Bridgewater Route 22 warehouse plan may be returning to board later in July
BRIDGEWATER - A plan to tear down four office buildings on Route 22 and replace them with two warehouses is tentatively scheduled to return to the township Zoning Board of Adjustment later this month.
Signature Acquisitions' plan is expected to present its revised plans for the property, known as the the Centerpointe complex, to the board on July 25.
In April, the Cranford developer had asked for a delay in hearings before the board to revise the plans after hearing comments from board members at previous hearings.
Premature reports that the proposal was being dropped were greeted by Somerville officials who were vehemently opposed to the project.
Signature Acquisitions had previously downsized the proposal after hearing comments from the Board and public on Jan. 31. The sizes of the proposed warehouses were reduced to lessen the impact on neighbors.
Residents on Jackson Avenue and Woodside Lane, plus residents of the Laurel Circle senior community, have opposed project, saying the warehouses and trucks will bring noise, fumes and lighting pollution to their neighborhood.
Somerville's main concerns were how trucks traveling on westbound Route 22 from Interstate 287 would gain access the site.
Trucks traveling westbound on the highway would have to go to North Bridge Street, then cross over the highway to Grove Street then back to eastbound Route 22, Mayor Dennis Sullvan had said.
Somerville officials had also feared feared that trucks may take an alternate route, exiting Route 287 at Route 28 and driving into Somerville and using local streets to access eastbound Route 22.
Also on the east side of Route 22 before Adamsville Road, the owners of five lots on eastbound Route 22 are suing the township, claiming that the adoption of an ordinance restricting the construction of warehouses was "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable."
More: Bridgewater sued by $27 million property buyer after restricting warehouse development
1200 Route 22 Land Investors and 1200 Route 22 Land Holdings, which share a common address in Teaneck, are challenging the ordinance adopted by the Township Council on Oct. 17, 2022, arguing it is "irrational" and "a drastic reversal of the township's land use policy without any reasonable planning process."
The township has denied the allegations, saying the lawsuit is "frivolous" and the township followed all the legal requirements for adopting the ordinance.
The two sides are scheduled to have a case management conference with Superior Court Judge Kevin Shanahan in Somerville on Sept. 14.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.
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This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Bridgewater Route 22 warehouse plan may be returning to board later in July
