Politics or Planning: Board Shoots Down Proposed Parsippany Road High-Rise

There will be no new high rise on Parsippany Road—at least not for now. 

After months of testimony and discussion, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Planning Board voted down Monday night a motion for an overlay ordinance covering the lot at 272 Parsippany Rd. The vote creates an uncertain future for the Renaissance at Parsippany luxury condominium plan.

The board designated the property "in need of rehabilitation" six months ago by a unanimous vote. The Town Council—also unanimously—approved the designation as well. The panel had to determine what type of development present zoning laws would allow to take the place of a vacant building now standing on the site. 

With the vote, a prospective mixed-use project that would include a bank and a five-story, 50-unit luxury condominium building will not be permitted.

Cerbone-Prisco, a development team out of Parsippany and Summit, thought the Parsippany Road site between the Board of Education building and another bank would be ideal for their project. The firm already had a bank interested in the plan and, according to Carl Cerbone, millions of dollars invested in it. 

"This project would make money for Parsippany," Cerbone insisted. "We need to attract quality rateables to Parsippany. We need to upgrade the quality of the housing stock."  

Many of the board members spoke against the project's perceived negatives: its height (six stories if one counts the parking level), the occupancy density (average density in the area, which includes three rental communities, is 24 units per acre; Renaissance would have twice that on 1.2 acres) and the traffic.

Board member Thomas Dinsmore summed up the complaint.

"It's far too intense, far too high, and far too much of an intrusion for neighbors," he said.

"Even if we drop a story it would still have the highest density in the township," board member Kenneth Purzycki concurred, adding that the board needs to study other potential business uses for the site.

No public comment was permitted in the ongoing discussion, but many residents, most apparently opposed to the development, were on hand.

In the end, the board voted against having any building on 272 Parsippany Rd. that exceeded three stories (and a parking level). The vote was unanimous save for an abstention by Town Council member Michael dePierro.

The developers were visibly upset by the decision. Asked whether the Renaissance project could be redesigned to cover three stories consisting of 30 units, he shook his head in response.

"There's no money [in it]," he said.

Ed Snieckus, a planner with Burgis and Associates, said he will craft something this week that is "more in compliance with the master plan in terms of height and density." Once done, the planning board will discuss the matter again on June 20 before bringing it before Town Council.

Once the vote was over, dePierro took the floor. 

Despite voting in favor of allowing the "in need of rehabilitation" designation as a member of both the Township Council and the planning board, the councilman announced that he had changed his mind about the designation.

"It's nothing more than spot zoning," he said. "If we continue with it, we're going to have a multitude of applications and armies of lawyers. It will be the death knell of Parsippany.

"People say it's time to change," dePierro continued. "I don't want to change. I want Parsippany the way it is and the quality of life we have now. I recommend rescinding the 'in need of rehabilitation' designation."

The room filled with applause from a portion of the audience.

Board attorney Anne Marie Rizzuto stated that from a legal standpoint, the designation in theory can be "a legitimate planning tool" for municipalities.

Mayor James Barberio dismissed dePierro's about-face as political, noting that, as a member of both the council and the Planning Board, dePierro voted in favor of the rehabilitation designation—twice.

DePierro said that at the time of those votes, he did not realize the implications involved in allowing properties to skirt zoning laws via the "rehab" designation.

The mayor also spoke against the notion of not considering change.

"We are not turning into Newark. I have no intention of turning Parsippany into a city," he said, arguing that something must be done to improve the housing stock and bring in new property tax revenue. "If we're not proactive, we're going to be left behind."

Dinsmore argued that the problem was not the designation, only that the Renaissance project did not fit this particular space.

"We should be proactive," DePierro countered, "but within our zoning and master plan."

Developer Carl Cerbone was angry about the decision. Decision or no, "we still own the property," he said, charging that dePierro made a politically motivated grandstand move. "This was about politics the night before the election. We became nothing more than a political football."

The planning board's next meeting will be June 20 at 7:30 p.m. It is expected at that time to continue crafting a recommendation to the Town Council on approved parameters for developing 272 Parsippany Rd.