Planning Bd. keeps on truckin' with approval
S.B. agrees to site plan for truck dealership
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - The Planning Board granted site plan approval for a Kenworth Trucks dealership and lube center facility on Route 130 during its meeting on Dec. 5.

The new owners of the site, Gabrielli N.J. Realty, changed some of the site plan from a car dealership to a truck dealership, leading to a need for approval from the board.

Julie Algeo, a licensed engineer, went over the changes to the site.

"The site is about 75,000 square feet," Algeo said. "There's a slight reduction in the building area."

The complex will have three buildings, with one a service building for the lubrication of trucks.

The number of parking spaces has changed, because the new application is for a truck dealership.

"The vehicle spacing has been made larger, so the total numbers have been reduced," Algeo said.

There will be 306 spaces in all, with 113 for employee parking spaces, 56 for customers and the rest for trucks.

A neighbor to the property, Heller Industrial Park, requested that the trees to the southeastern portion of the property be less than 8 feet at their maturation point. The company said it will comply with the request, stating a desire to be a good neighbor.

John Vincenti, a professional planner and engineer, said that traffic would not be an issue at the site.

"Going to a truck dealership will mean significantly less customers coming to the site," Vincenti said. "There will be much less inventory, less impulse buying."

The board unanimously approved the site plan.

"I think it will be very productive and useful for the truck drivers in the area," said board member Jo Hochman.

"It's definitely less intrusive going from an auto dealership to a truck sales place even with a lube center," added fellow board member Barry Nathanson.

This will be the ninth truck dealership for Gabrielli Realty and the first in New Jersey. Its other locations are in New York and Connecticut.

"We hope to break ground in the second quarter of next year," said Paul Avvento, the chief financial officer of Gabrielli Realty. "It should take nine to 12 months to build the facility."

Hours of operation will be from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Eventually, they will also operate on Saturdays.