Wawa application will be carried into new year Plans for 24/7 convenience store and gas station to be heard in Feb. BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer Testimony on the 24-hour Wawa and gas station proposed at the former site of the Eatontown Roller Rink on Route 35 will continue in the new year. Wawa Inc. is seeking approval to redevelop the Eatontown Roller Rink site on Route 35 as a convenience store/gasoline station. Monday night marked the sixth Planning Board meeting held this year on the application and a seventh meeting has been scheduled in February. Eatontown Mayor and Planning Board Member Gerald Tarantolo questioned the applicant of the proposed Wawa at the Dec. 17 on the need for the business to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "Do you have any projections as to the volume of business that we would conduct at this location between 12 and 5 a.m.?" Tarantolo asked. Peter Falvo, the attorney representing Wawa, explained that there were no projections for the number of patrons between those hours. Tarantolo pressed the issue and asked how much business other Wawas conduct between the early morning hours and how much profit those businesses bring in during those hours. "Mayor, the only way I can answer that is that [Wawa] made a business decision," Falvo said. "Whether or not it remains profitable between the hours of 12 and 5 a.m. may be immaterial given the full 24-hour day," he said. Falvo added that people have a general perception that when they drive past a Wawa, it will be open 24 hours a day. Plans call for applicant Wawa Inc. to construct a convenience store and gas station to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week on a 141,137-square-foot (3.24-acre) tract of land at the site of the former Eatontown Roller Rink. Residents in the surrounding neighborhood of the proposed project have voiced concerns at previous meetings that a 24-hour establishment in their neighborhood could result in people loitering at night. According to Tarantolo, there is currently no ordinance that prohibits businesses operating during certain hours of the day. Residents also have voiced concerns about the noise and light pollution that would be generated from the Wawa. Mark Whitaker, of CZA Engineering, explained that Wawa is willing to install gates at the rear left and front right sides of the building to prevent traffic from accessing the back parking lot during the late night and early morning hours. "The purpose of those gates would be to close off the parking lot that is to the east of the Wawa during the night time hours, such that all parking and activity would be concentrated in the front of the store so the store can turn the lights off in the easterly parking lot and there would be no activity in the night time hours," Whitaker said at the meeting. Although the back lot will be closed, Whitaker explained that a total of 33 parking spaces will still be available to Wawa patrons in the front of the building. The store is required by law to have at least 24 spaces available during hours of operation, according to Whitaker. "What happens is the 33 spaces are not ample," Angela Marone of Clinton Avenue said at the meeting. "I've been to Delaware and there were cars galore," she said, adding, "I said to the manager, 'when does this quite down' and she said '3 a.m.' " Another resident of Clinton Avenue, Oswoldo Quinones, said the gates are a good idea if the Wawa is built. "When I was looking for a home, I wasn't looking for one on [Highway] 35 or anything like that," Quinones said. "I was looking for a home that was quiet and nice. "I feel [the gates] would help Clinton Avenue. "I believe a gate blocking out traffic onto Clinton Avenue [during the early morning hours] is a very good idea," he added. Mike Rebel, project engineer for the project, said at the meeting, "We understand that we are in communities. Our neighbors are our customers and we've bent over backwards to minimize the impact of this 24-hour operation on our neighbors." Planning Board Vice-Chairman Paul Kirzow asked Falvo at the meeting what the general traffic situation will be on Clinton Avenue and Conifer Crest Way during peak hours of operation. According to Mark Steinberg, the Planning Board attorney, the only traffic study on the proposed project conducted was done by one of Wawa's traffic engineers. Tarantolo requested that an independent traffic engineer conduct a study before the next meeting to ensure that a nonbiased report is done. At the conclusion of the nearly three-hour meeting, Clinton Avenue resident Vincent Marone said he was displeased with the length of the meeting. Marone has acquired an expert witness to testify on behalf of residents opposed to the Wawa plan. Marone would not reveal the field of expertise of his witness, saying that he did not want to "show his hand" to the applicants.