Food Market Substituted for Pharmacy in Route 22 Development

A previously approved site plan that had included a pharmacy on a property on Route 22 has been amended to account for a specialty food market instead.

Representatives for Fox Chase at Bridgewater came before the planning board April 12 to request an amendment to the plan to develop a property that fronts on Route 22 East and to the south on Traci Road. The initial application was for two one-story commercial buildings, and had originally held plans for a pharmacy and drive-thru.

But the applicant has requested to amend that to build a food market and retail space in lieu of the pharmacy.

Aside from this change, the plans, as originally approved in 2007, will remain the same.

Engineer for the applicant Dave Stires announced at the April 12 meeting that the property would be developed in phases, beginning with the food market and retail store, and followed by the previously proposed bank.

Stires said that, at this time, the applicant does not yet have a proposed user for the bank.

The hours for the food market will be set from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., which is less time than what was expected for the pharmacy.

The resolution concerning the change was memorialized by the board at the May 10 meeting.

The property itself is on 5.87 acres, located within the township’s regional center.

As outlined in the approved amended application, there will be a 2,695-square-foot bank, as well as a 22,805-square-foot building with a 14,530-square-foot food market and 8,275 square feet of retail space.

Despite the change to the food market, the size of the buildings and other aspects of the application have stayed the same.

Concerns had been expressed by residents when the application was originally approved in 2007 because of possible noise from the center, as well as lighting and other activities from a bank open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To address those concerns, the board made several changes at the time, including requiring the bank’s ATM to be located at the front of the walkway area of the bank, and away from residential homes. It also required all lighting to be turned off, aside from security lighting, within a half hour after business closings, among other agreements.

None of these regulations have changed with the decision to change the pharmacy to a food market.