By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Setting the stage for the redevelopment of a 16-acre parcel on the corner of Route 1 and Bakers Basin Road, an engineer representing the developer began to walk the Zoning Board of Adjustment through his client’s application last week.
The zoning board listened to nearly three hours of testimony, but did not complete the public hearing on the application. The board will meet Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. in the lower level conference room at the Municipal Building to continue the public hearing.
The goal of the application by 2012 Lawrenceville Associates LLC, which seeks a conditional use variance and preliminary and final site plan approval, is to present a consolidated and unified plan for the redevelopment of the property, which is anchored by the Mrs. G TV and Appliance store, civil engineer Charles Olivo told the zoning board at its July 18 meeting.
A conditional use variance is needed because combined convenience stores and service stations are not permitted in the Highway Commercial zone. WaWa, which is one of the prospective tenants, wants to build a convenience store with 16 fuel pumps on the site.
Additional variances are needed because the township’s land use ordinance permits a maximum of three buildings on a parcel in the Highway Commercial zone, but five are proposed WaWa, a McDonald’s, a TD Bank, a 12,000-square-foot building that would be occupied by Mrs. G TV and Appliance, and a 15,000-square-foot commercial building.
Nevertheless, the application proposes several improvements to the roads surrounding the property, Mr. Olivo said. The plan eliminates the jughandle off Route 1 onto Bakers Basin Road and replaces it with a connector road at the rear of the proposed new development. Three driveway entrances along the connector road would provide access to the development, plus one driveway on Route 1.
The connector road, which ends at Bakers Basin Road, would allow motorists to turn left or right onto Bakers Basin Road, Mr. Olivo said. The connector road would be built and maintained by the developer, he said. The existing jug-handle does not allow left turns onto Bakers Basin Road.
”One of the goals of the plan is to (provide) significant public benefits,” Mr. Olivo said, referring to the replacement of the jughandle with the connector road. Another road is planned between the connector road and Litho Road, which is off Route 1 between the Ford and Mercedes-Benz dealerships.
Bakers Basin Road, which is currently one lane in each direction, would be improved to provide three lanes a separate left-turn lane, a straight/left-turn lane, and a straight/right-turn lane westbound. It would have two lanes eastbound.
When he was asked about the roundabout, or small traffic circle, that marks the middle entrance to the development off the connector road, Mr. Olivo said the initial plan showed a T-intersection. But the township asked for the roundabout, he said, describing it as “an attractive part of the project.”
And asked about the fuel pumps at the WaWa convenience store, Mr. Olivo said the company offers diesel fuel as well as gasoline, but it is not known as a truck stop. The diesel fuel is intended for cars and pickup trucks that have diesel engines.
Mr. Olivo added that motorists would stop at the convenience store and fuel pump station on their way to work or on their way home from work, traveling northbound on Route 1 or eastbound on Bakers Basin Road. It is unlikely that a motorist traveling southbound on Route 1 would turn around and go the WaWa store for gasoline, he said.
Testimony at the Aug. 15 meeting is expected to focus on traffic issues, as well as questions from zoning board members regarding Mr. Olivo’s testimony that they did not have time to ask before the meeting adjourned.

