New Wawa Next to Applebee's
Kevin Van Orden Spring 2018 was what I recall seeing posted in another thread on here. No idea if that was rumor or factual though.
D-ManPV They were supposed to break ground this month but everytime I drive by the location it is supposed to be, there is nothing being done..
Angie White 
Mansfield mama 
JeffersonRepub Across the street from the new Auto Zone. Next to Applebees. Traffic is so bad now in that area, this will just make it worse. Its going to kill the little convience store next to the bagel shop. Such a shame. Poor guy trying to make a living and "big" business is going to take the food off his table and not give a damn. I will continue to go to him, for lottery and a cold drink. Will never support WAWA. I think since I've lived here, I've been in QUIK CHEK maybe twice.
Botheredbyuu2 
Bug3There is going to be a WaWa across from the Chatterbox - which is going to become a Quick Check - in Lafayette............... did someone say "Progress"???
4catmom The Exxon gas station is going to be a Quik Check and the owner of the Chatterbox is in negotiations with Wawa to build one there. If this all happens, Wawa will be across the street from Quik Check at the 206/15 intersection in Augusta.
JBJSKJ The WaWa is hoping to open by June 2018. Construction was looking to start in October but they should still be on track to open in June.
As for traffic there won't be that much of impact. Cars will not be allowed to exit left onto Mountain Ave from WaWa, instead they will go behind Applebee's and use the traffic light out of that shopping area.
Jim L. 4catmom some new site (I forget who now, but it was recent) said WaWa was bidding on the Chatterbox
alpha1beta Jim L. - thanks for that bit of info. But I still see some kind of congestion. Mountain Ave is a mess already.
Ah ha- but maybe the new Wawa will squash the plans to expand the Mountain Ave Quik Chek! Silver lining! Sandwiches from WaWa aren't bad either.
hktownie I only wish that was true hktownie. Sadly as the QC project is being discussed as a PILOT project, money talks and usually wins.
Info on what a PILOT project is:
http://www.wiss.com/blog/pilot-programs-in-new-jersey
Greg sorry Greg you are misinformed.
the lots QC is looking to go on have not been deemed an "area in need of redevelopment" so therefore the PILOT program would not apply to them.
GC Jim - Is the Wa-Wa proposal considered a PILOT property? I ask as I had a conversation with a person regarding this and I know one of the projects was discussed as a possible PILOT project. The conversation I speak of was with the Mayor and perhaps not an official position or something that has yet to be discussed with either the council or in an Executive session.
Does anyone have confirmation of this? nowhere can I find that it is happening, including on WaWa's website. not saying it isn't but wondering if it's truly official
The R The R, the WaWa was introduced and approved at the 5/3017 Planning board meeting. You can read the minutes of that meeting here if you like
http://www.hackettstown.net/planning-zoning-boards/
Greg I am not going to share what may or may not have been discussed at an Executive session.
Of course you shouldn't Jim and I wouldn't ask you too. That would be a violation of fiduciary duty. I was not sure to what extent the conversations were, I was simply stating I know that PILOT was discussed regarding these projects- whether it was official or simply a part of the internal process.
Chatterbox will be going out and Wawa in if the sale goes through the paper stated, not across from it off of 206.
Magpie For those interested in the WaWa in Hackettstown, I would recommend reading the meeting notes, it's very interesting and has a lot of information in there.
Next to the Applebees? isn'tthe whole reason they never completed that part of the then Hackettstown Mall because some EPA or other environmental study had to take place and turned up "wetlands" or something and they were no longer allowed to build on it?
Mark Roman I hadn't heard that,Mark. I know that area was deemed in need of redevelopment and given the PILOT designation by the town. The tax abatement helps the development of a derelict property or area. Certainly better to see something there other than an eyesore.
The area in the way back of the 17+ acres is wetlands and will be preserved the area on Mountain where WaWa is going has no issues that would prevent it from being built on.
And the town has not given the PILOT program to this site. There would be a town ordinance needed for that and as of today no ordinance exists.
Wawa will kill it in Hackettstown. Two Wawas in both Phillipsburg and Flemington areas and both are always packed. Selection of sandwiches and things at Wawa better than QC. Quality not really even close. Only problem with Wawa is there is no self checkout machine in any that i have ever been to. Lines can get very long.
Billsfan Jim- The following resolution passed by the council in March is for that property though. Is this not a tax abatement? I'm speaking of just the WaWa property not the rear area. Perhaps you are talking about the rear of that tract.
Also, from what I read, Chapter 18 of the Hackettstown town code is the 5 year tax exemptions. Section 18-5 gives the Mayor and council the ability to enter into a written agreement with applicant for the exemption of local real property taxes.
