Aldi Supermarket 'Reluctantly' Approved, Coming To Route 202 In Branchburg

BRANCHBURG, NJ — A new 19,053-square-foot Aldi grocery store is coming to the corner of Route 202 North and Old York Road in Branchburg.

The Branchburg Township Planning Board "reluctantly" approved the plan at its Tuesday night meeting. This follows the approval in May for a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week QuickChek convenience store and gas station at the same location.

The grocery store will be constructed on the 4.5 acre lot with two facade signs that extend over 15 feet.

Board member Larry Hambro was the lone "no" vote on the application as he objected to the height of the facade sign at 18 feet high.

The rest of the Board approved the application but not without comments.

Both Vice Chair Laurel Truppi and Board Member Maria Donegan said they were "reluctantly" voting yes. Mayor Anna Columbus also voted in favor of the application but said she had to.

"I've been here for 75 years and I think this is terrible - what's happened over here in this corner," said resident Cathy Testa.

Columbus told Testa that Branchburg was the last to settle its affordable housing litigation. As part of the settlement to meet its affordable housing quota, the farmland at that corner — across from the municipal building — was developed with a 150-unit senior living apartment complex called Cornerstone at Branchburg, which opened last year.

"We didn’t have any choice. That's the issue that we had," said Columbus at the meeting. "This fair share housing, it's really horrible what has happened to Branchburg… We are a changed town…. We did the best we could do… Our hands are tied."

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