Warehouse wins approval in 9-0 vote from planners
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - The Planning Board has approved an application filed by Ridgeway Industrial Park, also known as Peg Leg Webb LLC, to build a 12,000-square-foot warehouse.

The warehouse is expected to be constructed on a 34-acre site on South Hope Chapel Road (Route 547), just north of Division Drive and south of the Pine Barrens Golf Club. The warehouse will be used to store equipment at the site of a recycling operation, according to information presented during a public hearing.

Planning Board engineer Douglas Klee said the new construction will not require any variances and there are no environmental issues, nor are there issues related to storm water management or drainage.

Planning Board planner Alan B. Dittenhofer said a previous applicant received a conditional use permit and preliminary and final site plan approval in 1990 to operate a recycling activity center as well as to excavate sand, soil and gravel from the site. At the time of approval plans called for a 6,000-square-foot office and a 6,000-square-foot shop along with a parking area. The improvements were never constructed, he said.

Dittenhofer said the buffer of 50 feet around the property which is landscaped with trees appears to be haphazard and unsightly.

"The applicant is required to provide a 100-foot buffer from any future residential zone," he said.

Attorney Ray Shea, who represented the applicant, said the warehouse is in an industrial zone.

William Stevens, of Property Development Services, said the warehouse "will be used to store equipment that has been outside and now it will have a permanent roof."

Stevens said the site is secure and is gated. There is an asphalt driveway which comes in from Route 547. Water and sewer service will not be necessary since the building will only be used for equipment storage.

Environmental scientist Ian Borden said he was involved in the original site plan approval in 1990.

"The site is basically a recycling center that consists of three primary uses, an asphalt plant, concrete recycling and wood recycling," Borden said. "Together the three components form a Class B recycling center. It's part of the Ocean County waste plan and has also been approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection."

Shea said it is quite an operation and something Jackson can be proud of.

"The original plan had an office and a shop, but that was never constructed. That may be a possibility in the future," Borden said.

Board member Blanche Krubner asked if the site received any visits from representatives of the Pinelands Commission to look at storm water management.

Shea said the site was visited in the spring of 2006 and no violations exist.

Board member George McKay wanted to know if the site was secure, noting its proximity to an animal shelter.

Borden said there is a fence around the entire site.

No member of the public commented on the application when given to opportunity to do so.

Board members then voted 9-0 to approve the application for the warehouse.