Mount Laurel apartments okayed, but board member urges multi-family slowdown for town.

Although the Mount Laurel zoning board last week unanimously approved 108 new apartments on Ark Road, one veteran member said he was uneasy with the collective impact of apartment projects on the town.

The third phase of Laurel Green apartments would increase the size of the complex by more than a third on Ark Road between Route 38 and Union Mill Road.

Of the 108 units, 22 will be set aside as affordable housing and nine will be three-bedroom apartments, which are in demand, said the developer's lawyer, John A. Giunco, of Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla of Red Bank, in Monmouth County.

Board member John B. Francescone, who has served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment since 1996 and is a former chair, complimented Laurel Green 3 Residential Development LLC, of Colts Neck in Monmouth County, on its project and noted it met the necessary conditions to be granted preliminary and major site-plan approval.

But Francescone said apartment developments in total are exacting a toll on his town.

"While each of these, when they come before us, their increment doesn't cause all of the problems we're having with infrastructure and traffic in Mount Laurel, but when you add them all up, they really are," Francescone told the board. "Mount Laurel does have a disproportionate share of multi-dwellings compared to most communities. Hopefully that can slow down."

The apartments will rise on a wooded, 6.6-acre lot at 203 Ark Road owned by FAHR LLC of Cherry Hill next to the existing Laurel Green apartments. The existing apartment complex has 298 units, with 60 affordable units, Giunco said.

"There is a significant demand for additional apartments of this quality," said Giunco, who added the existing apartment complex had a 97% occupancy rate, with many potential tenants turned away because of the demand.

Trees that may need to be removed on the property include black oak, chestnut oak, white oak, red cedar, black cherry, red maple, pitch pine and American holly, according to the developer's documents filed to support the application. The developer said there would be compensatory planting for the trees removed.

No members of the public testified.