square feet that is part of the property with frontage at 351 N. State Road. The office building represents only 2.3 acres of the 48-acre overall parcel.

Although NRC has shown concepts for more than three dozen townhomes (called Phase 1 B), the company is focused on moving forward with deliberation on the medical office building.

“We wanted to get a head start on this section only because we have a tenant that may be interested,” said project engineer Dave Damon of H. Gilroy Damon Associates Inc. at planners’ June meeting.

The application requested and approved by the ZHB at the close of the Aug. 30 meeting were Special Exceptions for a portion of the parking lot and retaining wall to be in a flood-prone area, and the following four variances: to code which requires a building entrance to face State Road; to permit a parking lot at a street corner; to permit 121 off-street parking spaces where 157 are required if parking does not qualify for the allowable 30 percent reduction in accordance as a conditional use; and for relief from certain requirements in guidelines for TND (Traditional Neighborhood Development) developments.

The single office building is expected to be the only non-residential structure on the overall site. The township has seen plans for what has been called an “Active Adult Village” of 10 four-house clusters on an adjacent parcel in a sketch phase. An even larger residential development on the parcel’s more easterly land has been seen on some concept images, but is “to be discussed at sometime in the future,” according to NRC.

The public should be aware that each and every phase will be seen by various township departments and discussed in open meetings. While important to moving forward the office building, subject of the zoning hearing, no broader suppositions or implications can be made by the approvals.

At each stage, elements to be studied by planners, the zoning board and commissioners will include stream crossings; flood plains and flood prone areas; open space and conservation easements; steep slopes; sewage capacity and many other concerns routine with a development of this size. An Environmental Assessment Impact survey and traffic study can be expected.

Interested parties may keep apprised of activities on and plans for the site by contacting township offices at regular meeting intervals.