New Jersey Zoning Officials Consider Allowing Apartment Complex to be Rebuilt Using Wood

The Borough of Edgewater, NJ, Zoning Board recently held a hearing to consider rebuilding the burned-down Avalon at Edgewater apartment complex with the same lightweight wood-frame construction method that caused the fire in the first place. The January 2015 fire that destroyed the 240-unit apartment building burned for seven hours and left 500 people homeless. Ironically, the same apartment complex burned down 15 years earlier, while it was still under construction, using the same wood-frame methodology. The two fires are considered the worst in Bergen County’s history.

The borough’s Zoning Board of Adjustment heard developer AvalonBay’s proposal at 7 p.m. on September 7 in the council chambers.  And while state legislators have not toughened fire safety regulations since the fire (despite five separate pieces of legislation trying to roll back out of control building code requirements to safer levels), AvalonBay says they plan to go "above and beyond" existing code to protect the building from future blazes. Stuart Lachs, the architect for AvalonBay, said the new building would use a more comprehensive sprinkler system than the original, but nevertheless the same style of construction that contributed to the conflagration of the fire. The new system includes sprinklers in concealed spaces, covers a larger area and discharges water faster.  AvalonBay also proposes to add concrete masonry firewalls to the building, running up to 30 inches over the roof. Lachs also said the building would add more fire department connections in addition to the six hydrants on the streets. The zoning board meeting Wednesday stretched until past 10 p.m.; AvalonBay's hearing is scheduled to continue October 5.

"The Edgewater fire should serve as a catalyst for change to strengthen our building codes and fire prevention efforts. We can’t wait for another tragedy where lives may be lost," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chairman of the New Jersey Fire Safety Commission on a media call about the hearing.