[Music] um recording yes all right okay we're going to call the meeting to order we've got a little bit of housekeeping that we need to do this is our first uh meeting of the year so give us just a a minute to get ourselves in order and then we'll we'll be all set okay so per ordinance the DRC should appoint a chair it's a chair only not a vice chair um so I did want to open the floor for nominations for chair for the DRC for 2025
I nominate Evelyn thank you any other nominations hearing none I will close the floor for nomination so I will do roll call for 2025 DC chair to be Miss spawn uh Miss alwi yes Mr gings yes Mr reinfelder yes and Miss Bon yes right thank you thank you thank you all right now we can get started and proceed in order
um if you would like to decide who you would like to bring to the table to present um we you're your call so um the first thing that I like to say at a DRC meeting is this is an informal um uh proceeding um we will give you advice that's nonbinding in we can't speak for
our boards but we can give you as much uh feedback uh from our experience as um you know these knowledgeable members of our board Township committee um uh can give so we'll start there and then we'll just uh work our way around our professionals have been briefed on uh what you're bringing and Mr hoder will be joining us he's our engineer um Andrew if you m is our traffic and
safety and uh Elizabeth uh Lany is our board planner and then we have legal at the table uh Sharon dren is uh here to keep keep us all uh in order yeah and hi s Aly I'm the attorney for the applicant we were here several months ago with a very preliminary sketch we've now vetted some of those issues that we considered some of the comments that we received at the first um meeting and we're prepared to you want us to give you g explanation
of what where we are today yeah that'd be great you got it so my name is Paul MCH I'm from Stonefield engineering I was actually here for the last DRC meeting it was probably about a year ago now um but we have the we're fortunate now is that this project is is prepared to move forward we've done some work on the architectural side that you'll see with our architect also on the site plan but you know we're very close and and with the feedback I received tonight we're going to go into into you know full gear Head for this project so looking for that feedback looking for anything you guys have so we can make
sure we come in with as clean an application as we can moving forward so since the last time you saw this site plan um we've made several improvements to the site based on the feedback based on just operationally trying to figure out what we're going to do here if you remember the um I we'll call it the bottom right portion had a couple of tenants out there a lot of market research over over the last year and and really we're not prepared to propose anything over there yet um we're going to kind of find tenants and we really want to focus on the main development
which is the quick check the buy rate Liquors and the and the retail store in the rear so it's important to note we're going to be doing a subdivision as part of this application the intention is to set the subdivision line so we're not asking for bulk variances and things of the like um I think our zoning relief membo identified an impervious coverage variants but you know that line will just be set in a place where we comply with the bulk regulations specifically impervious and then when the secondary application comes in for whatever happens on the remainder that will also you be subject to those bulk
requirements so we're not going to have any self-created variances I just wanted to highlight that that first so with this site plan we've we've greened it up we've colorized it as you can see it's the second sheet in the package that you received um we added Landscaping in the in the Quick Check Islands at Each corner not typical for them but certainly something we heard requested at the last meeting so those will be shrubbed up and landscaped as part of this development wait did you say shrubbed up shrubbed up you like that one love it yeah that's a great that's a good one yeah I like okay okay I'll keep
that one in the uh in the cap for as I move forward here um so we did that we also looked to highlight how we're going to treat the roadway frontages we're intending to plant extensive Street trees make sure there is a green band and then try to do something and again this is conceptual at this point we'll work with your professionals but we want to make that intersection um at the Quick Check inviting you know something that um something that certainly you know pops with color and planting so we we'll look to some treatment in that
area to kind of make it a Forefront of the application one of the main improvements that I think we've made is part of some of the feedback that we heard last time is we've introduced this more boulev Boulevard type entrance off of Route 130 in the previous application the previous time I was here it was really more of just your standard commercial driveway pretty tight um and we kind of understood the concerns just about how do we create that Village feel and that inviting feel of a driveway we felt the best way to do that is really
create something that almost feels like you're going back into a residential development with a planted Center median with trees and also trees on both sides with oversized entrances and exits to give people that really comfortable feel as they come into the site and that also allowed us to add in some of the green space on site um we added landscaping around the building foundation for the retail SL liquor store at the top to Green that up a bit as well um we've also Incorporated public sidewalk along
the frontages of the current development obviously that will be extended um as we move forward with the secondary development we didn't go all the way up um Halfacre road but we did try to incorporate some public connectivity in this site along Route 130 and at the intersection some of the concerns we heard um at the previous meeting um zoning relief were very limited at this point obviously we're in the conceptual stage but the conditional use relief we're going to be likely looking for a signage I don't think we have a really
well-baked signage plan yet I think we're we're basing our numbers off of standard signage we uh we have the architecture but not so much the freestanding signs um you'll see some of the wall signs that we're proposing on the buildings and we can comment on you know if those are appropriate and and what you're looking for but as far as the freestanding sign we'll look for your feedback today on what you're looking to see they'll be shared tenant signs so you know sizing look all of those things we are we're looking for feedback as part of this application some of the heights of the buildings as
well they're not finalized but they do exceed um the regulations I be believe it's 24 feet we're going to be somewhere between 27 with some of the architectural features being 32 so some relief to discuss there as well you'll see the architectural rendering so you can see um what these buildings are proposed to look like and then finally you can see on this plan a lot of the darker green areas we looked at storm water we have some preliminary um storm testing I think everybody's basically aware the soils aren't great out there it's not just the bed of sand that we
can infiltrate into so we we we've looked to get creative we've done some preliminary calculations but it's going to take multiple implementations of those green infrastructure um type basins both above ground maybe some perious pavement to make the site work and fully comply with the D regulations that are that are not only required if we were to submit the D which we're not going to have to as part of this application but also just um in the local ordinance as well so you know that's a high level summary of what we've changed about the site plan again
