Home Care In Mt Laurel, NJ

Photo Credit: Bohler Engineering via Mount Laurel Planning Board

By JANEL “JAYCEE” MILLER

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — The Mount Laurel Township Planning Board unanimously approved plans during a special meeting held Thursday for Gateway Business Park to build a 437,262-square-foot warehouse.

The approval means Gateway Business Park will demolish the four buildings currently at 124 Gaither Drive, 136 Gaither Drive, 158 Gaither Drive and 200 E. Park Drive and put a warehouse in its place, according to testimony presented during the meeting.

The owner of Gateway Business Park said he sought to demolish the existing buildings since much of the space within the current office buildings at the Gaither Drive and East Park Drive addresses is vacant, said Ahmad Tamous, a civil engineer retained by Gateway Business Park.

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When complete, Gateway Business Park’s warehouse will contain 107 loading docks, 104 trailer parking spaces and 224 car parking spaces, Tamous said. Gateway Business Park sought the Planning Board’s approval with “no [particular] tenant in mind,” Tamous also said.

The company also agreed during the meeting to the Planning Board’s stipulation that any tenant occupying the site is not allowed to keep storage trucks on the site. The company also agreed to the Planning Board’s stipulation that any tenant that does occupy the site would also be required to have a maximum of roughly 300 employees during its first shift and a maximum of roughly 200 employees during its second shift.

Other conditions of the Planning Board’s approval of Gateway Business Park’s application included the company providing sidewalks at the site, working with the Township Fiire Marshal to install fire hydrants, improving the lighting and revising its site drainage plan, according to Planning Board Solicitor Louis Karp.

Nathan Mosley, a traffic engineer retained by Gateway Business Park, said that the amount of traffic that any warehouse tenant generates would have little to any impact on nearby streets and there are few residential neighborhoods in the vicinity of the project.

“This type of use is very focused as far as intensity, over a couple of small periods of time, the day” that is not during the more common morning and evening commuting times, Mosley added.

Mount Laurel Township Planning Board Traffic Engineer Michael Angelastro agreed with Mosley’s findings, adding in his report that the proposed warehouse use “is expected to generate 308 less trips during the [a.m.] peak hour and 287 less trips during the [p.m.] peak hour when compared to the previous office use.”

Angelastro had noted in his report to the Planning Board that he had hoped to see the proposed warehouse’s hours of operation and number of employees. However, testimony presented during the meeting suggested that information cannot be known since no tenant is currently lined up to occupy the warehouse upon its completion.

A timeframe for how soon Gateway Business Park might demolish the four buildings was not immediately available at the meeting.

No one from the public expressed concerns about the proposed warehouse during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

By JANEL “JAYCEE” MILLER

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – The Mount Laurel Township Planning Board voted 4-2 on Thursday night in favor of NUVO Development’s application to build an approximately 100,000 square-foot Extra Space storage facility at 35 Beaver Ave.

The testimony, public comment and vote regarding the storage facility lasted more than three hours, which moved the testimony and public comment for a proposed car wash at 912 Route 73 South – near the site the storage facility was approved to build on – to the Planning Board's next meeting on Nov. 9.

The divided vote came amid several Township residents’ concerns about traffic issues, including the construction vehicles that will temporarily occupy the site and the customers of the storage facility and the nearby WalMart and Life Time Fitness Center ignoring traffic signs in the area.

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“I am the one who constantly has U-turns and people pulling into my driveway (and) my grass being run over,” said Katherine Just, one of those residents, who said she lives next door to the storage facility’s approved site. “I cannot safely walk my baby here without constantly turning my back.”

“When these people miss (Extra Space Storage’s) driveway, they are going to go around the block, and they are going try to come up Beaver,” added Leonard Pezza, who said he lives on Oregon Avenue. “What will prevent people from parking on Beaver and then just walking through your chain just to go over either get something out of your storage.”

Ron Cucchario, Planning Board Solicitor, stated that municipal use law and New Jersey courts have previously ruled that additional traffic cannot be “something the Board can take into account to deny an application.” Cucchario added that a Planning Board can consider the safety of regress and ingress of a proposed project when deciding on applications.

Residents also raised concerns about other businesses in the area and the proposed storage facility’s lighting, noise, size and handling of stormwater runoff.

