MARLBORO — Residents will have the chance to burn off excess pounds when a new fitness facility opens in Marlboro. The Planning Board granted a waiver of site plan to the owners of Work Out World at the Sept. 5 meeting.
Representatives of the company plan to open a two-story, 38,000-square-foot fitness center sometime between April and June 2013 at 79 S. Main St., in the Brooks Edge Plaza shopping center.
Attorney Sal Alfieri, who represents the applicant, said a waiver of site plan was appropriate because there would not be any improvements to the structure itself.
“The only activity that is occurring in terms of construction is the internal construction, which we believe is purely a building department function,” Alfieri said.
Vice Chairman Gerald Bergh agreed, adding that the improvement to the building’s interior would be a stand-alone mezzanine that “would not be connected in any way, shape or form” to the existing edifice.
A “pop-up” sign above the entrance would be installed as well, said Steve Roma, the applicant. He said the business would place its name on an existing freestanding sign near the intersection of Route 79 and Ryan Road, but would not require additional signs.
There are about 420 parking stalls in the shopping center. Alfieri said Marlboro’s municipal code would not require Work Out World to provide extra parking spaces.
Traffic engineer John Rea, who testified on behalf of the applicant, said the maximum number of automobiles he recorded at the site was 108 on a Saturday morning.
While Work Out World would draw patrons to the area — about 200 people during a three-hour peak in the morning and another 200 in the evening — that number would apply only to weekdays, Roma said.
About 21 employees will work in the facility during the peak hours. Those individuals would park behind the building.
Overall, the business would add 100 to 120 vehicles to the shopping plaza during the busy period mentioned by the traffic engineer, Roma said.
Rea added that half of the parking lot would still be empty, despite Work Out World’s anticipated draw.
The club’s projected numbers are based on another location in Freehold, off Route 9. In June, there were 7,157 active members and a total of 25,000 visits to that gym, Roma said.
Work Out World offers two types of deals: a basic membership that enables customers to visit only one gym, and a VIP membership that enables customers to visit all facilities under the franchise’s banner.
Some board members expressed concern that the Marlboro site could attract members from other towns, which could impact local traffic patterns.
“People typically will go to the club that is closest to where they live, unless there is some very unusual amenity that people would then drive to [another gym] as a destination,” Roma said. “But most of our facilities are pretty comparable in what they offer.”
The first floor of Marlboro’s Work Out World is expected to house locker rooms, training areas, a no-contact boxing zone, a free-weight section, kickboxing rooms, a theater packed with exercise equipment and rock music to pump up participants, and cardio machines, Roma said.
The second floor will house additional cardio machines, a group cycling section, room for personal training sessions, a “soft studio” for activities like yoga and Pilates, and a private women’s workout spot, he said.
Babysitting services and tanning booths will also be available to customers.
The board voted 7-0 to waive the need for a site plan review.