Zoning Board Bumps Pinto Hearing

The Barnegat Township Zoning Board will not continue its hearing on variance applications submitted by Pinto Land Management at its 7:30 p.m. meeting tonight, again postponing addressing the company's proposal to store garbage trucks on a Route 72 property.

The continuation of the hearing on the applications will take place Nov. 9, according to the meeting agenda. A decision on the applications is due Nov. 16.

Andrew Pinto of South Plainfield has applied for several variances that would allow him to use the 2.4-acre site for truck and container storage for his solid waste company. He is asking permission to park 12 garbage containers and 12 garbage trucks at his gas station and auto shop site near the intersection of routes 72 and 554 in Barnegat.

At its regular meeting in June, the board heard three hours of testimony from Pinto, his attorney and a planner for the project, but had to cut the meeting off before hearing final testimony and giving its decision.

A conclusion of the hearing has been repeatedly postponed, due to Pinto's absence and the board's failure to meet a quorum for a vote.

Pinto's company handles trash pickup for the Barnegat Township School District, Long Beach Township, Barnegat Light and several other municipalities in Ocean County and beyond.

Zoning Board members and several neighbors of Pinto’s property have raised a range of concerns over his plan to park trucks there, questioning him and other witnesses on everything from traffic obstruction to environmental impact. Residents who live near the site cited odor as a major concern.