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Options Being Explored For Abandoned Foodtown Site
Hotel & Banquet Hall, Townhomes Among Proposals
By Catherine Galioto
The plans for what could become of the former Foodtown site on Route 70 are taking shape as officials meet with about 30 developers interested in the property.
The firms are suggesting everything from big-box retail establishments to restaurants to hotels.
"It's all over the board," township administrator Scott Pezarras said. "They are suggesting all sorts of things…To them, this is a prime location for any type of business."
However, the council and mayor have stated their preference for what could go there. They want a plan that adds the least amount of traffic, is the most aesthetically and environmentally pleasing and also brings the most revenue, officials said.
At this point, the developers and the township are melding together all the ideas, Pezarras said. It's part of creating a site plan for the project. The site plan is a document that will spell out the kinds of uses that would be allowed there.
Pezarras said the township is meeting with the developers before presenting a plan publicly to make it easier in the long run. If the township were to create a site plan without learning general idea of what the interested buyers hope to do with the property, it could inadvertently end up excluding a developer. It's a way to let the developers know what the township wants to do with the property as well, Pezarras said.
Elected officials have emphasized that while they are interested in hearing different ideas for the long-vacant site, there are some specific ideas they would most like to see.
For example, several years ago, the township bought the property to block Home Depot from building on the site. A local community group spoke loudly against the retailers' plans, citing traffic and environmental concerns, and the township bought the 10.9-acre property.
Pezarras said traffic is a major concern of the mayor and council. The stretch of Route 70 from Route 88 to Cedarbridge Road is notoriously slow.
But while the township is interested in creating a better traffic situation, it's not necessarily what developers care about.
"They want as much traffic as possible," Pezarras said. They don't want vehicles whizzing by, they want drivers to spend a lot of time near their site.
Pezarras said that is absolutely not what officials want. They'll be specifically looking for the option that has the lowest impact on traffic.
"We have a computer program where we simply input the use and it calculates the traffic impact, using industry standards," he said.
Mayor Stephen Acropolis said one plan could be to put a luxury hotel, such as a Marriot, there. This would fit in with the mixed-use goals for the site, and could help get government agencies such as the Office of Smart Growth interested in the project. Hotels of this type often incorporate restaurants or other small retail establishments as part of their design.
Acropolis said one firm is suggesting a fourstory hotel and banquet facility and six-stories of townhome-style housing, enough for 30 families. He'd like to see a provision in the plan that would exclude families with children in school so as to keep the need for more schooling services, such as busing from the site, low.
"It's just a start," Acropolis said. "We have a long way to go but I'd like to see this site plan developed sooner rather than later."
He's urging the township planner, Michael Fowler, to prioritize the creation of the site plan. Once the site plans are drafted, public hearings can begin and the planning board can vote on the matter, leading up to the sale of the site.
A public hearing on the redevelopment plan is scheduled for 5 p.m. next Tuesday in town hall, Chambers Bridge Road.
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