By Joyce Blay
Staff Writer
JACKSON — The Planning Board will hear a formal application for the construction of a permanent park-and-ride facility on land included in the township’s deal to purchase the former Kalian at Jackson residential development.
Board members were initially undecided as to how to treat the application.
Township engineer Ernie Peters said that as a capital project, it would be reviewed under the Municipal Land Use Law.
"I think we can treat this as an application by the township," said Anthony Mancuso, the board’s attorney. "Ernie will make the application and we’ll make our comments."
The application is termed a courtesy approval. Township Committeeman Michael Broderick, who also sits on the Planning Board, will abstain from the park-and-ride application.
Despite the board’s receptive stance to the application, board member Samuel DePasquale, Jackson’s public safety director, expressed concern that there was no courtesy lighting in the design plan for the 460-parking space facility.
Broderick said that was the same complaint residents made about a temporary park-and-ride location at East Commodore Boulevard.
"Perhaps Mr. Mancuso could put forth a letter" stipulating that safety issues be complied with by Academy bus line, Peters said.
The new bus stop will complement the other stop at the Foodtown on County Line Road.
According to Township Committeeman Joseph Grisanti, the new park-and-ride bus stop will be on Route 527, off Interstate 195, which is the route Academy buses will take to transport riders to the Port Authority bus terminal in midtown Manhattan.
"That way, commuters do not have to spend time traveling local roads," Grisanti said. "[And because] Academy will be [making] the improvements to the new parking lot, it will not cost taxpayers any money."
Grisanti said that since NJ Transit did not operate south of Freehold, Academy would continue to service the route. He said once the new park and ride is complete, Academy will add a route from Jackson to the Wall Street area in lower Manhattan.
"Our goal is to have it up and running in September," said Grisanti. "We’ll still be using the Foodtown parking lost, so we’ll have the two pickup points for people traveling to New York City."
Grisanti said that transportation to Philadelphia will not be provided since there is no need for a daily route to that city from Jackson.