Groveland location not a good fit, officials say
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK
Sentinel staff
SOMERS POINT — A redevelopment subcommittee reported March 25 that plans for an ALDI grocery store likely will not be moving forward.
Councilman Sean McGuigan reported to City Council that he met with attorney Stephen Nehmad, representing the proposed developer, a representative of the chain and the developer’s engineer to discuss a proposal to open the market at the site of the closed Walgreen’s drug store at the corner of Route 9 and Groveland Avenue.
“We had a substantial discussion regarding the development of the Walgreen’s property and looking for a redevelopment agreement,” McGuigan said, noting that such a change likely would result in more traffic at a busy, tight intersection in one of the city’s busiest areas.
He said the city was looking for improvements to the roadway and intersection as part of an agreement, adding that the area often floods.
McGuigan said the developer “wasn’t interested in either one of those items.”
“I arrived at the point where I wasn’t interested in giving them a redevelopment agreement if there was no reciprocal help,” McGuigan said, noting such an agreement involves zoning changes, conjoining properties and even use of part of a paper street portion of Jefferson Ave.
“Without a spirit of cooperation I’m not for that,” he said.
Councilman Howard Dill, who also is part of the subcommittee, was in agreement.
Dill said he went and sat in his car by the property during a storm last week and noted how the lot contributes to the flooding problems.
“It looks like a stream coming out of the parking lot,” Dill said. “If he’s not willing to make concessions, to help the city, I am totally opposed to it at this point.”
McGuican said a redevelopment agreement is somewhat of a partnership, with both sides contributing to the project’s success.
City Council President Janice Johnston said she hates to turn away a business but the area is not the right spot and the developer is not willing to entertain addressing the issues.
“I recommend not making that a redevelopment zone,” she said.
In other business, Dill said given that the city has spent millions of dollars on street repairs, he is very displeased with the way some utility companies are fixing the streets after opening them for hookups and whatnot.
He said a paving job done by a contractor for New Jersey-American Water Co. two years ago created issues.
“They repaved and didn’t do a very good job,” he said, noting “gigantic potholes” at Fifth Street and Rhode Island Avenue. “Now the gas company is tearing the streets up.”
He questioned how South Jersey Gas Co. would handle repairs.
“I don’t know what our legal options are but the gas company can’t do what the water company did and repave in a poor way,” he said. “People were complimenting the street work and now it is being destroyed by the gas company. We need to get on top of this and not let go until they fix the problems.”