By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – A Ray Catena Jaguar/Land Rover automobile dealership has been approved for a location on Route 9 north in Marlboro.
On May 4, the Planning Board granted preliminary and final site plan approval to Route 9 Realties LLC. The applicant will renovate existing structures at the site and bring a luxury car dealership to the township.
Board members voted 6-0 to approve the application.
The applicant was represented by attorney Gerald Sonnenblick.
The property the dealership will occupy is at a jughandle on Route 9 north at the border of Marlboro and Manalapan. Testimony indicated the tract consists of 9.2 acres in Marlboro and about 0.2 acres in Manalapan.
Plans call for a Ray Catena Jaguar/Land Rover dealership with a showroom and service area.
The parcel contains a two-story masonry building and a one-story masonry building, both of which will be redeveloped, and a one-story frame building and a shed, both of which will be demolished. The masonry buildings are connected.
The first floor of the two-story building will have a showroom, service area, customer lounge, vehicle delivery area and offices. The second floor will be used for administration, employee break rooms, employee lockers, storage, a maintenance closet and restrooms, according to the application.
The one-story building will include a second service area, a mechanical room, storage, restrooms and a car wash, according to the application. Testimony indicated the car wash will only be used by employees who will wash cars that are being serviced at the dealership.
According to the application, there will be about 340 parking spaces for vehicle storage and display purposes, in addition to customer and employee parking spaces.
According to Robert Gallagher, the Ray Catena Auto Group’s director of operations, the dealership will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Board members asked that deliveries to the dealership only be made during business hours and for the site’s lights to be turned town at night. The applicant agreed to comply with the requests.
The applicant also agreed not to unload cars on Route 9. Sonnenblick said cars will be delivered at the rear of the dealership’s property.
There is access to the site from Route 9 north. The plan shows the jughandle will be converted to a “T” intersection connecting a two-lane, left turn, exit only driveway from the site.
No one from the public commented on the application prior to the board’s vote to grant site plan approval.