we have the we have the kind of the main Act of the architecture um coming up next but if there's any comments and specifically feedback on signage or anything else that we see on this plan be happy to hear it would you rather see the architecture now and then ask give us your comments total or do you want to focus on this and then we'll do the architecture however you want Madam chair I know that we're going to have comments on this part what do our professionals you want goe and architecture or would you rather give
comments now or would you just see the whole package first like to see the whole package same sounds great all right you are up start introduce yourself sure good afternoon my name is Rose Mary I'm coming from gk& Architects and I'm here to present the two uh buildings so I'm
going to start with the foot check um this is the um so they can see oh sorry so this is the non prototypical building this is more of our Colonial look so I'm going to start from the bottom we have the brick in here on the bottom part of our building then we move on to the uh green metal on it that goes on the three sides of the building then we have our bump out at
the front freezing 130 on the main on the main faad where we have the same type of finish with the brick at 3' 4 Ines where then we have the storefront on top of that we have again the same type of awning around the building with the eephus finish on the top so this gray tone ephas goes around the three the old s side of the building and we do have two tones for the building we have a lighter color at the front and then we have the a slightly
darker color around the building the gray tone plays off on the Breck finishes the color rendering sometimes are not the best but it plays off the two different colors there is some gray tone in the brick so it kind of balances out everything um the height of the buildings the main carpit height is about 23 feet 6 in then we increase the size at the front and it goes up to 26t 6 in
um just to point out the paret height it's meant to conceal all the rooftop equipment that we have on our roof so it's meant that's the purpose of having that parpet all around so we don't see any equipment from the public view so everything's concealed we do have some um rtu units so make a a we really like that yeah so there there's no issue with that I know that's always a concern with
having that being invisible everything else is pretty much you know your typical two entrances at the bump out you do come in on either side of the building same type of storefront the dark bronze collar that we have and then we have a lot of the windows on the front and also on the side of the building that which is basically the seating area inside the store um for the canopy um this is the gas canopy we do have the same type of green color
from the same green metal so that carries over and plays off with the building itself same as the the uh columns on the canopy we use the same type of Breck and it kind of complements each other so the signage will go on each end of the canopy and we selected just two locations for the signage so it's not all around it's basically facing your street um and I'm going to turn it around for the um by
building so for the bite building we're using the same type of Breck to kind of make sure that it's a cohesive design between the two buildings and the development we do have a different color for the metal awnings uh we are introducing like a darker gray color so you see that on the two entrances which is our two towers we have two towers for the two different tenants we wanted to emphasize the um entrance for the
different tenants so we do have the same type of metal seam roof in a gray tone same thing with the corners we painting the same color all around just to kind of be more cohive through the um through the building for the remaining of the building we still have the same type of brick with Soldier coring on the top and we are introducing instead of if is finished we're introducing a fiber cement panel which will play off the
same gray tone from the uh Quick Check building so everything is in the same color range the same color scheme um as you go around the building for The Bu ride and the Tenant space you do have additional Windows just to give more sunlight into the space um and also you know we provided the um service entrance doors for either tning and the back of the building is just the um block wall at the at the
rear what's the height and yes so for the height the main height for this building it's 27 fet is the main parit at the towers we go a little higher to 30 ft just to emphasize the two entrances um would you like me to discuss signage I do have some signage proposed for the um for the quick cheick building for the attendance base we don't have uh signage
yet even though you don't have signage where would uh the signage be proposed to go and then yes go ahead and um uh tell us about signage and then we'll work we'll work from there we can have home meetings on signage we've decided we we don't want to have to do that so but but definitely show us what you show us where the signage is proposed to go and um I think a lot of our uh conversations will be around um height
color that sort of thing okay okay so for the by and DET tenant space we are looking to have signage above each entrance so again it will be determined later on as to what type and how the signage look like for the quick check we do have two building signs one at the front and one facing on the North elevation so it is
the same type of uh signage spelling out the quick check with the logo with the que so that's pretty much um what we're looking to do for the signage the area that we have shown on this elevations it's about 104 square feet total uh for the building canopies I'm sorry for the canopy signage uh the area for these signs are about 22.6 so that's just for each
canopy all right the green color is um quick checks uh brand yes that is their that is their trade color correct okay okay anything else that you'd like to present
before I I release the I I didn't say that before I release our professionals to give input how's that that's right no that's all that's all we is that okay all right great oh this is a this is a big change from uh from last time you've done a lot of work so Andrew we're gonna start with you because we are are dealing with a highway commercial uh highp speeed and
then we've got an intersection a red light uh lots of trucks so we're gonna be very interested in what you have to say Andrew just make sure your mic is on there we go okay as a Gateway intersection it's highly visible uh in the township um I know we've had discussions before at
the previous DRC uh some of these items may have been brought up and are continuing to be developed in your plans and traffic analysis but I'll bring them up just so that um we'll need a traffic study that traffic study should include uh the traffic on Halfacre Road specifically I'll be looking for the left turn analysis uh at the driveways um it is very close to uh the signalized intersection and there's
traffic that's going on there uh we may need storage Lanes at the driveways uh obviously there's going to be a DOT access uh application done for the site right in from right in right out shared along Route 130 is appropriate uh you'll need cross access agreements obviously if you're subdividing and the other property the only access it will have is through
this uh driveway and therefore my assumption is that it will be part of your dot application or not uh if it's a shared driveway um will you be putting any development into the application or that's going to just be an add-on later you're saying for the the lot to the east yeah for the lot to the east I guess it's to the South um yeah I would no decision has been made there at this point uh you know I would I would
anticipate um that we may we may do some sort of high generating use there to to to float it with the do just to see what we can have but at this point we're focused on on what's on the page okay cross AIS left turn um I see you did add Frontage sidewalk at the corner there does that continue down along Halfacre Road um it does not on this plan um but if it's
