Date Set for Wyckoff Residents to Speak Up About ShopRite Application

The public will get its chance to speak on the pending application to approve construction of a 62,042-square-foot supermarket in the shadow of , officials announced Wednesday.

Planners penciled in February 8 at 7:30 p.m. as the date on which public comments about Inserra's application would be heard. The schedule was announced Wednesday night at a Wyckoff Planning Board meeting.

A special Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., followed by the Feb. 8 meeting.

It will be the public's first opportunity to officially comment on the ShopRite application.

Previously, residents had only been permitted to ask questions of experts called by attorneys.

Following the public comments, which planners said, if necessary, could be continued at the next scheduled meeting on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., the Wyckoff Planning Board is expected to summon its experts.

"We're not doing our experts before the public," Board Attorney Joseph Perconti said Wednesday night. "I would like our experts ... to hear everything before they render their opinion."

Stephen Reid, the public relations official on behalf of Stop & Shop, said he thought it was great that the public would finally have its say.

"These are residents who say that their voices are going unheard," Reid said. "This [development] is something that the residents are not going to be happy about."

Reid said he sent another flyer, which many Wyckoff residents received earlier this week, encouraging concerned citizens to attend Planning Board meetings.

A copy of the latest flyer is attached to this story.

Click here to read previous articles on the ShopRite debate.