Snow closes
stores for day
in Marlboro
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
MARLBORO — An inspection of the roof of a Route 9 retail shopping center deemed the building safe for occupancy one day after officials had closed all of the stores in the center.
In the wake of a Feb. 17 snowstorm that dumped up to 2 feet of snow on western Monmouth County, a yellow warning ribbon was tied around The Mart shopping center, Route 9 south near the Manalapan border, on the morning of Feb. 19, and police closed all of the businesses in the center until it could be determined if the roof was safe.
On Feb. 19, a sign was placed on the door of the Professional Sports and Ortho-pedic Rehabilitation Associates, which is one of nine businesses in the shopping center. The sign read, "Due to the amount of snow on the building, we have been forced to close the facility until engineers can inspect the roof. Most likely we will be open tomorrow. Safety First."
The other businesses in the center are Weichert Realty, Planet Fitness, Russian Dream, The Fitness Store, Universal Custom Kitchen and Bath, a karate school, Ballroom Dance Studios, Studio 455 and Arbat Deli.
A red safety card also hung on several of the doors. Each card warned that the building at 455 Route 9 south had been declared unsafe for human occupancy and stated that no individual was to occupy the building until the structure was deemed safe and secure.
According to Marlboro police, on the evening of Feb. 18 the flat roof started to bulge from the weight of the snow. The bulge was estimated, at that time, to coincide with the entire length of the shopping center.
Marlboro Police Lt. Eric Landau reported on the morning of Feb. 20 that the shopping center had reopened.
According to a representative of the Marlboro building department, an inspection was made on the morning of Feb. 20 and the building was declared safe.
John Cavaliere, construction official, told the News Transcript on Friday that one of the tenants had notified municipal officials of the situation at 10 a.m. Feb. 19. The building was closed shortly thereafter.
"Thor Engineers of Parsippany inspected the roof and checked it over to see what caused a deflection in the roof joists, but the deflection did not exceed what is permissible in design," Cavaliere said. "They gave us a copy of the letter and I was allowed to open the stores. The building is structurally safe."