Blue Water Seafood hopes to open in the space being vacated by Zakon’s Fine Furniture. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi. Click to enlarge)
Three days after the Red Bank borough council initiated plans to make it easier for parking-deficient businesses to open in town, an East Brunswick-based seafood restaurant has landed on the planning board agenda with a proposal to open on Broad Street.
Blue Water Seafood, which had previously hoped to take over the space occupied by Ashes Cigar Club before a deal fell apart earlier this year, is now hoping to open at 9 Broad, according to plans filed with the borough planning office.
That storefront was most recently occupied by Zakson’s Fine Furniture. The building is owned by 17 Broad Street Red Bank LLC, the same company that owns the space occupied by women’s clothier Coco Pari.
According to the request by Blue 33 the same name that was to have been used at the Ashes space, at 33 Broad Blue Water would have a 14-space deficiency. A moratorium on payments into the parking fund, as proposed by the council this week and to be voted on October 25, would theoretically save the eatery $2,500 per space, or a total $35,000.
Mayor Pasquale Menna said the moratorium is being sought in order to stimulate business creation, and would be in effect for one year.
Here’s the listing on next Monday night’s planning board agenda:
Blue 33LLC d/b/a Blue Water Seafood Restaurant, 9 Broad Street, Block 28, Lot 12
P 9585
Seeking site plan approval; bulk “c” variances for: lot coverage (97% exists, 65%
permitted); minimum unoccupied open space (10 % required, none exists); parking (26
spaces required, 12 space variance previously granted, 14 space deficiency) and a
design waiver for lack of a screened refuse area to permit interior renovations and a
change of use from an existing 2,586 square foot furniture store to a seafood restaurant
without a liquor license, a permitted use, to utilize the entire building. CCD-2 Zone.
