Wawa on Jimmie Leeds and Pitney On Road To Pumping Gas

Galloway Township's zoning board granted a use variance Thursday night that will ultimately allow the Wawa at Pitney and Jim Leeds roads to start pumping gas.

Zoning board members felt that the applicant, through its attorney and other professionals, had shown enough evidence to warrant a unanimous approval, even though few residents spoke in opposition of the project.

"Yes, there are many who didn't like this application,” member Ron Huber said during Thursday's meeting, “but there were even more who did.

"I think it's needed."

Metro Development, who sought the use variance for the project, will develop a portion of a parcel located on the south side of where the current   Wawa is located. Thirty-eight percent of that parcel will remain untouched, leaving a buffer between the property and adjacent parcels, attorney Steven Nehmed explained.

The development will also include the addition of gas pumps and 68 parking spots for the gas station and retail use.

Huber and the rest of the zoning board voted unanimously for the use variance waiver, saying he believed there was a need to permit Wawa to expand its use at this site.

"I think it's warranted," he said. The need "overweighs the detriment" the impact of having the gas station there would have on the area.

Not everyone in the audience agreed.

Resident Anna Jezycki said she doesn't have an issue with the existing Wawa located at this intersection.

"It's not about the money. It's about the quality of life” for the residents living adjacent to the Wawa, she said. She argued that expanding the existing use isn't "beautifying Galloway Township. There's nothing beautifying about it."

“Gas stations aren't appropriate business for that area," added resident Don Morgan. He lives adjacent to the property and stated he believes that "It'll end up a nightmare in the years to come" with additional traffic, noise and lights generated by the pumps.

Yet, it was noted during the meeting that the existing Wawa currently operates 24 hours a day.

As someone who regularly travels through this intersection to get to and from work in Atlantic City, Ricky Harris welcomed the idea of having a gas station in the neighborhood. He currently has to travel out to the White Horse Pike to fill up. 'It's a total inconvenience to go out (there)."

Frank McGinley also liked the idea because not only because he believes it'll bring additional ratables to the area, but "I think it'll put people to work not only in construction but pumping gas."

The intersection at Pitney and Jim Leeds roads falls within the township's community village commercial zone. Even though a gas station isn't listed as a permitted use within the zone, he said that the need outweighed the impact that expanding the Wawa to a Super Wawa would have.

Steven Nehmed, who represented Metro Development in the hearing, testified that his clients sought relief here instead of before the planning board because "we can't say what the principal use of this property would be."

Currently, the principal use of the site occupied by the Wawa is retail. However, once development begins at the adjoining property to incorporate the gas pumps, Metro Development could not be sure whether dispensing gas to customers or the retail portion of the business would be the primary role of the location.

The developer will now have to develop a site plan and go for additional approvals.