JAMESBURG — The busy intersection of Forsgate Drive and Perrineville Road is not only scheduled to receive a new traffic light, but sidewalks and curbs as well, now that CVS has plans to build a new store on that corner.
What makes the news even better for Jamesburg residents is that the borough will not have to pay for any of these improvements.
According to Borough Business Administrator Denise Jawidzik, CVS will be footing the bill for the construction of the new sidewalks and curbs.
The store is expected to be built in the place of a single-family residence owned by the DiBrizzi family, which is under contract to sell the property to CVS. The house will be demolished to make way for the 117,704-square-foot drugstore, which was approved by the borough’s Combined Land Use Board July 11, according to Kelly Taylor, secretary to the board.
CVS will provide access to its site from both Forsgate Drive and Perrineville Road. The store is expected to begin construction sometime after work begins on the new traffic light at the intersection, Taylor said.
The new commercial operation is also expected to be a welcomed source of tax revenue for the borough.
"We expect to receive quite a bit more money in taxes than we are receiving for the current building," Jawidzik said.
The bulk of the cost of widening the roads and installing the traffic light — estimated to cost $400,000 — will be covered by the county, with the remaining $100,000 to be paid for with a state Department of Transportation grant.
Officials have been seeking a solution to the traffic troubles at the intersection for more than three years. About two years ago, a four-way stop sign was added to the location to help improve traffic flow and reduce the number of accidents. Earlier this year, the DOT approved the construction of a traffic light, scheduled to be up and running this year.
CVS and the county are working together to coordinate their schedules for building at the site. Construction is scheduled to begin before the end of the summer, Jawidzik said.