SONIC Yet Again

Yesterday the Planning Board continued hearing the application seeking approval for a SONIC Restaurant at the corner of Route 206 and Oxford Place.

About 100 audience members crowded the hearing room, most of them residents of the development located to what would be the rear of the proposed restaurant. At least one resident has retained counsel to object to the application.

Gary Dean, the applicant's expert traffic witness, presented extensive information about current traffic numbers and the expected numbers if a SONIC was approved at that location. Following his presentation he answered questions regarding the lot size, parking space size, traffic patterns, patrons cutting through local streets, and snow removal.

SONIC's engineer presented revisions the applicant had made following the last hearing, including those reviewed in the HNJJ's previous post:

"...Subsequent to their last presentation before the board, the applicant has made some revisions to the original design. They would plant 54 new trees and provide a conservation easement on the west side of the lot, where they would also construct a raised berm with a row of evergreens. They would reduce the height of their freestanding light fixtures from 20-feet to 15-feet, construct a sidewalk on the Route 206 side of the lot, and reduce the number of poster display boards on the side of the building from three to two..."

The size of the proposed freestanding sign attracted the most attention - and criticism - from the board members and the township planner. As previously noted, the sign is not in compliance with the township's sign ordinance. Even with their supposed revisions, the sign still exceeds the permitted height by 5-feet. The unchanged 112.3-square-foot face size is almost three times the square-footage allowed by the ordinance and would make it the largest sign in Hillsborough.

Applicant Tom Mascia claimed that the SONIC would not succeed without the sign as presented.

The application has been carried to the Planning Board meeting of January 13th, 2011.

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HNJJ is surprised that the applicant has dug in his heels regarding the freestanding sign. Was he not paying attention?

HNJJ initially wondered why SONIC was interested in the proposed location as there will be a considerable loss of drive-by traffic when the 206 Bypass is completed. Perhaps the applicant is hoping to construct a sign that will be loom so high and large that it will be visible from the new road?

Still Sonic

The Hillsborough Township Planning Board will continue hearing the Thomas Mascia/SONIC application this evening.

The applicant is proposing the construction of a SONIC drive-in fast-food restaurant on Route 206 at the corner of Oxford Place on a 1.5-acre site currently housing a karate school. The proposal involves razing the existing building and constructing a 1,818-square-foot building with a drive-through lane, outdoor seating, and 46 parking spaces with 23 of them under a canopy where car-hop service would be provided.

Subsequent to their last presentation before the board, the applicant has made some revisions to the original design. They would plant 54 new trees and provide a conservation easement on the west side of the lot, where they would also construct a raised berm with a row of evergreens. They would reduce the height of their freestanding light fixtures from 20-feet to 15-feet, construct a sidewalk on the Route 206 side of the lot, and reduce the number of poster display boards on the side of the building from three to two.

The applicant has reduced the height of their freestanding sign from 24-feet to 20-feet and added their address, but the sign is still well outside the limits of Hillsborough's sign ordinance. The new height exceeds the township's permitted height by 5-feet while the sign area of 112.3-square-feet is almost three times the square footage allowed by ordinance.

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building. The evening's agenda may be viewed here.
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Above photographs show the current lot at the corner of Route 206 and Oxford Place and a SONIC on Route 22.

Hillsborough Going Sonic?

The Hillsborough Township Planning Board will be reviewing Thomas Mascia's application to build a SONIC drive-in fast-food restaurant on Route 206 at the corner of Oxford Place.

The 1.5-acre site currently contains a karate school, but is probably best remembered by long-time residents as the old location of Briken's Dairy Farms, a burger and ice-cream joint with a barn shape and a black-and-white cow hide patterned roof.

The applicant proposes razing the existing building and constructing a 1,818-square-foot building with a drive-through lane, outdoor seating, and 46 parking spaces with 23 of them under a canopy where car-hop service would be provided.

As designed, the restaurant would need variances for lot size, lot width, front yard and side yard setbacks, and impervious coverage. Waivers would also be needed for parking, no loading spaces, parking buffer along Oxford Place, the size of the rear-lot parking stalls, and the width of the rear 2-way aisle.

SONIC should be prepared to reconsider the size of their proposed freestanding sign. According to the file, Hillsborough allows one sign, not to exceed 40-square-feet per sign face and not to exceed 15-feet high. SONIC proposes a 24-foot-high sign with 112.3-square-feet per sign face.

Other board considerations include landscaping and buffering, lighting and wall signs.

The September 2, 2010, Planning Board meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building at 379 South Branch Road.
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The canopy over the car-hop spaces looks like the perfect place for a solar array.
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The Planning Board's September 2nd agenda may be viewed here.
From the agenda:

"Thomas Mascia / SONIC – File #10-PB-07-SRV – Block 177, Lot 22B (New: Block 177, Lot 22.02) – 838 Route 206.
Applicant seeking preliminary and final major site plan with ‘c’ bulk variances from minimum lot area; minimum lot width; minimum front yard setback; minimum side yard setback; and maximum impervious coverage and waivers from minimum parking spaces; minimum loading; minimum parking buffer; and parking aisle width to demolish the existing building and construct an 1,818 sq. ft. Sonic fast-food restaurant with drive-through lane, an outdoor seating area and covered area for service at vehicles on property in the C-1 District."

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For more information on SONIC Corp., go here.
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In March, 2009, the Lebanon Borough Board of Adjustment heard a Thomas Mascia/SONIC application.

The Route 22, proposed Green Brook SONIC appeared before their BOA in January, 2009.

Mr. Mascia's Franklin Township (Somerset)Sonic was set to "open soon" on Route 27 when this September, 2009, article appeared.