Council Agrees to Sell Land to Developer

Plans for a new Route 17 fitness center took a step closer to reality Tuesday after the developer got the Council's approval to buy 15,000 square feet of land from the Borough.

Laganella Property Management will add the property, on Sunflower Avenue, to its lot on 776 Route 17 north. The developer plans to expand a building on-site to open an Equinox Fitness Center.

The land makes the lot big enough to have the required minimum buffer on its north side.

Under the ordinance to sell the land, Laganella Property Management, owned by Nicholas Laganella, has to pay the Borough fair market value for the land after an appraisal.

The gym before receiving an approval from the Planning Board.

Some neighbors are still unhappy with the plans for the gym, said Richard Cacciatore. The resident of nearby Oliver Road said some people still thought there wasn't enough greenery between the gym parking lot and their homes.

However, he didn't object to the sale.

"What we're trying to do is have a good working relationship with Mr. Laganella," Cacciatore said.

Stephen Sinisi, Laganella's attorney, asked the Council to respect the Planning Board's decision to approve the gym application. He said Laganella has worked to appease the property's neighbors.

"Settlements are sometimes accords that make no one happy," he said. "They just achieve a result."