By Jennifer Amato
Staff Writer
NORTH BRUNSWICK – A proposed storage facility on Nimitz Place is causing concern for residents who do not believe it should be built in a residential area.
Expert witnesses provided testimony about Metro Storage, a two-story, 109,150-square-foot building that will encompass 700 storage units off of Route 130 during the North Brunswick Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on March 15.
The applicant is requesting a multitude of use and bulk variances, which has neighbors worried about the proximity of the facility to their homes. The property is located in an R-2 residential zone, which only allows for single-family houses.
“My concern is, as a resident, that this building that’s going to be there … this is a storage area .. how do you screen what’s being stored? This is too close to a residential area,” Nick Sicurella of Arthur Avenue said.
Concerned that storage unit users may want to store dangerous items such as fireworks, he continued, “I am bothered by a storage area where people are going to store things without any control, and boom, it’s over.”
Bob Heilman, the vice president of development for Metro Storage, explained that the lease prohibits the storage of any hazardous or dangerous materials, the staff monitors move ins and move outs, staff members complete two rounds of the property each day to check for unusual noise or odors, and the entire facility is under video surveillance.
However, Anthony Camaioni of Miriam Drive said that while the application sounds promising, it is not the right fit for the proposed area. He noted that none of the several storage facilities that already exist in North Brunswick are located near residences.
“All these other facilities are located on a highway but not near any residents. We have nice pocket neighborhoods in North Brunswick, that’s how it’s made up,” he said.
Currently, the proposed access hours are from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. every day, and staffing hours are from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays, though Heilman said he had to verify those times.
John Harter, a traffic engineer with Atlantic Traffic & Design, mentioned that although there are 10 parking spaces available and the peak time on Saturday will have 20 vehicles per hour, and since most vehicles do not stay for an extended period of time, the parking space is adequate. He said seven studies were conducted by the Institution of Transportation Engineers.
In relation, testimony was provided about two-way circulation entering the site, two exits and a right in/right out onto Route 130.
This prompted residents to question the traffic flow of the area. Linda Warhaftig of Taylor Place said that currently, motorists trying to avoid u-turns at Raider Road near North Brunswick Township High School or Adams Lane instead travel from Adams Lane to Oak to Wood Avenue to Taylor Drive to Taylor Place to McKinley Avenue to Nimitz Place and then out onto Route 130. She also mentioned that Calvert Road also serves as a cut through.
The Zoning Board decided to continue the hearing on May 17 where more expert testimony is expected. No vote was taken on the application.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].