MARLBORO – The Marlboro Zoning Board of Adjustment has approved an application that proposed the construction of a car wash and an oil change center in the Morganville section of the township.
The board granted approval during a meeting on July 14. The applicant, Tennent Road Wash and Lube, LLC, was represented by attorney Marc Policastro.
The 1-acre property where the applicant proposed to construct the business is at 6 Tennent Road between Route 79 and Church Lane. The property is predominantly wooded.
Tennent Road Wash and Lube proposed the construction of a 4,650-square-foot car wash and an oil change/lubrication service building.
Parking for 12 vehicles was initially proposed at the location, with eight parking spaces on one side of the lot and four parallel parking spaces on another side of the property. The four parallel parking spaces were to also have served as vehicle vacuum stations.
The application was adjusted to provide 10 parking spaces on the side of the property that initially had eight spaces, and six angular parking spaces on the side of the building that initially had the four parallel parking spaces.
Access to the site will be from Tennent Road.
Board member Alon Solon expressed concerned about the change in the parking plan because he said the six angular parking spaces would be near the full movement driveway that encircles the building.
Solon said if there was a full line of vehicles waiting for the car wash, backing out of those specific parking spaces would be impossible.
Engineer Robert Cranmer said the applicant asked to move those parking spaces to the proposed location to streamline the business and to create less noise for neighbors with the vacuum stalls.
Cranmer also said there were concerns about customers opening the doors of their vehicles while they were in the parallel parking spaces at the previous location because the vehicles’ doors would open directly into the flow of traffic at the site.
The applicant sought a use variance from the zoning board because a car wash and/or a vehicle service use is not a permitted principal, accessory or conditional use in Marlboro’s C-2 commercial zone.
Following the conclusion of the testimony, a motion was made to grant the variance and approve the Tennent Road Wash and Lube application.
Voting “yes” were board Chairman Michael Shapiro and board members Ira Levin, Stacey DiGrande, Frank Yozzo and Alan Zwerin. Solon voted “no” and the motion carried, 5-1.