Trader Joe's, Luxury Apartment Application Testimony To Continue Monday

WAYNE, N.J. — Testimony will continue at a Board of Adjustment meeting Monday night regarding a mixed-use retail and luxury residential development application for a Route 23 South site that is slated to contain a Trader Joe's grocery store and will have high-end apartment units.

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 southbound side of the highway, a side that many retailers, including Whole Foods, Wegman's, CVS, and ShopRite, said is not business-friendly, except to coffee and bagels shops due to the number of commuters traveling on that side of the highway versus the northbound side.

The property borders Sandra Lane, the Pompton River, and Pequannock Township. Wayne Lincoln Mercury, located across from the property, stores vehicles there.

Galreh has designed the 12,800-square-foot retail space with Trader Joe's in mind. Galreh claimed to have spoken to Whole Foods for 18 to 24 months, and said there are not enough "college-educated" people in Wayne to have a store there.”

Wegman's said the infrastructure would be too expensive. ShopRite, which already has a Wayne store on Hamburg Turnpike, pulled out of consideration after a traffic study showed the south side of the highway "wasn't viable," according to the owner.

“To suggest that we wouldn’t come to Wayne because there aren’t enough college-educated people, nothing could be further from the truth,” said Michael Sinatra public relations and public affairs director. “That isn’t why we aren't there.”

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.

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

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com