something that's that's desirable I don't see any reason why it couldn't I think connectivity would be important especially if you have the convenience store um and that's kind of leading into my next question I know there's not a lot of detail around the signalized intersection uh but pedestrian Provisions I know you have the sidewalk on the property is there any connection to the intersection and do you anticipate any improvements at the signalizing intersection obviously there's discussions that have to go on
with the dot as part of the access application um but I'm just trying to give you a heads up and get an idea of again because this is a convenience store um people may want to walk to get their coffee to get their um sandwiches um and there are other um retail centers in the area where I believe the retail Center has uh Gard
school or child care and there there might be some connection and walking now again that would have to be worked out with the dot uh the intersection is a very wide uh intersection has a lot of volume so work that through with the dot as to what can be done what side where The Pedestrian Provisions would be located
um on site this is a comment that came up uh will there be diesel gas on site um lowf flow diesel um not I don't think we're anticipating any truck loading or anything not for tractor trailers and that that was brought up and that was um the comment or the response at the last it would be low flow not tractor trailers it will be diesel for like landscape and um pickup trucks of that sort EV parking spaces um not
sure you're at the point where you're locating EV spaces I took a quick look didn't see uh but that's something that would have to be accommodated uh based on uh New Jersey requirements uh specifically with the gas station be careful of the location uh near the canopy and the uh dispensers um want to keep the EVS separate from uh the dispensers if
possible um and that's been uh and I've heard this from fire departments that you want to separate the EV just in case something happens should not be near the dispensers yeah it makes sense um phasing of the project uh was more of a question when you had development on
the other side but will there be phasing convenience store and the retail building the liquer store and the retail building will one be done before the other is it all going to be done infrastructure put in I don't think we have a final plan but my understanding is is that the the new retail and liquor store will be built first um to allow the business to transfer um and then the quick check will move but obviously coming out of this meeting we're going to do a little bit of a deeper dive on the plan from here on out and we'll report that with our application of what the intention for phasing
is uh the boulevard entrance uh I like what you did there because there's no chance of crossover in the previous version it was open and that may have led to confusion and crossover now the outbound uh movement the inbound can't
cross over to that outbound movement um there is only the one share driveway which is good um the other uh right in right out that's not going to be proposed at this point uh or will it be potentially part of I see a proposed right in right out at the other property you had mentioned that that site may or may not be detailed as part of the access application yeah it's shown on the plan now to show that there there is the the
frontage along the dot does allow for two driveways I would anticipate that unless we have something a little bit more final for the tenant there that will will hold that that driveway until it can be aligned with whatever that development is so we'll see where we progress to as we come with the application but really on the concept plan it's meant to highlight the fact that there can be a second entrance and and it and the site won't entirely rely on the single Boulevard and we'll kind of look to you know we'll look to see see what we can do with that driveway as the tenant comes in again if it goes in
as one application for both sides of the subdivision it'll be you know a larger application and if this driveway gets approved and the site isn't moving forward then likely that driveway would be constructed within the dot RightWay the curb Cuts uh yeah it it it certainly depends so um you know as we get as we move forward with the application if we feel strongly
about where that driveway is going to end up that may be the case but I think at this point we're not we're not entirely sure and there's the one intersection interior to the site I like how it's brought back in so there's throat length uh both inbound and outbound the main cross-section between that subdivided lot so that that's good whatever happens on that other lot that's good to bring it back there um besides that the typical uh site plan uh issues that you'll have to work
through the Turning analysis uh for design Vehicles circulating uh circulation for the trash enclosures fuel deliveries and again with the sidewalks just make sure that there's the internal connection to the frontage sidewalk walks so that anybody uh accessing the
fronted sidewalks can also get into to the quick check some kind of path obviously it's not going to be a sidewalk going through a parking lot but maybe even striped uh connection and those were the items that I had at this point again a traffic study will come in and more will be uh known when do that traffic study yeah and we'll out to make sure that the scope of that study is is to
your liking before we before we perform everything and also consistent with whatever the dot requires exactly that yeah yep and Andrew this is a cranberry Halfacre is a County Road and then 130 is a State Road Cranberry Halfacre is a Township Road that's not County it's local okay so cranberry has jurisdiction of the access driveways on that roadway okay and then what about um crosswalks I mean we do have residential on the other
side of the garage and we have residential on the far side of the other gas station so who is responsible for like striping crosswalks and this is not your problem we're I'm just yeah it may be their problem when they go to the dot for their access application because that will have to be discussed and The Pedestrian Provisions at that intersection will have to be okay all right thanks
Andrew Mr hoder okay hello uh I uh have some comments from last time and then uh that I want to touch on and then some newer ones but U it seems like you did add some additional curbs I'd asked for that um at at the previous DRC which is good um one comment I made was that um I didn't like the idea of the trash enclosure up against the building you didn't move it uh any explanation on that because I'd like you to talk to our fire people here in town about whether
or not they're happy with a trash enclosure right up against the building yeah certainly I think you know I saw that as I was looking through my notes from the previous meeting so you know I think it's I think it's an easy shift to the Green Space along the subdivision line to get it away from building so yeah I don't think that'll be an issue as we come in uh the other comment uh and maybe I don't have an opinion is that you guys did do sidewalks and Andrew touched on that both along the parking spaces at the front and the parking spaces along crary Halfacre road
but the the sidewalks are right up against those spaces as as if they're only for for a quick check and the town may or may not want you know space may or may not want sidewalks I would think not necessarily on on Route 130 but on cranberry Halfacre uh continuing to the back and that may be what you you commented on before which would be you know maybe 4 feet off the uh uh curb uh is that a widening of cranberry Halfacre or not proposed at this point but okay uh let's
