Route 23 Mixed-Use Application Could Be Decided On Monday

WAYNE, NJ —The Zoning Board of Adjustment could decide Monday whether a 232-unit apartment complex and retail application is built on Route 23 South.

The board has heard testimony on the application since August. The owner of the property, Galreh LLC, is developing the property after unsuccessfully trying to market it to various businesses since 2008.

The property, at 1895 Route 23, is on the side of the highway that many retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Wegman's, CVS, and ShopRite, said is not business-friendly, except to coffee and bagel shops due to the high number of commuters traveling on that side of the highway versus the northbound side.

The property is in a floodplain bordering the Pompton River. Galreh had to rework its stormwater management plan to ensure that not only will developing on the property not contribute to area flooding, but to actually help reduce it.

Mark Semeraro, the lawyer representing Galreh, previously said the plan reduces the 100-, 10-, and two-year floodwater runoff by 29, 46, and 56 percent, respectively. Galreh was only required to reduce the runoff by 50, 25 and 20 percent in for those years.

Wayne Lincoln Mercury, located across from the property, stores vehicles there. Nearby Wayne Hyundai expressed interest in purchasing the property, but the deal never happened. Sales representatives and dealership employees also park on nearby Court Lane, angering residents.

Galreh has designed the 12,800-square-foot retail space with Trader Joe's in mind.

Of the 232 luxury apartments, 112 would be one-bedroom and 116 would be two-bedrooms. Approximately 23 would be affordably-priced and four would be studio units.

Some parents expressed concern at previous board meetings that the development would increase the number of children attending school in Wayne, increasing class sizes and possibly raising taxes.

Galreh previously said that, at most, 17 additional children would attend the Wayne Public School District if the apartments are filled to capacity. That projection is based on a Rutgers University study.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the council chamber at the Municipal Complex.

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