In response to some residents’ complaints, Sara R. Werner, NUVO Development’s solicitor in this matter, said, “The use as proposed is permitted. The Walmart has nothing to do with us. The Life Time Fitness has nothing to do with us… While the car wash may be semi-related again, that is not our application. We do not have any vested interest in that. The self-storage facility proposed (is) again, it is an expressly permitted use, the Township has already decided that it is not up for this board to decide if it's appropriate on this property.” She reiterated similar comments several times during the meeting.

Four Planning Board members approved NUVO Development’s application while Planning Board members John Coffey and Adrienne Lewis rejected it.

According to Cucchario, the approval was based on NUVO Development agreeing to multiple conditions, including:

The section of Beaver Avenue that NUVO Development wants to build the storage facility is in the Township’s Fellowship Area Redevelopment Plan, an area that the Township designated as such in 2011 and has sought to maximize the potential of, according to the Township’s website.

The Monterey Grill restaurant is being developed in Mount Laurel NJ, inside the Aloft hotel property.

It is expected to be a high end luxury restaurant and is being developed by the same restaurant group who operates the Harvest Grill locations (locally, in Moorestown) and several other restaurants concepts.

The space within the hotel for the new restaurant is on the ground floor to the right of the lobby (behind the lobby bar) and previously was used as meeting space.

The parties involved though want to make it clear that this is a separately run restaurant targeting a higher end dining experience… in fact is has been stated that the build out for the restaurant is $6 million! And you have to consider that that this is being developed within an existing building so most of that expense is going into the interior!

Another exciting high-end twist is it has been stated that the chef is a former winner of Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen cooking contest show,, but I’ve not been able to 100% confirm that aspect or track down the name associated with the new restaurant.

This would be the first Monterey Grill branded restaurant for the group but they recently opened a high end restaurant in Florida called the Jupiter Grill, both of which are targeting a more luxury high-end dining experience.

It seems both the Jupiter Grill and the upcoming Monterey grill are steakhouses, but they are offering broader menu choices which would include seafood. Interestingly the Florida located Jupiter Grill has Hell’s Kitchen Season 9 winner Paul Neidermann as the chef.

Monterrey Grill Mount Laurel

The Aloft Hotel and upcoming Monterrey Grill sit along the busy Route 73 in Mount Laurel, but has an address of Fellowship Road. The New Jersey Turnpike Exit 4 toll booth is very close to the property.

Visiting the hotel yesterday I could see that the construction efforts is creating a new outdoor space in the front right corner of the building.

The preview imagery presented on a posterboard display inside makes exterior addition appear to function as an outside entrance to the restaurant, but then commentary related to the project states there is an outdoor dining component to the space, utilizing nano-doors which can easily fold to open in the indoors to the outside.

So I think that this outdoor patio area is a restaurant entrance on the right portion, and dining on the left.

That preview poster also shows three additional architect rendered views of the upcoming restaurant.

Just based off of these three extra photos it does appear that they are sparing no expense to make this not only a high-end luxury meal, but also a high-end luxury environment.

From interesting overhead lighting atop the bar, to what looks to be a wall of wine in the distance of the bar.

There is what appears to be a private wine tasting area.

And the dining room space is presented with a variety of different wall and ceiling coverings including interesting geometric wooden boxes hanging up overhead of the space.

Honestly it just be easier to look at the photo I have here! Ha.

I’ve been unofficially told that they are looking to open sometime this fall, and that same preview poster board I just mentioned states “Opening in 2023”

Not a lot of details at this point. I googled the heck out of this project to find some any type of online presence, and there’s nothing to be found!

But of course I did find enough information to share with you in this article.

And we’ll have more as it gets closer to the grand opening

Links and Locations

Monterey Grill – Mount Laurel at Aloft Hotel (coming later 2023)558 Fellowship RoadMount Laurel, NJ

Photo Credit: Janel “Jaycee” Miller

By JANEL “JAYCEE” MILLER

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – The Mount Laurel Township Council is scheduled to vote at its August 15 meeting on allowing the construction of a New Jersey Transit bus stop between Rosemary Way and Haddon Place to serve the residential development known as Haddon Point, according to comments the Council made at its July 11 meeting.