see um in terms of storm water um you have lots of little basins all over the place uh if they're if they're going to be above ground basins um they're going to probably wind up having near vertical walls which I'm not going to be happy about um if they're underground they could be those plastic baskets or whatever else that you may want to choose uh and be out of out of sight actually U
which might be better or a combination thereof but the idea would be uh I I wouldn't want to see basins with uh vertical walls with retaining walls surrounding them to me that's a little dangerous for anybody falling in you know because then you have to wind up fencing them and putting all sorts of of of uh situations to make sure they're safe for kids and dogs and pets and all that stuff um did you ever figure out a stormw outlet for this I see there's a Basin in the back yeah I think everything basically flows from you know
north to south so we're going to have to look at that I think we need a little bit more survey but it's it's I think the storm water design here is going to be tricky so we're going to spend a lot of time so you're gonna want okay so you're gonna have to hold a lot of it on site for a decent period of time and then yeah and that the one in the back I think is a detention Basin that's that's was built as part of that yeah that previous uh development so you'll have to be careful about how you U discharge that basin um let's see the only other thing I have
is that um if you come in like this without the future development on the on the south lot um I'd like to also have none of the South lot impacted by either basins or anything really to speak of uh even even entrances uh so that so that that area stays wooded as it is in case no development ever happens M you know what I mean U you know you show one two
three four five basins on or partially on that lot and I would hope you don't need any of those basins for the development on the North yeah if there is the only the only caveat I have to that is that you know the soil tests were pretty variable over the over the site if there is an area on the future development that has you know positive soils that potentially we size it for both and we use it as a shared maybe towards the back that's the only reason I would see us going onto that lot but you know we're going to be
searching for the best soil on site to make sure we're getting the recharge so if it happens to be on that lot there might be you know an easement of you know a shared Basin at the rear somewhere and that's the only you know that's that's the one thing that I want to have considered for this yeah clear clearing trees and vegetation in the rear is probably better than clearing it in the front yeah but um but I'd rather you know if we can leave it fow the way it is now uh until there's a future development because then we can can you know focus on that development
separately uh and maybe a little bit better uh once we know what's going to go there I think that's all I have thanks da I I do think that's for our purposes if you're not developing the uh other parcel it's cleaner for us to not consider that but it just depends on where you you know where you go with it Dave thank you all right list okay thank you um so
just a couple things one is that I know there there three conditional use standards you don't meet right so it's it has to do with the canopy signage the freestanding signage and the height right so those three things are all triggering the the conditional use variance um there's also a number that you know wasn't in your zoning table there are a number of design waivers that would be required based on you're what you're showing us right now
and so I wanted to go through them with you right now so you don't have to do it at a later time well maybe you will again but just to get an understanding of why you maybe made certain design choices and there certainly um maybe people on this committee were would be curious to know why certain design choices were made so the first one um and and this is an internal contradiction in the plan in the plan in the ordinance which is um
what the maximum setback is and it's in the design waivers it's 90 in the design section it's 90 in the zoning it's 100 so if you're right now you're compliant with the 100 um so you would need a design waiver for 90 unless you can meet 90 um another thing that you would need a design waiver for is walkway connectors sort of intra the site you know particularly between the quick
check and the byright and future building um and there's a couple of standards that we have um with regard to you know it has to it has to be highlighted with contrasting paint and our texture Paving and a slightly raised bed um so I'd like you know to you to take that into consideration um and particularly with the idea that um hopefully people will want to go between the two and that there be sort of some
safe pedestrian connection between those two areas yeah I think there's a lot of opportunity to introduce those crosswalks so um the other thing and this is actually you had this in your earlier plan this and I have to say I'm probably our firm wrote this so it's like if only to blame is us but like it it's a little confusing but we we have the standard that you can have one Bay of parking on you know along the front sort of ab
buding the street the front roadway and it can be up to 60 feet wide 60 feet in depth which I think you you meet that standard um but then it says the remainder of the parking shall be provided to the side or rear of the building and in your earlier iteration the parking that was sort of in the northeast corner of the site sort of behind the buite if you can see you know you didn't have that there it was like the parking began a little bit further into the site okay that's just something
to think about you know it may not matter so much to the to the reviewing board but that's just something that I would probably flag in my letter um another thing that we talked about I believe last time I'm not sure I understand so are you talking about sort of like where it's designated 22 where the parking spaces are just as you're exactly okay just so a car is not backing out and someone's pulling in or pulling out is that the concern I think it's a design standard I think it's sort
of trying to limit the amount of parking that's in the front I think that's this I think that's the intention but it's unclear to me to be honest yeah okay all right um the other thing a driveways um that are on a single lot can't be closer than 250 feet apart and I know you you have that and I don't know if there's a way and this is more maybe an Andrew question if you were to move one of those
driveways if that would actually create an unsafe situation yeah we'll have to balance it yeah oh I'm sorry I'm in the design standard set 50-42 yeah um the other thing okay and then the other thing that was um is encouraged in this is shared parking and I don't know I when I looked at your parking allocation seems like you're just sort of providing um for both for
all of the individual uses you know cumulatively and I was just curious and again this is more of an Andrew in Andrew's sort of wheelhouse than mine but if there were opportunities to do shared parking so you could reduce the number of parking spaces um the next thing actually and this is sort of also a little bit funny but the design standards actually when you are for a lot that's on both Route 130 and Craner South River Road U oh
which actually you're not okay never mind actually but it it um no never mind actually I think you're okay I was going to say that you do need to provide um a sidewalk but you don't I apologize that that's that's not you don't need that um the next has to do with some of the building design and um there's a lot in the design guidelin lines about you know especially because you're on a corner lot is
having you know you certainly want to have the Quick Check makes sense that you have um sort of the front facade and the front building is is oriented towards root 130 and I think that's actually even required in our design guidelines but it's also actually required that the other buildings be in some way oriented towards the other roadway um which I guess at this point is not and I don't know how I mean there
