Warehouse proposal was on agenda
The East Windsor Township Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting that had a use variance application for a warehouse on Mercer Street on its agenda has been cancelled.
The Zoning Board was slated to listen to continued testimony on May 18 from applicant 624 East Windsor Hi-Tech Associates LLC, which wants to build a 209,000-square-foot warehouse on part of a 26.5-acre lot at 624 Mercer St.
It is not known whether the use variance application will be on the agenda for the zoning board’s June 15 meeting. A use variance is needed because a warehouse is not a permitted use in the C-R Corridor Revitalization zone.
The application is being presented in two parts – a use variance application, which would be followed by a second application for site plan approval. If the use variance is approved, the applicant would return with a site plan application.
At the zoning board’s Feb. 16 meeting, the applicant’s engineer Thomas Muller told the board that the warehouse is proposed for part of the 26.5-acre lot. The applicant would subdivide the tract and place the warehouse on a 16.9-acre lot. The remainder could be developed at a later time.
Muller outlined a concept plan for the proposed warehouse development. The 209,000-square-foot warehouse would include 9,000 square feet of office space. The rest would be used for warehouse purposes.
The concept plan showed two driveway entrances – one on the east end of the property and one on the west end. Two separate parking areas are proposed for a combined 196 parking spaces. Proposed are 58 truck loading docks and 47 outdoor trailer parking spaces.
During the public comment portion of the February meeting, several residents expressed objections to the proposed warehouse.
Meanwhile, a gofundme.com campaign called “Stop warehouse invading our backyards” has raised $1,850 toward its $5,300 goal to fight the application. Opponents plan to use the money to hire an attorney and to pay for experts’ fees to dispute the application.
The proposed warehouse would destroy part of the wetlands, potentially increase flooding risks, cut down the woods next to the Greenway, and bring truck traffic to the Mercer Street/Airport Road intersection, according to the gofundme.com campaign.
The warehouse also would increase air, noise and light pollution levels, while also putting the warehouse in opponents’ backyards, the campaign said.