The population in that area has been steadily increasing in recent years, said Mount Laurel Township Manager Meredith Riculfy.

“You have a large population increase over on that side of town which hasn't been developed, which is now going to be with over 500 units over there,” she told TAPinto Mount Laurel during an August 1 interview.

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Haddon Point residents had asked for such a bus stop in that area in the past, citing a “lengthy walk” to the nearest westbound stop on State Route 38 heading towards Camden and Philadelphia, according to a resolution discussed at the Council’s July meeting.

TAPinto Mount Laurel’s research suggested that the nearest existing New Jersey Transit bus stops heading west from Haddon Point towards Camden and Philadelphia appear to be near the intersection of State Route 38 and Fostertown Road and near the intersection of State Route 38 and Ark Road. That research also suggested that each of those intersections is more than one mile from the entrance to Haddon Point off State Route 38.

In June, an NJ Transit survey of the area noted that before the new bus stop can be constructed, “a concrete walkway from the sidewalk to the existing concrete pad” must be built, the transportation organization said. NJ Transit explained that this will ensure a smooth surface for bus stop users to walk on and “make the bus stop Americans with Disabilities Act accessible.”

The first vote on a resolution taking the steps NJ Transit specified and then constructing the bus stop was unanimously passed at the Council’s July meeting. Those steps will be taken if the second vote on the resolution passes at the Council’s August meeting.

A timeframe for beginning and completing those steps and what the entire project may cost were not discussed at the meeting.

Upon the bus stop’s completion, the Township will be responsible for maintaining it, Riculfy said in the August 1 interview.

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MOUNT LAUREL - A cannabis corridor could be coming to a busy stretch of highway here.

Township boards have approved applications from three cannabis dispensaries proposed for the 1100 block of Route 73.

The planning board on March 9 gave initial approval for an NJ Green Care dispensary at the former Sage Diner. The long-vacant building is at 1170 Route 73, a corner property at the Church Road intersection.

The board also gave final approval to a dispensary planned for a former Denny’s restaurant at 1132 Route 73. That location, pursued by NAAVI Realty LLC, most recently held Oceancrat The Boiling Seafood and a ramen house.

And the zoning board on March 1 approved an application for a third firm, Daylite Cannabis, to operate at a former real estate office at 1136 Route 73.

Is there a 'Cannabis Row' in Mount Laurel?

“Cool times we live in,” observed Alex Kardos, a co-owner of NJ Green Care, during the meeting.

But the operator of Daylite Cannabis didn't share that mellow vibe.

Steve Cassidy of Medford asked the planning board to reject NJ Green Care project, and expressed concern over the concentration of dispensaries.

"It would look like Cannabis Row," Cassidy told the planning board during the public-comment session.

"It essentially would be setting a precedent that dispensaries could be located on top of one another in Mount Laurel," he said, noting the diner is 200 feet away from his location.

"I don't think that's a good look for the town," said Cassidy, who also heard at the meeting that his planned site could be in the path of a potential connector road between Route 73 and Church Road..

Stephen Boraske, an attorney for NJ Green Care, noted a township ordinance limits where cannabis dispensaries can operate, but does not require a certain distance between them.

“Ultimately, what we have here is a use proposed that has to meet the conditions of the ordinance and it does,” said Boraske, noting “there’s no basis to deny the application simply due to its proximity to another, similar use.”

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Mayor Stephen Steglik wished Cassidy "the best of luck," but noted, "Sometimes there's unfortunately a McDonald's next to a Burger King."

The projects range in size from about 2,300 square feet for Daylite Cannabis, to 5,200 square feet for NAAVI, and 5,700 square feet at the diner.

Kardos said the converted diner would have 30 to 40 employees, with five to 10 people in management positions.

Security measures are to include basement vaults for product storage and 30 to 35 cameras inside the business and about 10 outside.

In addition, security personnel will patrol the parking lot to prevent patrons from consuming cannabis at the site.

“This isn’t Woodstock or anything. We’re running a business here,” said Kardos, whose career in cannabis started as a budtender in Los Angeles in 2007.

Kardos said the dispensary would operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., but that could change if the Cannabis Regulatory Commission imposes shorter statewide hours.

The board voted 8-1 to approve NJ Green Care's application, with member Adrienne Lewis in opposition.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.