TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Neighbors of the BP Station at 2631 Cleveland Ave. have petitioned the Zoning Board of Adjustment with reasons not to approve all of the requests from BP Products North America, as stated in application dated May 4, over changes to the station’s configuration.
The ZBA is scheduled to meet remotely on Tuesday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.
The application, filed by Price, Meese Shulman and D’Arminio, seeks preliminary and final site plan, variance relief and other related relief that would add a brightly lighted canopy with a freestanding sign.
Sought are variance relief for expansion of a nonconforming use and other related relief. The applicant seeks “relief for minimum front yard setback for canopy where 20’ is permitted and 14.7’ is proposed; maximum number of canopy signs for a total of three where none is permitted; maximum canopy sign area where 13.64 square feet is proposed for each canopy sign (40.92 square feet total) where no canopy signs are permitted; and maximum freestanding sign area where the +/- 62.5 existing freestanding sign is being reduced to a proposed +/-50 sf freestanding sign where no freestanding sign is permitted.”
According to the application, the canopy “shall extend across the entire limits of the existing fuel dispensing facilities.”
There also are a number of changes proposed to reconstruct the concrete canopy mat and the concrete curb and sidewalk along the front and side of the building to provide an ADA-compliant accessible route to the office and bathrooms within the building.
The property, Block 3203, Lot 33 on the tax assessment map, is in the Residential District Zone (“B Zone”), and sits at the intersection of Cleveland Avenue. (There are 120 feet of frontage along Washington Avenue and 150 feet of frontage along Cleveland Avenue.)
The board’s engineer, Paul Azzolina, wrote in his report on the application on March 18, in part, “Notwithstanding any such further revision of the proposed lighting analysis, it appears that proposed site lighting intensities, as presented, are well beyond levels reasonably required for the safe and efficient passage of vehicles and pedestrians through the site given the adjoining residential uses.”
631 Washington Ave. resident John Pistono, who has spoken out against the scale and illumination of the neighboring emergency services building rising next door to his house, has launched a petition urging the ZBA take their concerns of BP’s plans to heart.
Residents’ letter to the board on June 16 reads, “We understand all of the Zoning Board members live in the Township of Washington so you should all be familiar with the now existing, horrendous traffic and danger on Washington Avenue. Consider this, trying to get in and out of the neighborhood safely each day and getting to our homes unscathed & safely.”
Residents said, “You should think very carefully about the numerous children, pedestrians and bicycles crossing Washington Avenue to get to Clark Field.”
The residents said, “The petition given to you represents roughly 58 homes and counting in the immediate area and many who provided only one signature. If you calculate the number of signatures times two for each location, you can see we are talking about hundreds of people who do not want any changes to the existing BP station configuration.”
They added, “A major consideration for the owners and BP North America should absolutely be losing all these residents as customers. You really should sit down and tally up the loss of gallons of gasoline you would lose in sales and your customer base.”
And they said, “We will have additional addresses and signatures to add to this list prior to the next meeting. [Total 62 homes and 74 names as of press time.] Choose wisely everyone!”
Owner is Power Test Realty Co, c/o Getty Realty, Jericho, N.Y.