LAWRENCE: Zoners to hear Mrs. G property plan

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   A public hearing on a plan to redevelop the Mrs. G TV and Appliance store property, on the corner of Brunswick Pike and Bakers Basin Road, tops the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s agenda next week.
   The zoning board expects to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the lower level conference room at the Municipal Building. The public hearing had been slated for last month, but it was postponed because of possible revisions to the plan that might affect the variances and waivers being sought.
   Ferber Construction Management LLC, which is based in Florida, is seeking a conditional use variance and major site plan approval to redevelop the 16-acre parcel.
   The developer wants to demolish the existing buildings and replace them with two retail buildings of 6,000 square feet and 15,000 square feet, respectively, plus a TD Bank, a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant and a Wawa convenience store with gas pumps.
   The application is in front of the zoning board because a conditional use variance is required for the Wawa convenience store’s gasoline pumps. The township’s Land Use Ordinance states that “such use shall not be combined with any other use on the same site.”
   A new connector road would be constructed on the southern end of the property that would replace the existing jug handle on the northern end of the property, connecting Route 1 with Bakers Basin Road. The new connector road also would link with Litho Road, which is between the Ford and Mercedes-Benz new car dealerships.
   Mrs. G TV and Appliances Inc. is not closing or going out of business, said Debbie Schaeffer, president and chief executive officer of Mrs. G. If the application is approved by the zoning board, Ms. Schaeffer said the store would be temporarily relocated to another site — but that move would not take place for at least 18 months.
   In the meantime, Mrs. G TV and Appliances will remain open in its present location, Ms. Schaeffer said.
   The Ferber Construction Management LLC application requires several variances, in addition to the conditional use variance. The township’s Land Use Ordinance does not permit more than three buildings on one lot in the Highway Commercial zone, and five buildings are proposed.
   A variance also is needed for parking on the southern end of the redeveloped site. The McDonald’s fast food restaurant and the Wawa convenience store provide 96 parking spaces, but 161 are required under the zoning ordinance.