I may seed some of my time to Bill Giddings to to speak on that but in other words you know right now I think the side of the quick check is that because there's they're further back is there a a footage no it's it's that that's what their their Frontage along um Halfacre road right now if you look at the architecturals it's predominantly um sort of brick or you know it's it's it's it's um the
entrances aren't oriented towards Halfacre Road the um the materials are sort of side materials they're not the materials of the front facade it's it's again it's a design standard to try to make both frontages look attractive okay and not have sort of back back a house looks facing okay facing a roadway yeah it seems like there's an opportunity there especially with the retail building to do something so I'll take that back yeah and I and I think even
quick check there may be something you could do maybe at the corners you know anyway um okay the other other thing and this is something that comes up a lot but we actually in our design guidelines specifically discourage ephus so um that is something that if there is and again I'm going to perhaps leave my time to an actual architect to you know what might be a suitable suitable material um but that
is you know it is specifically called out so I wanted to just bring that to your attention um I think that's it okay Liz how much of the uh recommendations that you gave last time did they accommodate because you didn't really um speak to that because it seems like
they've done a lot uh of curating on the Landscaping adding you know more trees on the inner part of the lot I I think one of our recommendations was to you know landscape as much as you can landscape and certainly they they've augmented the Landscaping um okay when I looked at my notes I had put in most of these in my notes last year most of these design standard Devi so I can't I honestly can't remember if we went through them
or not but but they did exist and they some of them continue to exist okay great thank you all right Sharon do you have anything on you know as they talk about the lots and their um putting those lots together keeping them separate is there is there anything that okay I do have just a I'm throwing it out there it has nothing to do with
law what are what are what's your plans regarding I mean you're in an area regard uh in warehouses so how about trucks you know are you trying to not serve truckers or what are they doing for parking are they coming through this site or they the park offsite um you know I'm I'm just uh are you gonna put signs out no trucks you know are parking allowed or yeah I mean we don't have truck car parking here yes we don't have truck parking we also don't have
oversized parking if it's something like I don't think the business model is looking to support that but if it's something that the board wants to see to accommodate those types of vehicles you know there's some room there we can probably figure something out just because my experience in hunon County there's a quick check on Route 31 and 579 I see trucks trying you know come in there and they want their coffee and everything and you know um so what do you I think you have to address that summer [Music] okay that's all good thought thank
you that's great Shar because no but that is a large part of what that road is used for and um yeah no very good okay am on thank you sure um can I just ask what is eus what is that let me just um get the exact it's it's a it's a building do you want to explain
it okay and it doesn't mean it's not one of our standards well it's specifically discouraged okay yeah thank you um more from the stand uh more from the standard of it it looks great when it's put up but it just doesn't have the the life uh Legacy as far as holding up you know okay if you talk about the three little pigs
this would be the house of sticks I mean it in or straw um and is that a fair is that a fair statement just just from a a longevity standpoint and that's something that we're um we're pretty adamant about is that the Quick Check looks good when you put it in and it looks good 20 years from now and that it you know so that's sort of what we're uh what we're after so that's why we discourage um but we also don't want to put a hardship on but that's that's why
it's discouraged all right perfect um I think I have three two or three questions okay the when we talk about the signage for the different buildings are is there a um is there a uniformity to these signs like we've got the we've got the buite and the proposed retail and then the Quick Check are is this board looking for uniformity at least in size I think well they have their branding I mean you know what I mean like quick check has a very you know definite circular sign and byrite you recognize
the by uh logo so I mean but the size of the sign I I think what we could request if you to look at particularly with the retail building in the back is that the signs sort of we understand that there's going to be certain branding that you have to accommodate but that they be sort of hung at this same height you know be essentially the same size so there there's um not internally lit it's yes exactly and so it's not we
understand that certain people you know certain businesses are going to say we need our our branding we need our colors but if there is at least doesn't look so halfhazard that there's a certain deliberateness I guess thank you um good question I wanted just as we're talking about trees and there was a conversation about removal of trees or not removal of trees just I wanted to point out that we do have a tree ordinance um and that uh you know
certain diameter of trees that are removed have to be replaced um so please consult that and I was looking on the Google Maps and it looks like there's a bus stop a public bus stop on the property on 130 I'm not definitely aware of that but it's certainly something that will be a big part of our DOT application okay perfect thank you I don't think there's any intention to remove that if anything will accommodate it perfect of
course there would have to be a pedestrian connection um to that that would be worked out with the dot because it's in I don't believe there is a bus line that stops in Cranberry anymore there might have been in the past I'm sure dot would be on top of that but I had this conversation recently um I believe and um I don't believe there is a um any bus that stops in Cranberry it's a it's a um a checkable fact with
the do so you know before we build anything to that I do know a lot of the warehouse people do stand on 130 and wait for rides or wait for different things but as far it's my understanding um that there's there's not a bus okay of and it's certainly not a school bus no not a school bus I would imagine it would be a public uh a public bus to transport either between the warehouses or something yeah my understanding there's no like County city or senior
public bus that's that comes through cranberry is there a shelter out there I don't see a shelter I just I just saw the icon on here so I was a little surprised um and I don't know whether it's something that you know uh is proposed but it hasn't been realized yet you know with our conversations at the traffic subcommittee you know the the state s of comes in and says we'd like to put a public bus here and then it's it's up to the logistics of that space whether it can accommodate or so I don't
know what this is and that should be discussed with the do and if it's not there somehow it should be removed because we don't want people thinking that it's a stop and they're standing there dropping people off there I mean there there used to be a bus that came down Plainsboro Road it was a small vehicle that and it went to the train station and a couple other places and it didn't have any it didn't have any shelters or signs but it it did run but I don't know
