Eatontown Wawa/Chick-Fil-A Plans Unveiled to Public

By Christopher Sheldon

The plans to build a Wawa, Chick-Fil-A and other retail property in Eatontown was finally presented to the Eatontown Planning Board and the public on Oct 14.

Fidelity Eatontown LLC is the developer for the proposed project which would be located at the southeast corner of Route 35 and Wycoff Road in the borough.

Site Engineer Richard Kenderian introduced the overall site plan and said the plan would be to remove the old Lube It All building and any remnants of the Circle Trailer Park that once occupied the largest portion of the property.

Kenderian said the site is surrounded by apartments to the east and a condominium development to the south and that there is currently no buffer between the site. He said the buffer would be created with a white vinyl fence and several feet of trees and bushes around the perimeter of the property.

Kenderian explained that the Wawa and its 8-dispenser gas station would be open 24/7 and employ 40-50 employees.

The Wawa and gas station would be located on the southern portion of the property, the Wawa, which has a drive thru and indoor and outdoor seating, is n the northern portion of the property.

The proposed retail space, which currently does not have tenants and will only be built once the space is leased, is located on the eastern portion of the property.

Traffic engineer Maurice Rached also spoke on Monday night and said the site can be accessed through an entrance on Route 35 and another on Wycoff Road.

The current plan allows drivers to make a left or right turn from Route 35 into the lot and only a right out of it. Rached said the developer is meeting with New Jersey Department of Transportation officials to see if the left turn from Route 35 will be allowed to be a part of the plan.

Motorists would be able to make left or right into our out of the site from Wycoff Road in the current plan. Rached said he is also meeting with county officials to see if the left turn out of the facility onto Wycoff Road will be allowed.

Residents of the nearby condominiums and apartments said the new development would add to the current traffic concerns in the area. Several said they already have problems exiting their developments and that the development would only make that worse.

More of Fidelity Eatontown LLC's experts including an operations expert for the Wawa and Chick-Fil-A are scheduled to appear the next time the Eatontown Planning Board hears the application on Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m.