The petition
Isn’t One Wawa in Middletown Enough?
3/21/08
UPDATE:
Wawa has withdrawn their application for the Rt. 35 and Old Country Rd. site. While we’re thankful that common sense has prevailed in this instance (at least temporarily), we sense that the decision had a lot to do with the town’s political climate and election coming this fall. Either way, we’ll take it as a victory and we’d like to thank everyone who helped in this process and/or signed our petition.
The bad news is that there is nothing to prevent Wawa or any other large gas station/ convenience store chain from submitting or resubmitting an application for the Old Country Rd. site or any other site in Middletown near homes/schools/wetlands/streams/etc. and the town has little in it’s arsenal to prevent it. Most other towns do, and we suspect Wawa will be back. Now that there is no Wawa application before the planning board, there is no pressure on the board, and this would be a perfect time to discuss adopting a zoning ordinance change that would help prevent this type of use. Keep in mind that these Super Wawas cannot be compared to just another “gas station” or “convenience store”. They are the equivalent or three or four gas stations, a storage facility, and a few convenience stores at one site, operating 24/7, 365 days per year. No one in Middletown deserves to have one of those in their back yard, sideyard, or at the end of their street.
If you would like to see a zoning ordinance change similar to the one that’s been suggested to the planning board, to protect Middletown residents from this type of development; please sign our petition and post your comments. We will then use your e-mail address (unless you ask us not to) to keep you updated and informed about town meetings, etc. dealing with this subject. It is very important that you show up at the various board/ committee meetings in person to let the boards/committees know your feelings in person.
The residents of Old Country Rd./Johnson Terrace/Harmony Rd. would also like to pursue the dead-ending/cul-de-sacing of Old Country Rd. to control the existing traffic and deal with whatever type of development comes to the Rt. 35 end of Old Country Rd.
Once again, thank you for your help in stopping the insanity and let’s continue to work to make sure it sticks.
Concerned Citizens of Middletown
Wawa, Inc. (a convenience store/gas station chain) has applied to the Middletown Township, NJ Planning Board for approvals for TWO Wawa locations in Middletown. One application has already been approved for Rt. 36 East and Appleton Ave. in Leonardo (Community Firehouse/ Commuter Lot).
A second application is being considered by the Planning Board for the site on the corner of Rt. 35 North and Old Country Road, which is now occupied by the Shiki Japanese Steakhouse (just north of Middletown post office). Old Country Road is a very small side street (23 foot width in places) with private residences, a day care center, and a historic 1834 era cemetery. It connects to Harmony Rd. and returns to Rt. 35, creating a large jug-handle. A 5,500 square foot, 24-hour convenience store with 16 gas pumps is planned to replace the existing restaurant.
The site is currently zoned B-3 and a Wawa as planned would be a permitted use. However, many local residents would be affected by the nature of this type of business. Their concerns include increased 24-hour traffic and deliveries with idling trucks, environmental impact, noise and light pollution, excessive litter, loitering, safety, and greatly increased use of Old Country Road (to return to Rt. 35 north and south) in an area already plagued by traffic problems. 60,000 gallons of underground gasoline storage is planned on the site which has sensitive wetlands and streams running through it. Many of the existing large trees would be removed to accommodate parking and a drainage retention basin, reducing the buffer between the site and residences to virtually nothing. Many local taxpaying retailers would also be negatively impacted.
Many towns in NJ have zoning ordinances that would make gas stations a conditionally permitted use and would impose certain standards to insure that they are not located at inappropriate locations, such as near homes. Unfortunately, Middletown does not currently have such an ordinance and many residents believe that there should be an amendment to allow for one. Below is the proposed ordinance:
PROPOSED ORDINANCE
FOR GASOLINE SERVICE STATIONS
The purpose of the amendment to the zoning ordinances is to impose certain standards on gasoline service stations to ensure that they are not located at inappropriate locations, such as near homes.
- The “Schedule of Permitted Uses” shall be amended to make gasoline service stations a conditionally permitted use instead of a permitted use in the B-2 and B-3 zoning district.
- Section 16-8.22 shall be added to the Code Middletown Township and state, as follows, “Gasoline service stations shall only be permitted as a conditional use in the B-2 and B-3 zoning districts and shall adhere to the following standards:
1. No gasoline service station shall be permitted on a lot whose lot lines are within 200 feet of a lot with a residence, firehouse, public or private school, hospital, church or other place of worship, day-care center, playground, or place of public assembly.
2. No gasoline service station shall be permitted on a lot with a river, stream, creek or any other natural body of water.
3. No gasoline service station shall be permitted on a lot with a retail store with a floor area of more than 2,000 square feet.
4. No gasoline service station shall have ingress from and egress to a street of less than 40 feet in width.
If you would support such an amendment, we ask that you sign our petition and ask that the Middletown Township Committee quickly adopt it for the public good.
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