HOWELL – Final major site plan approval has been granted by the members of the Howell Planning Board to an applicant which will construct a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station at Route 9 north and Strickland Road.
During a meeting in April, the 7-Eleven application received preliminary major site plan approval from the board.
Representatives of 7-Eleven Inc., as applicant, and SAP American Choice Inc., as owner, returned on Sept. 2 to seek final approval for the project.
Attorney Benjamin Wine and site engineer Jake Modestow presented the application to the board.
An Exxon gas station and convenience store is on the site at Route 9 north and Strickland Road where the applicant plans to construct the 7-Eleven convenience store and a gas station.
The proposal from 7-Eleven Inc. is to raze the existing canopy and associated site improvements and to construct a 3,000-square-foot 7-Eleven convenience store and a station with 12 fueling positions and a canopy.
The plan includes 25 parking spaces, new landscaping, lighting, trash facilities and storm water management infrastructure at 639 Route 9 North, Howell.
Wine said the property “is currently improved with a gas station and a convenience store. We are proposing to replace (those facilities) with a different convenience store and gas station. The application has received all other approvals and the substance of tonight is just for final major site plan approval.”
The applicant previously proposed a full access driveway on Wyckoff Mills Road, but has changed that aspect of the application to a right-in, right-out only access. All truck movements to the property will be limited to the Route 9 access, Wine said.
Modestow said the applicant has included additional sidewalks and crosswalks at all of the entrance points on Wyckoff Mills Road, Strickland Road and Route 9.
Following the conclusion of testimony, a motion was made to grant final approval to the 7-Eleven application.
Voting “yes” on the motion were Planning Board Chairman Brian Tannenhaus, Paul Dorato, Nicholas Huszar, John Leggio, Township Councilwoman Pamela Richmond, Howell Police Chief Andrew Kudrick, Robert Seaman and Joseph Cristiano.
During the April hearing, the applicant’s representatives stated that an existing 7-Eleven at Route 9 north and Casino Drive in Howell will close when the new 7-Eleven at Route 9 north and Strickland Road has been completed.
