Traffic Produced by Car Dealerships on Rt. 9 "Negligible", Professionals Say

The Planning Board continued hearing testimony about the possible amendment to the Manalapan Township Master Plan, which if approved would permit automobiles sales agencies to be constructed in the OP-3 Zone of the township, on Thursday, Nov. 10 at the .

After an almost four hour meeting, no decision was made by the Planning Board because testimony was not completed. The initial hearing began at the Planning Board’s meeting on Oct. 27 .

The idea began when Ray Catena Auto Group expressed interest in constructing an Audi car dealership at the corner of Taylors Mills Road and Rt. 9 North, where the Justin Corporate Center office building currently sits vacant. Catena and was instructed to meet the Planning Board so they can plead their case for rezoning the area.

The 84-acre OP-3 Zone currently allows office buildings and convention centers. Planner Richard Cramer explained that the ordinance defines convention centers as “basically a hotel/conference facility” which would house at least 150 sleeping rooms with a bathroom, conference facilities, and possibly a restaurant.

James Winckowski, the Planning Board traffic consultant, said that an auto dealership is comparable to an office building in terms of generating the same amounts of traffic, whereas a conference building or hotel (already allowed in the OP-3 Zone) would produce a greater volume of traffic.

Cramer could not guarantee that the proposed application of an Audi dealership on the property where the current Justin Corporate Center sits is the only part of the OP-3 Zone that can be developed, if the amendment is approved. The state of New Jersey regulates wetlands, and without specific delineation of the wetlands constraints in the zone, Cramer was unable to confirm if another lot  of at least 3 acres, including one developable acre, exists in the zone.

Cramer assured the large turnout of protestors that the reason the township is discussing bringing car dealerships into the area is because commercial development provides the township with significant ratables.

“The township in this new economic climate, and the prolonged downturn is looking at additional uses that may be of benefit for the township that would help with continued economic development,” Cramer said.

Township attorney Ron Cucchiaro kept reminding the Board that no ordinance was in front of them, and to try to not focus on the possible application from Ray Catena Auto Group, but rather the larger picture in approving a recommendation to amend the Master Plan.

Nevertheless, the bulk of the meeting focused on the possible construction of the Audi dealership at that corner, which was solely what Ray Catena’s attorney, Gerald Sonneblick, focused on during his testimony.

The courtroom was filled to the brim with objectors who spoke during public comment for a second time this week, listing their concerns of traffic congestion, environmental hazards, safety issues related to test drives, large amounts of noise, and pleading with the Board to preserve the township’s rural appeal.

Afterwards, Sonnenblick began his testimony questioning a traffic and transportation planning associate from McDonough and Rea Associates of Manasquan, Scott Kennel. Kennel submitted traffic counts which he conducted on eight different days this fall where he moderated traffic in and out of  Catena’s Lexus dealership in Freehold and the adjacent Toyota dealership.

Kennel discovered that traffic generated to the old CMX office building at the Justin Corporate Center received more traffic than a typical office building, according to the standards utilized by the Department of Transportation.

Also, Kennel noted that the luxury car dealership, Lexus (a brand he said was comparable to Audi,) received 50 percent less traffic than the Toyota dealership.  The auto dealership also sees a significant less amount of traffic than an office building does, according to Kennel.

“There will not be a measurable difference, it’s negligible,” Kennel said, in regard to any additional traffic spurred by the dealership since approximately 5,000 cars drive on Rt. 9 everyday and the Lexus dealership only generated 54 cars during its peak hour on a Saturday.

Professional planner Thomas A. Thomas also testified on behalf of Ray Catena. Thomas said that municipalities throughout the state are re-planning as a result of the recession.

Auto dealerships are held to higher standards now than their predecessors, Thomas said, and neighboring residents should not worry about being negatively effected.

The public have yet to question Thomas because the meeting was adjourned due to the late hour, but he will be cross-examined at the continued public hearing of the amendment to the Master Plan which is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. in the courtroom of the .

If the Planning Board approves the amendment to the Master Plan to authorize car dealerships in the OP-3 Zone the Township Committee has final decision on whether to approve or deny that change. If approved, specific site plans can be developed to require minimal negative impact on the nearby residents, Sonnenblick said.