WAYNE — Pollution and traffic were among a list of concerns cited this week by residents who are trying to derail a plan by Wawa to build a 24/7 market and gas station on Route 23.
At least 50 residents of Cedar Place and other roads around Packanack Lake went to a hearing on Monday, as the Planning Board heard from engineers who testified that the proposed use is a good fit for the 5.9-acre property.
Residents disagreed.
They took issue with the plan's potential impact on competing businesses, congestion of roads and the surrounding wetlands habitat.
Fliers were mailed to residents, warning that Wawa's plan "threatens our lake and environment."
"I'm very concerned about traffic," said Jane Getty of Hillcrest Drive, a mile-long street that connects Cedar Place to Ratzer Road.
"I've been here for 45 years," she added, "and it has increased immeasurably."
The property, at 1512 Route 23 north, is the site of the former Nagel's Candy Barn — a decades-old confectionery that closed five years ago.
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Wawa Inc., based in Pennsylvania, wants to demolish the 10,952-square-foot building at the property to build a 4,736-square-foot convenience store and gas station with eight pumps.
The building still has two businesses in operation: an insurance company, and Miranda's Family Restaurant.
A 3,685-square-foot home at the property — the Nagels' former residence — also would be razed.
Gas stations and stores are permitted in the township's commercial zone. But the site is unique in that it fronts on a highway and has access to a residential street.
Cedar Place is one of three parallel streets, along with Packanack Lake Road and Sleepy Hollow Drive, linking Route 23 to the lakeside neighborhood. Due to the site's proximity to so many homes, Wawa reps said they were sensitive in their design of the gas station and store.
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Jeffrey Martell, a civil engineer and planner, said his client would reduce the size of its proposed monument sign on Cedar Place.
"I think we're trying to demonstrate for the board, and the public, that we're aware of the sensitivity here," Martell said, "and Wawa would like to be a good neighbor."
Martell also acknowledged that Wawa would plant more trees. Its proposed landscaping scheme contemplates removing 33 trees and planting 61 trees; but only four of the new trees would be big enough to qualify as replacements, according to the municipal code.
Wawa sets the standard in the industry for safety of fueling operations, according to Martell, who said its underground gas tanks are continuously monitored for leaks by electronic sensors.
Board members were not happy with the plan's parking arrangement, however. Fifty-two parking spots are proposed.
That number of spots is in line with customers' demand at other Wawa locations, Martell said. "These facilities have become very popular through the years," he said. "That's why we continue to build them in the marketplace."
Wawa's proposed location on Route 23 would be its first in Passaic County.
Board members asked the engineer to eliminate a portion of the parking lot — on the east side of the property — to add more to the buffer between the site and residences.
Wawa needs eight variances, including one for an insufficient buffer: a 50-foot landscaped screen is required under the municipal code, while 29.1 feet is proposed.
The board also would have to grant more than 15 design waivers, such as a lack of bicycle racks and sidewalks.
Matthew Seckler, a traffic engineer, told the board that the proposed gas station and store would not contribute to gridlock on local roads because more than three-quarters of customers who would go there would be passing by, on their way to or from other destinations.
The next hearing on the application is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on April 13.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: [email protected] Twitter: @PhilDeVencentis