HUNTERDON COUNTY
MyCentralJersey.com
TEWKSBURY – The township land use board will continue hearing a controversial plan to construct a winery inside a barn at a Cold Brook Road farm.
Frank and Elena Schwab have applied to convert one of the three barns on their property at 31 Cold Brook Road into a 1,695-square-foot winery and tasting room.
The proposal has drawn opposition from the township's environmental and scenic roads and bridges commissions, which have expressed concerns the winery will generate traffic on the narrow dirt road off Lamington Road in the southeastern corner of the township.
Cold Brook Road is designated by the township as a scenic road.
"The beauty and tranquility of Cold Brook Road and its environs would be seriously disturbed by the higher traffic volumes, associated noise levels and potential litter," the scenic roads and bridges commission wrote in a letter to the land use board. "The character of this scenic road would be negatively impacted, and its unique attributes would be sullied."
The commission also noted that Cold Brook Road is "perhaps the most pristine, unspoiled scenic road in the township, with very little vehicular traffic and is frequented by hikers, bicyclists and equestrians."
Township planner Darlene Green, in her report to the land use board, said it is "unclear" if two cars can pass each other on Cold Brook Road "without pulling off into the grass and/or ditch."
The Schwabs have proposed to open the winery by appointment only four days per week and eight hours per day from March 1 to Sept. 30. A maximum of eight employees, five or six in the winery and one or two servers in the tasting room, is anticipated.
According to the application's community impact statement, walk-in customers will not be permitted. Customers will schedule a two-hour stay, including a tour and tasting session. The appointments will be on a rotating schedule throughout operating hours.
The winery will not host weddings or other large events because the septic sewer capacity allows a maximum capacity of 25 people.
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The application estimates 64 car trips per day to the winery, including employees.
But the environmental commission questioned that number, saying in a letter to the land use board "one could estimate 2x or 3x the traffic based on curiosity and word-of-mouth."
The Schwabs proposed directing traffic to Vliettown Road to limit the number of cars passing homes and driveways, but that road and Church Street are also designated as scenic roads with their own constraints, the scenic roads and bridges commission wrote, which may also lead to more congestion at the intersection of Church Street and Old Turnpike Road in Oldwick.
The environmental commission also had concerns about how the spotted lanternfly invasion will be managed, possible noise pollution, water requirements, water overflow, air quality and dust as a result of the increased traffic, and historic neighborhood deterioration.
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The 28.79-acre property, which the Schwabs purchased in 2017 for more than $2.2 million, is already used as a vineyard.
The first public hearing on the plan was held Wednesday, but no decision was made. The next hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the Oldwick Manor, 2 Fisher Road.
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA Today Network New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Contact: JIntersimone@Gannett.com or @JIntersimone.