Zoning Board Balks At Wawa Application

The Board of Adjustment on Wednesday declined to hear an application to build a new Wawa convenience store and gas station on a parcel of land at Route 34 and Hurley Pond Road.

The proposal by CJS Investments calls for subdividing a portion of the property at 1801 Route 34 between the convenience store and gas station and a proposal to build a solar energy facility with 2,968 solar panels.

But the division of the property was troubling to board attorney Geoffrey Kramer, who said the Planning Board would have jurisdiction over that portion of the application, not the zoning board. 

“If this were a combined board, exercising the power of both a Planning Board and Board of Adjustment, I would have no problem with these applications being heard,’’ Cramer said at the top of the meeting. “But one of the applications relates to a minor subdivision and that should be before the Planning Board.’’

After some discussion, board members agreed. The application was carried until the Jan. 18 meeting, pending the outcome of a possible Planning Board hearing on Jan. 9.

Meantime, the attorneys for the township, planning and zoning boards will come to a decision on which board should be allowed to hear the application, Kramer said.