The Newark Central Planning Board recently voted to approve a proposal for a new four-story building at the intersection of Leslie Street and Clinton Avenue in Upper Clinton Hill. The proposed building, which was approved unanimously during the board’s regular meeting on August 10, would redevelop the vacant lot at 760 Clinton Avenue and deliver 24 apartments, two retail pads, and 23 parking spaces.
Architectural plans submitted to the board show the building will occupy roughly 6,750 square feet and span a combined 23,884 square feet. The commercial portion will consist of 1,866 square feet fronting Clinton Avenue, while the residential portion will consist of 12 one-bedroom, 9 two-bedroom, and 3 three-bedroom apartments. Unit sizes will range between 588 and 951 square feet.
A July staff report from the board says the applicant, Vancho Tolomanosi, working on behalf of 760 Clinton Ave Shoho LLC, requested nine variances for yard setbacks, an insufficient street-facing façade, ground-floor heights, and illumination on the premises. The applicant also requested a design waiver for insufficient parking space dimensions.
The project would add 23 parking spaces accessible via Leslie Street, even though the neighborhood’s zoning does not require any parking to be built. It would deliver two accessible parking spaces and four parking spaces for electric vehicles.
Although some members of the public objected to the application, Bishop Dellroger Dunmore of First Zion Hill Baptist Church at 15 Leslie Street, across the street from the site, submitted testimony in full support of the proposal. He added that the congregation is also fully supportive, as the project would have a positive impact on the neighborhood, which has faced challenges with drugs and violent crime.
Dunmore added that the church owns 20 other lots across the street and that members would be happy to support efforts to improve the area.
Records from the Essex County Tax Board show that the lots are owned by 760 Clinton Ave Shoho, which is based in Clifton and acquired the property in May 2020 for $71,344, despite the property’s assessed value reaching $534,900. The owner’s address matches that of the cybersecurity firm Ironclad Security Audit, which lists Tolomanosi as its CEO and founder.
Although the applicant did not provide a timeline for construction, the staff report notes that the site sits near two properties on Clinton Avenue where additional housing and retail space has already been approved by the board.
One application to redevelop the adjacent lot at 460 Clinton Avenue could deliver an eight-story mixed-use building with 38 apartments, retail space, and 8 parking spaces. The second application, CPB 24-15, consolidated two existing lots between Girard Place and Clinton Place to make way for a five-story building with 40 apartments and 24 parking spaces.
