Truck Traffic Concerns Raised Over Proposed Manufacturing Building In Bernards

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — A proposal to demolish an existing office building and build two new buildings for light industrial/manufacturing and office space in Bernards Township raised concerns of truck traffic.

The application by Signature Acquisitions for the 28.256 acres property at 150 Allen Road was heard at the Jan. 4 Bernards Township Board of Adjustment meeting.

Robert Moschello, an engineer who was speaking for the applicant, broke down the plan to demolish the existing 174,546-square-foot office building with roughly 855 parking spaces.

The proposal is also looking to build two new buildings: Building A which consists of 97,185 square feet of light-industrial/manufacturing space and 30,792 square feet of office space. Building B consists of 101,792 square feet of light-industrial/manufacturing space and 28,759 square feet of office space.

There would also be 24 trailer loading spaces proposed, 105 existing parking spaces will remain, 88 spaces will be located under Building A and 89 spaces will be located under Building B.

"The proposed light manufacturing use of the buildings will be consistent with the Township's permitted uses in the E-2 Zone and will consist of activity which involves the assembly of products from previously prepared materials and will not involve the synthesis of chemicals or the processing of raw materials," according to the application.

The meeting lasted around three and a half hours and concluded Moschello's testimony.

Zoning Board member Lisamarie Baumann said she was "very concerned about truck turning movements from Allen Road to Martinsville road."

"It may very well be there is no issue but I want to be sure that trucks turning from Allen Road onto Martinsville Road are not going to go into the left turning lane that's turning onto Martinsville Road," said Baumann.

Board member Karl Kraus echoed Baumann's concerns saying he has lived in the Hills section of the township for more than 10 years and has never seen any trucks pass through the area.

"It is a HUGE concern for all the residences," said Kraus, who estimated there are 5,000 homes in the Hills.

The applicant still has four more witnesses to speak. Upcoming speakers will be an architect, the applicant, a traffic engineer, and a planner. All of the testimony along with public questions to the witnesses must be heard before the public testimony can begin.

The applicant's attorney, Jeffrey Lehrer, estimated testimony would take at least another full meeting.

The application will be carried to the Feb. 8 Board of Adjustment meeting at 7:30 p.m.

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