Board brings application back down to earth
Zoning Board denies plan for Sky Plaza shopping center on Finnegans Lane
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - An application to build a 41,000-square-foot shopping center on Finnegans Lane was denied by the Zoning Board of Adjustment on Monday.

Sky Plaza, which was proposed as a mixture of office, retail and restaurant space, caused concern among board members because of the existing traffic on the county road, as well as the potential implications a left-turn exit from the property would cause.

"One accident is too many," board member Tony Chedid said. "Common sense tells me there's a problem with this application. In my personal opinion, it is too grandiose for this area."

The issue lies in the center being 850 feet east of Route 27, and 300 feet east of an existing center, Finnegans Plaza. Finnegans Lane is a 45 mph roadway connecting state Routes 27 and 1, so residents were concerned about speeding, courtesy passing, pedestrians and stacking of cars.

However, traffic engineer Nick Verderese said that traffic studies conducted in July 2005, July 2007 and November 2007 show that the peak hours would only be 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. and 4:45 to 5:45 p.m during the week and noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

"Whether it is a restaurant or it is classified as a shopping center, it doesn't really make much difference what the generated traffic would be," he said. "When you start mixing office and a restaurant, they are complementary. They don't have their traffic at the same time."

Verderese had proposed two 10-foot outbound lanes so there would be a right and left turn, and one 15-foot inbound lane. He said this would accommodate any larger trucks that needed to enter the plaza. He also disagreed with the board's suggestion of eliminating the left turn out of Sky Plaza because, he said, that would cause all vehicles to try to make a left turn out of Finnegans Plaza.

Yet a group of South Brunswick residents who live on the streets across from the site said the "F" level of service determined by the Department of Transportation for the intersection of Route 27 and Finnegans Lane is enough of a reason to not add more cars there.

"[Finnegans Lane] can't handle what it has now, so no matter what you add, it's going to be bad," resident Fred Scheff said.

"When you look at the health and welfare of the community, whether in South Brunswick or our neighbors in North Brunswick … I don't think adding these [stores]will add to the health andwelfare of the community," resident Linda Kohn said.

Yet Joseph D'Angiolillo, who owns a piece of property on Finnegans Lane, said that "this is called progress" and that he has never seen an accident on the road. He said when he came to the area, he "knew" a shopping center would eventually be built, and that was 50 years before it was actually constructed. He said the community should accept the new center.

"I think this is all foolish," he said of the opposition.

Sky Plaza was supposed to mirror the neighboring Finnegans Plaza, which is owned by the same people. The applicant was seeking a use variance to permit a restaurant, which is not allowed in the C- 3 commercial zone, and for the ability to include up to 19 separate units, and a bulk variance because the required 40- foot setback from the rear residential lots would only be 15 feet.

The plan had already been postponed after two residential noticing errors and a conflict of interest with the township engineer. Despite the denial, board member Don Adams said he would be in favor of a scaled-back version, if the applicant chooses to resubmit a plan.