if it's still running that that's worth looking into yeah there's such a movement now to make everything so pedestrian friendly and bikable and all those things and so if there's um a way to accommodate that that would be great thank you so much and didn't we have recommendation for I want to say one of our warehouses where they had to go back and put in sidewalks because it was a state State uh recommendation uh we didn't require it
but then when they went to the state planning board then they were the state or County planning board then they were required to do it and it was a warehouse might have been might have also been Audi when Audi came back to put their fencing in um Audi and possibly Home Depot not sure but I remember there were a couple of warehouses and we didn't require it um
but it I want to say it's the county Ander no possibly the state because the state is requiring sidewalk within they're trying to do the connectivity okay now they do have sidewalk here but Dave's comment is this is more like on their property for the parking the dot make also say you need some along the frontage again the practicality and the safety of that would have to be uh Incorporated into whatever design comes out but I know the dot is looking for
sidewalk they don't want people walking on the shoulder or walking close to the roadway so they are requiring that Paul probably knows this through other applications they have been uh leaning towards requiring sidewalk and we would then have to look at whether the double sidewalk sidewalk up against the parking and a frontage sidewalk would be necessary both maybe it's one or the other that would serve as is okay connecting all right thank
you better to find out now better to know now certainly we're gonna get there okay uh Mr gettings um so I guess this application still I think concerns me a lot in terms of just feeling overdeveloped and I think a lot of the comments that were brought up um kind of the inherent reasons why I think those issues are being brought up
as it feels overdeveloped um the I think it's important when you go to the board that it's um there needs to be a very clear discussion of what the hardships are and and what for the different variances in each variance um because you haven't discussed that yet and you obviously have plenty of land between the two properties here okay but I guess
that's if they have yes because there's so many variances and because there's so much land and it feels overdeveloped I think it's an important thing you're goingon to need to discuss and have a strong case for the art for the hardships is that that's fine is that better thank you um you know in terms of it's it's really a sea of black top there's the uh the boulevard entry looks great um but
you kind of need that around the rest of the site you know the the Landscaping along Route 130 is just a narrow line of of shrubs and trees it's not um articulated if you look at the Nice Landscaping along the warehouses there's there's burms you're looking for variance for the height of the buildings when you when you look at the higher buildings there's usually a burm and the land ape is is staggered it's just not a linear line um it just softens
everything and there is so much paved surface area here uh because of the uh the fueling stations in the canopy and all the roads around it it's very very visible it's just going to look very very a lot of paper and it starts to become strip mall as compared to Village MH um so I think landscaping around the
buildings more three-dimensional Landscaping you know in terms around the perimeter is important um it the I think the design of the water retention is very very important what that looks like it'd be good have good to have renderings 3D renderings from 130 you know so to help the board members understand what it's going to look like that it's going to look good and look more Village like I think again if you if you look at the more recent
types of buildings that have been built on 130 with the design standards it's the 7-Eleven Dunkin Donuts they feel more Village like it doesn't feel like a strip ball and because you're you're trying to get three you know three um businesses on this location and because of it being a a quick check it's just it's a lot of black top it's hard to make Village out of blacktop
um [Music] the I think it's also important to talk about the residential neighbors um you know there shouldn't be neighbors residential neighbors are next door I don't see really kind of that addressed with the landscaping and the screening uh talk about the lighting um you know somebody looking out their bedroom window shouldn't see a direct light source so how you handle the
lighting and um is very important I think um the I sorry I was looking I was looking for the
ordinances the uh current survey that you have is looks like only a partial survey um yeah yeah so the the tree or is anything bigger than six inches you have to replace so many trees I don't know how you're going to replace the number of trees that you cut down on this property and does that is that ordinance I mean I understand the ordinance and the replacement for uh um you know for I guess homes and that sort of thing
but that's that's a that's a whole development do you know what I mean like that's I had to do it for my own house no I understand that but this is I mean I'm not sure how it's a Statewide ordinance that again is because everything in New Jersey is being developed so much to cut down trying to re you know replenish the okay the green I don't think it's just a development thing I think but I don't I don't know uh am on you now yes I believe that what
you're saying is correct it's a state ordinance and the idea is to preserve the canopy and this may be an area that it gets refined a little more in the future but for right now that's what we have okay well that might give you a good reason to plant lots of trees on the other side you might not have a choice yeah our landscape architect will do a detailed um Deep dive on that so prepar a survey of many trees there are and how many are going to need to be replaced and what proposed um and my
concern is it just doesn't seem like you got the area for the square footage of the building you want and all the paving you want and the storm drainage and it just seems very very dense to me on the site given especially given that you're asking for a subdivision that if you weren't doing the subdivision or you weren't doing a third retail building it seems like you would have more than enough room to to develop
it without the the variances and within the design standards chair person can I just add something no okay of course well I went out and got my iPad so that I could look up the lot coverage requirement of which is 60% did you do a calculation on what your uh impervious coverag is on the site yeah and I think it actually came up as a variance in our in our zoning relief memo I think that's what bill was saying 65 but we will I can we I mean you can't come to a board with a self-
created impervious coverage variant so we will we will comply with the impervious coverage for this development I really like the way you said that because it's so true but yeah when I was looking at it I'm like you know we'll just make sure that it complies okay we are not going to request bulk variances as part of this other than some of the minimum maximum setbacks some of the discrepancies but we'll make sure that it's that it's only Rel free from that standpoint so there'll be waivers not not not variances say yeah that's correct and and might be associated with
the conditional use yes yeah really we see the bulk of the variances that we'll come in for in the discussion like we said a full meeting on signage but I don't intend to come in here with an impervious garbage variance thank you um I think in terms of you know the design centers and the design well I guess two things one we're talking about trucks how do they they are going to come whether you want them or not you
