Subcommittee Said Gaps Not a Problem Near Quick Chek Site

There are adequate gaps for vehicles approaching the intersection of Route 23 North and Boonton Avenue to alleviate any blockage concerns with the driveway of the proposed Quick Chek convenience store and gas station, according to a report delivered Thursday night by the Planning Board’s site plan subcommittee.

The subcommittee–composed of members Jim Brown, John Donnelly and Warren Frerichs  along with Borough Engineer Paul Darmofalski, observed the site from 4 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. on Jan. 10.

Frerichs, the subcommittee chairman, said the purpose of the visit was to be able to report back to the board “the actual traffic conditions present” after it had received differing opinions from two traffic engineers, one representing Quick Chek and the other representing the site’s opponents.

“We specifically wanted to observe the gaps and breaks in the traffic into which a vehicle exiting the site would have to accelerate,” Frerichs said.

Special attention was paid during the site check to the far right lane and whether cars were “stacking” at the Boonton Avenue traffic light.

Hal Simoff, a traffic expert on behalf of attorney David Dixon and his clients who oppose the project, that the light at the intersection stays red for approximately 60 seconds per cycle and would cause the convenience store’s proposed driveway to be blocked.

Frerichs said that most times when the light turned red, there were about two cars in the right lane. At some points, six to eight cars were waiting at the light.

“On one occasion, there were 12 cars stacked, which was enough traffic to block the proposed Quick Chek exit driveway,” he said. “But at no point did we find the vehicles exiting on Route 23 would have to wait more than 20 to 30 seconds to safely exit.”

Additionally, Frerichs said, the gaps would theoretically be wide enough to permit the exit of tractor trailers and other delivery vehicles.

Donnelly and Brown said they had both brought stopwatches to the site check and that most of the larger gaps in the right lane lasted for 27 to 30 seconds. Brown said the longest gap he recorded was a minute and 46 seconds long.

After Dixon, the opposing residents’ attorney, asked the subcommittee members how far from the road they were during the site check, Donnelly said they positioned themselves about six to seven feet away to “simulate the position of the driver and where he would be in his vehicle.”

Dixon took issue with the subcommittee members not observing the site during the exact timeframe –4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.– of the other reports. However, Frerichs said the group had decided to leave by 5:15 p.m. because the traffic patterns had seemed consistent by that point. Likewise, Donnelly said he had been to the site a few times by himself and the traffic patterns were similar.

Frerichs said the subcommittee did not make any attempt to evaluate sight distance during the visit due to the vehicles currently parked on the AAMCO site within 100 feet of the proposed driveway.

“You can’t see anything,” he said. “So we couldn’t even begin to evaluate anything other than the gaps.”

The Quick Chek site would feature 12 gas pumps in a 1.2 acre space.

Discussion of this case, which has lasted , will continue Feb. 9. The meeting, which was originally supposed to be a workshop, will be changed to a regular meeting for this occasion.