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Politics & Government

Zoning Board Puts Final Stamp on Quick Chek Application

Variances denied after many meetings

Last Monday, the Howell Township Zoning Board spent a majority of their meeting hearing and approving an application for a new to sell new and pre-owned automobiles. However, this was not the only matter on the agenda, as the board still had a great deal to work on throughout the session.

To begin, the board concluded the loose ends on the Quick Chek application, unanimously voting a resolution for its final denial. This is the final action for a case that has been heard throughout this much of 2011.

On Monday, July 11, the board voted that the Quick Chek would not be built at the corner of Route 33 and Colts Neck Road, despite a majority vote in favor of the project. Due to the nature of the variances the Quick Chek applicants were seeking, five votes were needed, but only four were garnered.

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Though the idea was well received by several board members, there were still a great deal of concerns with the impact of constructing the store and gas station on local zoning restrictions.

The Quick Chek attorney, Harry Kent-Smith, said he thought this application should be approved, as it would provide a bump in jobs and a boost to the local economy if approved. However the opposing attorney Ronald Gasiorowski, who represented local gas station owner Felix Bruselovsky, noted the Quick Chek would cause a great deal of traffic concerns in the local area, and he also argued it was not a popular idea in the local community, as evident by the fact no local residents came to the meetings to support the application.

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After much deliberation, board members Wendell Nanson, David Sirna, Thomas O’Donnell and zoning board chairman John Van Noy all voted for the applications approval. However, board members John Armata, Stephen Meier and Valerie Morone all voted against the motion, leading to the defeat of the application.

However, though the application received a final denial at Monday’s meeting, there is still a possibility the Quick Chek could be built in Howell. Zoning Board Chairman Van Noy noted the borough is currently working on fixing up its master plan, which zones locations throughout the borough. He said it is quite possible this area will be rezoned and the Quick Chek owners may not even need the variances they were seeking in the first place, so he told the applicants to keep an eye on the situation in Howell in the coming years.

Along with this final denial, there were three other applications on the agenda that were moved to future dates for various reasons.

The first case that was to be heard was that of The Hungry Puppy, with applicants Theresa and Frank Frattini. The applicants were seeking use and bulk variances along with a preliminary and final site plan approval at the location on 1288 Highway 33. The applicants were not in attendance for this meeting and the case was pushed back to Oct. 3 of this year.

The next case scheduled for the meeting was of Courtesy Medical Transportation, with the applicants looking for a use variance to park 12 ambulances on the site located at 4201 Route 9 North. The applicants were not in attendance at this meeting and the case was pushed back to Oct. 3 of this year as well.

The final case that was moved from this meeting was that of Atlantic Auto Body, with the applicants looking for a use variance and preliminary and final site plan to expand the existing auto shop at 286 Victory Road. The applicants submitted a letter to the board saying they still had to work on their application, and requested an adjournment until Oct. 3, which was granted.

The next meeting of the Howell Township Zoning Board is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. at Howell Township Borough Hall.

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