SOUTH BRUNSWICK: Council mulls direct-sale warehouses

by Davy James, Staff Writer
   The Township Council is continuing to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of allowing warehouses in the northern part of town to also sell products directly to the public.
   The change has been proposed to attract new businesses to the township. The area is located in the LI-4 District which is on the east side of the N.J. Turnpike in the northern part of town along Cranbury-South River Road.
   ”The change would involve allowing retailers with a warehouse to be able to sell the products that pass through their warehouse,” said Director of Planning and Community Development Craig Marshall. “For instance, if there is a furniture warehouse it would be able to have a limited retail sales area.”
   Major concerns were expressed by council members related to the amount of traffic that could be generated by allowing the retail component.
   ”One of the concerns the council has, and I also have, is giving direct access for customers onto Cranbury-South River Road,” Mr. Marshall said. “We’re concerned with putting more driveways onto the road and slowing down traffic.”
   The council decided to clear the way for new companies to put up temporary signs announcing their grand opening in all zones other than residential. The signs would be permitted for a period of 30 days up to the grand opening.
   Other hurdles exist due to Cranbury-South River Road being a county road, which would require a company to gain county approval for allowing a driveway cut-through on the road. Councilman Charlie Carley said during the meeting that the county would not be anxious to do so.
   Councilman Chris Killmurray expressed concerns for the long-term ramifications of changing the zoning due to truck traffic issues. Mayor Frank Gambatese said that one applicant he spoke with expressed a desire to have a retail component as a condition of coming into the township. He said changing the zoning to allow retail sales could help to attract new businesses and had concerns about the difficulties of bringing in a business to the area.
   ”We have to make South Brunswick a destination to put businesses and not make it harder to relocate here,” he said. “That’s not a good approach.”
   The council ultimately decided to table the issue and re-examine the possible changes in the future.