Planning Board — May 19, 2026
After a third hearing on the fire service plan, the Environmental Commission's comments and architectural updates, the Board granted preliminary and final site plan approval, 7-0, to Ridge Oak Management (PB26-001) for a 29-unit, 100% affordable, age-restricted apartment building at 95 and 150 Manchester Drive. No members of the public asked questions or commented.
- Housing
- Development
Meeting recording
Recording plays on the township archive
This meeting does not play on this page. The township's recording is complete and plays in full on the township's own channel.
What happened
What the record shows
Attendance
Present: Agarwal, Crane, Eorio, Mastrangelo, Schaefer, Seville, Smith, Subervi and Tompkins. Absent: Bannan and Manduke (both excused). Also present: Board Attorney Jonathan E. Drill, Esq., Board Planner Allison Fahey, Board Engineer Aaron Schrager, Township Planner David Schley and Board Secretary Joanne Slaman.
Applications
- PB26-001, Ridge Oak Management, Inc., Block 1611 Lot 40 and Block 1609 Lot 22.01, 95 and 150 Manchester Drive,
third hearing (Crane recused).
- Attorney Luke S. Pontier said the applicant’s engineer had exchanged emails and spoken with the Basking Ridge Fire Chief; the emails and the resulting Fire Service Plan were submitted.
- Engineer Robert C. Moschello described the proposed hydrant location, read the Fire Chief’s emails into the record and answered the Environmental Commission’s memo of Mar. 23, 2026 item by item. The applicant agreed to ask Somerset County about tree planting on county property; landscaping plans will follow.
- Architect Mary M. Johannesen described updates to the drawings, including wall-mounted LED downlights, a gazebo and benches; heating, cooling and structural details are not final.
- Pontier’s closing noted the applicant’s efforts to reduce the exceptions requested and to work with the Board and residents.
- Approved: preliminary and final site plan, subject to the conditions the applicant stipulated and those stated in deliberations. Motion Mastrangelo, second Tompkins, 7-0 (ayes Agarwal, Eorio, Mastrangelo, Seville, Smith, Subervi, Tompkins; Schaefer ineligible).
The memorializing resolution, adopted July 21, describes the approval as a “c” variance (for a conservation easement on the adjacent property), four site plan exceptions and preliminary and final site plan approval for a 100% affordable, age-restricted apartment building of 29 independent living units with 39 parking spaces, on a lot of about 1.99 acres in the SH-4 Senior Housing Zone next to the existing 268-unit Ridge Oak senior housing complex. See Fourth Round housing.
Minutes and other business
May 5 minutes adopted, 7-0. The Chairwoman announced that Seville would preside on June 2. The meeting adjourned at 8:44 p.m.
Public participation
The hearing was opened to the public for questions of each witness and for comments; no one spoke.
Records
- Minutes (township document page)
- Agenda (township document page)
- Memorializing resolution, in the July 21, 2026 minutes (township document page)
- Video on the township’s YouTube channel. This page follows the Board’s minutes.