SOMERS POINT — Some neighbors are not pleased, but City Council agreed July 21 to adopt a redevelopment plan for the property on the northwest corner of Groveland Avenue and Route 9.
The agreement, with Provco Partners LP, will see an Aldi grocery store replace the Walgreens drug store, which did not renew its lease and was set to close this fall.
Many neighbors of the property, which is much larger than the paved area, were critical of the project, saying flooding and traffic issues would only be exacerbated by the development. Others were concerned about a reduction in the tree buffer between the new building and their homes.
But City Council President Janice Johnston said the developer had adequately addressed all of their issues, as had attorney Stephen Nehmad in his presentation.
John Edwards, of South View Drive, said the project is “too big for the small lot” and that a 50-foot tree buffer is not enough. He asked council members to “take a hard look” at the impact on the residential neighborhood.
Edwards said he has lived in his home for nearly four decades and that every time a project was proposed, the company would meet with the neighbors, providing a chance to air their concerns. He said Provco has not done that.
Mike Hamilton, also of South View Drive, said his main concern is increased traffic, noting one of his neighbors was struck and killed at the intersection and another seriously injured.
He said it’s not necessary to live nearby to understand the danger.
“I hope the engineers do as much as they can to clean up the intersection,” Hamilton said.
Jim Everett said he is concerned about drainage, noting the area floods now and would be worse when more of the pervious surface is paved.
“Where is the water going to go?” he asked.
Nehmad, representing Gerald Holtz, president of The Provco Group, said he agrees with much of what the neighbors said.
He said after Walgreens notified his client of its intent not to renew its lease, a search began for a new tenant.
When they approached the city with the plan for an Aldi, they were “told in no uncertain terms” that traffic and stormwater management would have to be addressed for any redevelopment plan to be considered.
Nehmad said there would be three zones in the stormwater management plan to help resolve the flooding.
“We found that to solve the problem, we needed to totally rebuild the intersection,” Nehmad said, noting it would be a multimillion-dollar project that goes above and beyond anything that ordinarily would be required.
He said the project, which would include dedicated left-turn lanes onto Route 9, required an agreement with the owner of Galloway Auto and Tire for part of its parking lot.
Nehmad said his client fully intends to meet with neighbors to address their concerns. He said the intersection would be far safer and efficient and that drainage work would eliminate any flooding. He also said the tree buffer would be 70 to 90 feet even though 50 is allowed.
Other neighbors were concerned about noise.
Nehmad said the use would be less intense for Aldi than it was for Walgreens, noting the store would have just one delivery per day. He also said that even though the store would be 22,000 square feet as opposed to 15,000 — a 50 percent increase — the lot coverage would be only 57 percent where 75 percent is allowed.
Encouraging City Council to approve the plan, Nehmad said the alternative would be another client moving into the current facility and none of the issues being addressed.
He called the project “a textbook example” of a redevelopment plan that results in a win for both the city and property owner.
“I feel very confident that every issue has been addressed at length and confident they will be able to do that,” Johnston said.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
