Mahwah September 29, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Zoning board addresses neighbors’ complaints by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Zoning Board of Adjustment recently held a public hearing to review the concerns expressed by township officials and neighboring property owners about the reconstruction of a Valero service station and convenience store. The site is located on Route 17 North, just south of Ramapo Valley Road. The project was approved by the zoning board in March 2007. The owner of this service station and convenience store, ADPP Enterprises, Inc., also owns several Valero service stations in Mahwah, including the one on the south side of Route 17 north of West Ramapo Avenue. Michael Kelly, the township’s engineer, described several concerns about the construction on the site. Those concerns include neighbors’ complaints about flood lights on Route 17, fencing, the visibility of canopy lights, the use of holiday lights on the convenience store, and the removal of a shed from the site that allows a site identification sign to be visible to the neighbors. Jasvinder Arjani, a professional engineer representing ADPP, told the board the floodlights are outside this client’s property, but that Rockland Electric Company plans to lower the lights from about 50 feet to 30 feet. He said he would advise the township when the lights will be lowered. Arjani also told the board a chain link fence was removed during construction and his client is willing to construct a six-foot fence in its place, but approval for the fence height is needed from the board of adjustment. Kelly recommended a solid vinyl fence be constructed to block the neighbors’ view of Route 17. Neighbors of the site have also complained about light fixtures at the rear of the convenience store that are left on at all times. Arjani said his client will consider putting those lights on motion detectors. The shielding of the canopy lights will also be increased and the holiday lights that are on the roof of the convenience store will be put on between 7 and 9 p.m. on Oct. 6, prior to the next meeting of the board, so board members and neighbors can see the impact those lights would have on the neighbors. In addition, 12-inch bollards will be constructed around the air pump islands to deter truck drivers from entering an automobile area, and signs will be installed to indicate that only cars are permitted in the parking area to the east beyond the islands. Arjani advised that he has made an application to the township to construct an equipment shed to replace the shed that was removed during construction. The board directed him to indicate the location of the proposed shed on the property prior to Oct. 6 so board members and the residents will be able to see exactly where it would be located. The zoning board’s original approval permitted ADPP’s plan to demolish an existing convenience store and a twostory frame dwelling and garage on one of the four lots owned by ADPP and to construct a new 3,675 square foot convenience store on the site with a reconfiguration of the parking lot, additional parking spaces, a new traffic island, new signs, new landscaping, new fencing, a landscaped and terraced berm with retaining walls, a new trash and recycling enclosure, new striping, minor renovations to the two rows of fuel pump islands closest to Route 17, and the removal of an existing shed. The zoning board placed several conditions on its approval of the application. According to some of those conditions, ADPP was to design and construct a buffer system sufficient to block all noise and light from the property so as not to affect adjacent property owners. The conditions also required the reconfiguration of the parking and on-site traffic circulation in conformance with township ordinance requirements and the installation of new landscaping. Organ & tissue donor seminar offered Pam Drozd, wife of tissues donor Mike Drozd, 2008, along with volunteers from the NJ Sharing Network, will offer an Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Seminar on Wednesday Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Mahwah Senior Center, 475 Corporate Drive. Learn about organ and tissue donation, and hear stories from family members, organ recipients, and donors. One organ, tissue, and cornea donor can save or enhance up to 50 lives. NJ Sharing Network is a non-profit, federally designated organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for New Jersey residents in need of life-saving transplants. For information about donation and transplantation in NJ, call 1-800-SHARE-NJ or info@sharenj.org. To securely register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www. donatelifenj.org or the local motor vehicle agency and say “yes” to donation when first applying for and each time a driver’s license or state ID is renewed. West Milford Animal Shelter Walk-A-Dog-Thon Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010 • 11am-3pm (Raindate: Oct. 24) Wawayanda State Park • Warwick Tpke • Hewitt, NJ Take a walk in the park and help homeless animals, raise funds and you could win 1 of 4 prizes. • GRAND PRIZE - $400 • $300 - ShopRite Gift Certificate courtesy of Free Goodie Bag for every dog. • $230 iPOD Touch 8GB courtesy of • $100 Target Gift Card courtesy of Evergreen Farms Greenwood Lake Animal Hospital Inserra Supermarkets U PICK PUMPKINS Celebrating 100 Years! 85 Airmont Ave • Mahwah, NJ 07430 Secor Farms 201-529-2595 secorfarms.com HAYRIDES Sat. & Sun, 10:00-4:00, Large & Small Corn Mazes, Small Petting Zoo 9-29-10 joan/janine WestMilfordAnimalShelter3x2(9-29-10) 3 x 2”