Eileen Oldfield

By: centraljersey.com
A Planning Board hearing on a proposed Sonic fast-food restaurant on Route 206 South has been postponed until December, to allow the attorney presenting the business proposal and plan to research some of the objections to the plan.
Donald Whitelaw, the attorney presenting the Sonic proposal on behalf of Thomas Mascia, asked the Planning Board last week to postpone the hearing on the site plan until Dec. 9, in response to a list of objections presented by Ronald Gasiorowski, a lawyer hired by area residents.
In addition to other concerns, which Mr. Gasiorowski did not present at the Oct. 7 meeting, the main concern involved whether the site plan should be presented before the Zoning Board of Adjustment rather than the Planning Board.
"Your ordinances say a building should be within the design of the surrounding area," said Mr. Gasiorowski, of Gasiorowski and Holoblinko, of Red Bank. "This building is not, so it should go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment rather than the Planning Board."
But other issues concern the residents of Oxford Place and Pierson Drive, including noise, traffic, disturbing lighting, and a business that’s just too big for the intended lot, they said.
"It’s too small of a lot to put a Sonic in," said Denise Acocella, of Oxford Place, who hired Mr. Gasiorowski. "It’s an area of half a lot, and they want to expand it to at least two to three lots."
"It’s got nothing to do with Sonic," David Cole, of Oxford Place, said. "It’s that the plan they are trying to do is too aggressive. Living three doors up from it (the restaurant’s intended spot), I’m not going to let it alter the faceplate of my neighborhood."
If the restaurant were similar to the Briken Dairy Farm that occupied the spot for many years, Mr. Cole would not have a problem with it, he said.
The application asks for 22 waivers and five variations to existing rules, and includes exceptions for lot size, width and setbacks, among other variations. A new building built on the site would be 1,818 feet with drive-through lanes, outdoor seating and 46 parking spaces.
The increase in size and traffic causes more concern for the residents, who noted that many kids play in the nearby streets. In addition, the increase in traffic during rush hour could have people cutting through the area, since making a left from the lot to Route 206 is almost impossible then.
"You can’t make a left on there if you wanted," Mr. Cole said.
"We don’t want people running through our neighborhood at 3 a.m.," Ms. Acocella said. "We have children and people also speed down the back roads."
Other concerns include odor from the restaurant – while Sonics are often 24-hour establishments, the company does allow some to close for a few hours between midnight and 6 a.m. – drainage problems, and the look of the restaurant clashing with the existing houses.
"It’s not like the Walgreens (also on Route 206) where it’s like a farm building," Ms. Acocella said. "It’s like a Jetsons-type thing."
Mr. Cole and Ms. Acocella estimated that the residents’ efforts began with about seven households, and have now expanded to about 25 households. The seven households starting the effort used pamphlets, fliers and local press to garner support, Ms. Acocella said.
"A lot of people are behind it because they don’t believe it fits in this location," Ms. Acocella said.
Though it will be two months until the application is heard again, the residents think the wait is an advantage to their cause.
"I’m just glad the attorneys will be able to do the due diligence to figure this out," Mr. Cole said.