know so how can you it's not necessary that we're encouraging it uh but it's the reality of your location um that said that's going to create even more of a sea of blacktop which is you know an impervious so I think you have to really think about signage where you're going to allow them to come in where you're allow them to park how they're going to get in and out the Turning radiuses um or you know it's doable yeah they just need to kind of show it and think it out because I'm not sure
how to solve it personally but job it's a big challenge even even though we said you know as far as diesel you know we didn't want truck diesel Sharon also it's a business and you know that's a that's a big clientele swich it's convenience store yeah yeah okay um I think also in terms of the design standards I think you know that's what's weird about the rear
building is that it's facing the back of the convenience store and you know the dumpsters and it's you know design standards the intent of the design standards is that it should face I think cranberry you know half acre road in terms of the frontage by creating two tenet yeah in a bigger building you're creating that problem whereas you know um so I think you got to solve that better and address the design standards because
it's it's um design stands have a purpose and I think it would it relates to this proposed layout um in terms of the architecture itself and the and the design standards the um can I interrupt for a second sure I have a 6:30 in freeold and a 7 : in Oldbridge so I'm going to invite when it rains po I'm going to invite Rosemary to
sit there she's the architect she'll take the rest of the notes I apologize but than to see you all hopefully soon thanks good luck Paul sometimes we go ahead B you know so under under the design standards you know it's you were talking about I think the fiber cement panels I'm afraid that lens
that's more like ephus or you know acrylic finish panel when you read the uh the design s it's you know says facades or or stone masonry brick wood Hardy plank panels um or similar fiber cement siding whereas kind of what you're showing is more like stucco yeah yeah or the ephis panels um
so I think that's an important issue that you know could be commented on um the back of the rear building is split face block I don't think the intent of the ordinance is to allow that again if you look at the 7-Eleven you look at the DK and donuts you know those I think those buildings were designed you know they uh they went it was before my time but I assume it went through a lot of
review to get to that point and I feel like the proposed design isn't to that point and that in that level of standard yet in terms of a village feel was compared to a strip mall uh something to look at um the hit metal roofs around the corners it's it's not a it's just looking more strip mall than Village okay and then I think showing the signage on the facade I guess the one question I
have it's great that parapets are screening the mechanical equipment but still why does it need to be that tall I me you look at the 7-Eleven it's nowhere near that tall um you know after this building as you go down there's a lot of smaller scale buildings um so it's it seems like it's taller than it needs to be and just how it fits into the you we do unfortunately you know
have a very hodgepodge you know collection of buildings on 130 but I but I think we're the design standards are written to try to get us eventually to a nicer um village feel as compared to a strip mall you good thanks okay okay John what would you like to speak to tonight on
this I don't have much to say I mean I think most has been said I just follow up on the earlier comments on the storm water and the red line here is concerning to me just because it seems like and I maybe you've run a few scenarios that it would be hard to collect all the water in pad one generated in pad one is it have you run any of those yet we haven't gotten that far on the design you know I think the last time we talked a little bit about
using pervious pavement Solutions which would allow us to go underground for portions and then obviously you know there's a lot there's going to be a lot of space in that undeveloped lot and also we have to do another round our last soil testing was in 2018 so there's a there's a detailed soil testing effort that's going to happen and we're going to search for the good soils and Target those with our storm waterers so you know we just wanted to highlight that it could be anyway you know hopefully it can all be contained to one site but if we find a a really valuable area of soil we're going
to we're going to use it for for for that I think there is there is sort of a swell I don't know if it's natural or not right a little bit yeah just inside pad two right and we did yeah and we did have the DP look at that and it's and we're all this is all in compliance but yeah there is there is an area there I mean so that's the only thing I mean going forward is you know and I couldn't do this calculation um with 60% impervious and and this roof and so forth you know what would be required for that plus maybe a
little bit of the pad one over here you know that seems like it would be difficult but I I I couldn't make that calculation but that that's my only comment is and I'm sure you're you're focused on that um but uh yeah underground would make sense um if you can do it um but I guess and I don't know to the extent the the planning board asks these things but
um getting all that that water taken care of would be I guess you'd have to just show the calculations that it comes down to yeah but I guess the other question I have too that part of the lot is totally wooded so you know by developing the one so dense you're kind of postponing how you deal with the tree issue to develop the other lot because the other lot is totally woods so I'm not sure how you know well here's a
comment be Wonder wonderful if they would cluster all the development in the one lot and and not develop the other lot but I don't think that's the case right but that's you know to meet the ordinance and stuff I'm not sure how you I think you have to address that obviously yeah yeah and they're gonna have to address the the the impervious coverage and and how they're going to be doing the base and I'll be looking at all that uh it isn't d review but our ordinances are based on d uh regulations so we'll be looking at
it to make sure that it conforms in terms of you know water storm water management water quality uh recharge he was talking about possibly and and What flows off site because we don't want to impact any of the downstream or Downstream Properties or Downstream waterways are you good with that thank you um John we appreciate you being here because we want to make sure that the environmental commission is um a there
and if there's any more information that's needed uh it's good for them to know now when they have time to to divot and to work on it and if you have any information around this site or the Waterway that's behind it that you know we would be sensitive about then that's really important for you yeah I think it's good it's good and it's learning for me too all right thank you thank you um I just have a few uh closing comments
but uh first of all um I am so happy that uh by right is getting an opportunity uh to be um rebuilt they are a company from cranberry and we want to support them and they've been here for many years and um so I'm very I really want to support the the work of this uh in order to support them um a question about bite and and this
10,000 square foot space what is the square footage that they're using now how does this compare to their current square footage yeah it's a good question um I think it's going to be a larger square footage for them you know I think they're pretty packed into the current building I can I don't have it off the top of my head though what that what that existing is because that would be good to know also
which which license uh does by right have and I know your legal's not at the table and I know bite is at is here but which license do they hold just a packaging license or packaging and Survey um I'm not sure yeah this is very informal and so I'm gonna I'm gonna ask a representative from it is sell Serv I thought so
