Members of the Holmdel Zoning Board of Adjustment have approved an application that proposed the construction of a “mom and pop” convenience store at the B&G Gulf gas station on the corner of Bethany and Holmdel roads.
Testimony on behalf of the applicant, 701 Holmdel Associates LLC (B&G Gulf), was presented at the zoning board’s Nov. 28 meeting in the municipal building. The applicant was seeking variance relief to convert the present uses of the fueling station – a U-Haul rental site and mechanic shop – to a fueling station and mini store.
Answering questions posed by attorney Robert McGowan, who represents the applicant, project engineer Michael Pucci described the nature of the proposed facility.
Pucci said a 612-square-foot addition would be built at the back of the existing 1,285-square-foot structure and would be constructed to be a “mom and pop” convenience store. He said the future tenant would not be a chain store such as QuickChek or Wawa.
Pucci said the eight fueling stations on the property would continue to operate and would not be moved.
John Rea, a principal with McDonough and Rea Associates, presented a traffic analysis for the site plan and said “there will be in an increase in traffic generated to and from the site.”
He said the increased number of vehicles that will come to and leave the location should not be a cause for concern.
During the morning peak hour, Rea said, an additional 41 vehicles will be traveling to and from the convenience store. During the afternoon and Saturday peak hour, he said, there will be 43 additional vehicles.
“That is a total of the ins and the outs,” Rea said. “What you are really looking at is 20 additional customers during the morning peak hour and 21 to 22 additional customers during the afternoon peak hour and the Saturday peak hour.
“In terms of the impact at the signalized intersection on Bethany and Holmdel roads, more than 50 percent of the trips generated by the service mart will be from pass-by traffic … you are looking at a net increase of about 20 new trips traveling through the intersection during peak hours,” Rea said.
Architect Robert Larsen said the materials that will be used in the redevelopment of the existing building will enhance the visual appeal of the mini mart.
Larsen, who also testified as a professional planner, said including a convenience store at the corner would “improve the visual environment” of what currently exists.
Posing a question to Pucci, the board’s chairwoman, Valerie Avrin-Marchiano, said she was concerned that garbage from the convenience store could attract pests. She said she was also concerned with having buffers put in place so neighbors would not have a direct view of the property.
Pucci said additional screening and landscape buffers are proposed and would be put in place.
No one from the public commented on the B&G Gulf application. A motion was made to grant the requested variance relief and board members voted unanimously to permit the applicant to convert the building to a mini mart.