Wawa Hearing Scheduled For Wednesday
Board of Adjustment scheduled to hear Route 34 application
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The Board of Adjustment on Wednesday is scheduled to hear an application to build a Wawa convenience store with gas station and a separate solar farm on property at Route 34 and Hurleys Pond Road.
Wall-based CJS Investments wants to combine portions of two adjoining parcels at the intersection to create enough space on each to build a Wawa convenience store with gas station with a separate, unmanned, 2,968-panel solar electricity farm behind it.
The company's last pitch to the board was in February.
Art Bernard, a planner who testified in favor of the Wawa proposal, touted the benefits to the surrounding businesses and the town. The land is zoned for office use. CJS is asking for the board to grant a waiver to allow the Wawa.
“I think the use is quite compatible with surrounding land uses and will result in little to no change in levels of service regarding traffic and the use provides a valuable service,’’ Bernard said.
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The Board of Adjustment is scheduled to meet at 7:30 p.m. at town hall, 2700 Allaire Rd. There is a 7 p.m. workshop session that preceeds the public meeting to which the public is also invited, but cannot participate.
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But board member James Gray said there were plenty of places to get gas in the area, and that office parks, like the one directly across from the proposal, often have restaurants in them to serve workers. Gray said he didn’t understand the benefit of having another Wawa on the state highway.
“I’m having trouble understanding, really, the positives,’’ Gray said. “Cars aren’t konking out from lack of gas stations on Route 34, so I’m trying to understand the positive criteria.’’
The company proposes to expand the first lot, which has access to Route 34, from less than an acre to about 2.5 acres. That is where the company proposes to put the Wawa store and gas station.
Behind that, on a 4.7-acre property fronting Hurley Pond Road, is where the company wants to build the solar electricity farm.
Johnson
12:30 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
We do not need another gas station let alone a Wawa we are over bombarding our town with the negatives of these gas stations we need better use of our towns land not have gasoline contaminated properties all up an down the corridor
Mark
12:38 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Johnson I agree with u. What ppl do not understand is that we have more contamination from gas stations then anything else I work in a environmental remediation company only if you see how much gasoline is put into our drinking supply alone our kids are going to pay for our mistakes keep these stations out of our neighborhoods
Debbie
1:12 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Hello there! You guys have said some really touchy points. You guys are right we need to protect our beautiful town. We should be approving productive land uses not gas places we know what they do to our health and living standards why would we want this use? wall lets get these stations out of our neighborhoods!!
Tom
1:19 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Get these Wawa and quickchecks out of here, they are stupid and these business are not a need in our community. we are doing great with out them and with them we don't need laborers standing waiting to get picked up every morning at these locations this is going to make our properties worth nothing
Jane
4:33 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
No use no variance !!! We have had enough of you Wawa and quick check
DoubleM
6:05 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Well at first I was thinking, what the heck, another tax-paying business in Wall might be good ... you know, any taxes they pay might actually lower mine. But what the heck, it's gonna go up every year, anyway ... then I read these other comments and started thinking yeah ... it's so pretty every time I take a walk up Rte 34, a WaWa right there would only spoil my view of the lovely Dorrer's Garage and the fragrant fumes from Wall Speedway ... not to mention the pollution from Rte 34 that could be making it's way south down to the Manasquan Reservoir ... somehow ... good points people! If they want to open a business, tell them they can just build yet another empty office park!!! Yeah! THAT's what we need!!!
Steve
6:11 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
When the last time you ran the vacancy checklist up 34 ? I work for real estate firm and 95 percent have tenants so what are you trying to say u want a gas station ? That's the last thing I want
DoubleM
6:41 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Apparently CJS is not interested in building an Office Park, and you are not interested in the additional tax revenues Wall would receive from a gas station, and so we get ... nothing. Well done!
Tom
6:50 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Why do we care about Cjs ? I don't so yea how about we build something with value in our tomorrow not in come billion dollar corp?
DoubleM
6:58 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
You should!
Jen
7:03 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Looks to me like double m works for Wawa or CJS stop with your bias this blogs for the citizens of the town
DoubleM
7:16 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
LOL - no, I don't work for either. And I live in town. Apparently, though, I'm the only one "blogging" who actually pays taxes. Or, at least, dislikes it when THEY GO UP EVERY YEAR. Chasing away new businesses doesn't help!
Michelle
7:46 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
How long til Wall looks like Brick? Moved here almost 20 years ago because I loved the woods, open spaces and farms. Rather pay the higher taxes to keep what little of that remains.