okay um yeah that's the the existing building is 82 55 square feet and this is 10,000 so that's the difference okay okay so my question on the developing of the site is that if they have a package and a serving license is that something to consider when you're looking at two buildings is there
you know a different opportunity for them to sell and serve and if that's the case then maybe this building shouldn't look like a warehouse yeah know do you know what I mean if if they would like to have a or if someone right next to a bught would like to have something that is um you know because they have the license if they wanted to do something else it's just the building itself doesn't lend
itself to that it almost looks like a brick and mortar store kind of thing um if bite wanted to have outdoor seating if they wanted to have um you know some kind of portico some kind of it just I think because this is informal I'd have to say it just doesn't have the character of a byright liquor that everyone knows when you go in there they know what kind of wine I want I mean because I you know and they're they're part of our um community and they're
part of our family so it it just seems like this kind of cookie cutter site and that and I'm not saying that to be insulting in any way but it seems like it could be um more informal and uh have more of a of a village feel if the Center of this was all trees I is there any reason that the bught the proposed retail and the Quick
Check need to be connected are they independent could that Center be nothing but trees connected with a walkway in case you wanted to connect I they it's not like it's a doctor's office and an X-ray place and a CVS where you know people are going from one to the other to the other so I think that might open up your site a little bit my question on the size was do they need more square
footage I would say yes they do um maybe with different organization they won't need more square footage but you know I would really just question another retail place at 10,000 square foot without an without a um you know a proposed tenant those kind of things are concerning but look we're I want to support this I think that area is in need and I don't want to use this
as a planning board term but I think it it could use some love I'm not going to say a need of Redevelopment that would be a very different term so I won't say that but I do think it's in need and and it could use it and so I want byright to be successful my concern about the way this plan is is the whole point of paying a premium for being on two roads is to be able to be visible and I think the way that you've done the Landscaping you have made yourself
invisible while I know you're trying to do what we like you to do there's go to to me there has to be a um I I like the entrance way but I know when you go to Quick Check you go to Quick Check for a reason you're late for work you don't have enough gas to get to work and you need to get gas so I I just feel like the site isn't accommodating the needs form follows function what are the needs of the site what are people going to be doing there
how can it be pleasant and how can it be functional the way the in andout is if people are late they will try any way they can to dash out on that road get in get out quick check is known for being convenient for having a convenient stop and get in so I just think the function of the site needs to be thoughtful I mean the two square boxes at the back
honestly I mean and unless it's a financial hardship to do anything else it just seems um if this was back on Halfacre in the warehouse District I would say whoa this is beautiful right so because of where it is because it's a Gateway um I really feel like the exterior could have more personality
um you have residential in the back the way this site is sitting I don't think there's a lot of consideration for buffering for the residents in the back there are residents across the street um so I'd just you know like to see a little consideration in the back I wouldn't want your um I I wouldn't want your um dumpsters right against the backyard of that house to be picked up at 5:30 in the morning just like to see some of those kind of considerate uh types of of things um other than that
um the height of the Quick Check especially if you do have a lot of landscaping and trees the the height of the sign um because you're on Route 130 um I can't speak for the board but i' give you that because you're on a main thorough fair and to me Highway commercial uh is a little different um and I would want to make sure for your success that you can be seen I'd want to
make sure for by right success that they can be seen um we're pretty tempit on our signs so the sign on your building is important and what that looks like and where it's recognized and the turning and all of that so um I think you've been given a lot um but but I don't think you're as far as far away uh as you were the last time you were here Closer Closer um and look we're we're going to be very sensitive about this because it is at a you know you're
you're not in the warehouse District you're not in the light industrial you know you're right here on this highway commercial but look at the D Dunkin Donuts that you know that has come out really well now mind you it was just a tea with a bunch of broken cinder blocks in it so that we had no place to go back up but I think they've done a really good job with the site and maintained their logo and their mission so we want you to be successful we want barite to be successful but we also just
think that the you can you could do this a little differently um and I think that's I think that's about it y that's it that's all I got so anything else from the professionals anything else you want to leave them yes Andrew I have a question it might not be traffic it might be legal or it might be when you brought up the uh serve and sell liquor license is
there any precluding a gas station with a serve on the same lot I don't know I mean that's not not a traffic question but I know they sell I mean I've seen even where liquor stores are in the convenience part of a gas station but I don't know about you can also buy beer at a liquor store I mean at a I don't know if you can at quick check but I mean you can buy there's other states whatever that have that there but it's the serve part can you buy beer at a gas station in the US
I mean in New Jersey I don't know if it's in New Jersey I don't think so but I'm I'm more concerned about the serve end of things and I I don't know and it's not necessarily traffic per se but maybe that's more of a question for the operator and what's in their U yeah license with the operation I think the only thing I would I mean that's an outside agency kind of thing like not really in our purview with the board however does it change parking at all because now you're sit you could be
sitting there and you know you're you're consuming so now you're not just in and out okay we're beyond our perview I think we're gonna stop we're we're gonna stop and again something to look at we're gonna stop but um yeah I just I just um those are all of our comments but um Robin tulo is our secretary she is very uh incredibly Adept at all of uh
um the variances all the the checklists all the things that you need so don't hesitate to reach out to her um she's incredibly helpful and Incredibly accurate so uh reach out to Robin if um you have any questions from tonight's um conversation again non-binding but I am so glad that you came because I think at the end of the day you're going to get there and I think at the end of the day you're gonna you're going to come up with something that um is going to be
successful but that um I think we'll all Embrace with a lot of success so okay absolutely really appreciate the feedback yeah sure thank you this is always the fun VC you know nothing worse than silence you know thank you for your time thank you good night you restant