West Long Branch Golf Range could be replaced with 120 townhouses, condos
WEST LONG BRANCH - K.Hovnanian Homes' plan to convert the former golf driving range on Route 36 into townhouses and condos will return to the Planning Board next Tuesday.
The developer K. Hovnanian Homes is proposing to build 120 townhouse and condominium units on the roughly 20-acre property. The breakdown is 96 two-story townhouses that will be offered for sale at market rate. The remainder will be 24 affordable-housing condos, also for sale. The affordable homes will be two stories and placed in three buildings.
Residents will be able to access the site from Route 36. The borough has requested that K. Hovnanian add an emergency road that will connect to Monmouth Road that can be accessed by fire, first aid and police personnel.
The Schmitt family, who operated the driving range, still own the property, however K. Hovnanian is the contract purchaser, Michael Weisslitz, division president at K. Hovnanian's northeast division informed the Asbury Park Press.
It's unclear when the range closed, but a sign on the fence said the range was closed for the season and would reopen April 1, 2018. The family could not be reached for comment.
The property itself is overgrown and the office building is boarded up.
The development site is adjacent to Old Orchard Golf Course in neighboring Eatontown, where there is also a plan in motion to build homes. The borough of Eatontown approved the zoning for the homes last year.
The developer there is Surrey Equities, a local real estate investment and management firm. Surrey Equities intends to build 145 age-restricted single-family homes and amenities such as a swimming pool and clubhouse.
Jennifer Krimko, of the law firm Ansell Grimm & Aaron, who represents Surrey Equities, said they are under contract to purchase the golf course, which was designed by famed architect A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1929. Baseball legend Babe Ruth once hit the links there. Krimko said the developer has submitted its site plan for final review to Eatontown's Planning Board, and is currently scheduled for a public hearing the first week of June.
The golf course is 136 acres on a former apple orchard and the developer will leave 50 acres undeveloped and had said it would consider 100-foot buffers between the homes that back up to the course. There is also commercial component to the plan that would be consistent with the current development of Route 36 in that area, which is mostly car dealerships.
When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: K. Hovnanian plans townhouses, condos for West Long Branch Golf Range