Resolution:
WHEREAS, on October 27, 2016, the Municipal Council (the “Municipal Council”) of the Town of Hackettstown (the “Town”) adopted a resolution designating the property located at Block 125, Lot 9.01, 301 Mountain Avenue (the “Property”) an “Area in need of Redevelopment” pursuant to the New Jersey Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, NJSA 40A:12A-1 et seq. (the “Redevelopment Law”); and
WHEREAS, the Planning Board of the Town of Hackettstown, at its meeting of October 25, 2016, recommended by Resolution that the Municipal Council designate the property located at Block 125, Lot 9.01, 301 Mountain Avenue (hereinafter “Property”) as non-condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment; and
WHEREAS, the Municipal Council of the Town of Hackettstown thereafter designated the Property as “an Area in need of Redevelopment” by Resolution adopted on October 27, 2016 and authorized the Planning Board of the Town of Hackettstown to prepare a Redevelopment Plan for the Property; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Board of the Town of Hackettstown caused the Town Planner, John Madden, AICP, PP, of Maser Consulting, P.A., to prepare a Redevelopment Plan for the Property located at Block 125, Lot 9.01 (the “Redevelopment Plan”); and
WHEREAS, the Planning Board of the Town of Hackettstown reviewed the Redevelopment Plan, providing comments and suggested changes to its professional staff; and
WHEREAS, at its meeting on January 24, 2017, the Planning Board of the Town of Hackettstown reviewed the Redevelopment Plan for Block 125, Lot 9.01, 301 Mountain Avenue prepared by John Madden AICP, PP of Maser Consulting P.A., dated January 11, 2017 and adopted a Resolution recommending that the Redevelopment Plan be adopted by the Municipal Council; and
WHEREAS, on February 23, 2017, the Municipal Council adopted an ordinance of the Town of Hackettstown adopting the Redevelopment Plan pursuant to the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, NJSA 40A:12A-1, et seq.; and
WHEREAS, the Town now desires to designate 2016 Mountain Hackettstown, LLC, or such affiliate thereof as may be deemed appropriate by 2016 Mountain Hackettstown, LLC, as the Redeveloper (“Redeveloper”) of the Property, subject to the condition that the Town and Redeveloper enter into a Redevelopment Agreement pursuant to governing law to provide for the redevelopment of the Property.
Here is a link to the Town Code Ordinance. I encourage all town citizens to download it and look through it.
http://www.hackettstown.net/town-code/
My bad. After reading again I see clearly Jim is referring to the rear of that area. That portion is not part of the frontage property currently approved for the Wawa.
The entire site was deemed an area of need of redevelopment. However That does not necessarily guarantee a PILOT program.
Correct. It is simply just one step in the process. One could say it helps to pave the way.
Now that is one bad pun. LOL
So look at the Bergen Machinery property. This eyesore, after many years, brought in the CVS in the front of property and the back of the property is a mess. Now the same thing is going to happen to the back of where WAWA is coming.
Why doesn't the town fathers clean up one mess before creating another mess?.
Both of these property's were declared with environmental problems. Funny what money can buy.
Bernie 
Bernie you mean to say that promises and or written agreements that were made early on in the process to placate concerned folks are now never going to happen?
In the words of Gomer Pyle :Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!
And the bad part is that the 3 acres open space we get with the project is also apparently on hold, at least before the woods sort of blocked the eye sore, but honestly would rater look at open space then way over congested 100+ town homes and stores that have no parking.
Darrin Darrin I pass this mess everyday. How can you stand looking at piles of dirt everyday.
Do you think what we see now is better than the sight we saw from Bergen Machinery?
Bernie, The Bergen Tool buildings never bothered me at all, and actually gave the residents in the area some privacy, so yeah, in my opinion as a resident, it was better.
Secondly, the town was probably making taxes when the buildings were up, now they are only getting vacant land I would assume?
As far as the project goes.....I moved, couldn't stand the project and what the town approved to go into the space, and wasn't hanging around to see 100+ town homes built right on top of residents who have lived there for years and years. I still own the house in Hackettstown and now rent it out, so I still have skin in the game as far as investment and the well being of my tenants, but that whole project was and still is a total PITA, I got the hell out while I could.
Darrin, much credit to you for you interest an participation in town meetings... for most others I recommend you participate in your local town, government and community. This message board means zero at the end of the day when it comes to these items like this thread.
PWMS "Now the same thing is going to happen to the back of where WAWA is coming."
There are time frames the developer must follow for the WaWa and apartment construction that will prevent what's happening at CVS from happening here. The developer has to complete certain parts of the project by a certain time frame or face fines. The planning board learned from the mistakes at CVS and put actions in place
"Secondly, the town was probably making taxes when the buildings were up, now they are only getting vacant land I would assume?"
I don't have the exact figures in front of me, but the CVS taxes alone are more than what the whole Bergen Tool site was being taxed. So knocking the buildings down to get CVS in was a positive tax wise for the town.
My point was even though CVS may be paying more taxes, CVS is separate from the remaining property now, so now the remaining property owner can sit back and enjoy their lower taxes and large check from CVS and just leave the property as it is if they wanted to, classic bait and switch from the developer to the planning board. The developer at every meeting made it seem that phase 2 was right behind CVS, heck at one point they even portrayed it as happening at the same time as CVS, also doing work right before meetings, having follow up meetings after CVS was approved, etc....the developer was all push push rush rush to get the board to approve the plans....and now it sits not even touch for how long after plans have been approved?
I am not saying hurry up and build, but instead am saying what happened to the remaining grounds being converted to turf? Instead we only got a small front section of grass and the rest is unsightly dirt piles and crushed concrete, because we were lead to believe phase two was right behind CVS. Make it presentable if we don;t know how long we are going to have to sit on it.
The town charges residents fees for un-kept property maintenance.....how come they don't touch the developer of this site?
The old taxes on Bergen was $68,965/yr which they simply did not pay.
The current taxes are now divided into two lots - $68,210/yr for Jade, and $109,705/yr for CVS.
"which they simply did not pay"
It's my understanding the developer had to pay the backed taxes before doing anything on the lot, so the town did get their money
Seems like they were reassessed (which I think they would of had to do to split the lots) .... had commercial building improvements been included in that I bet they would have been much higher
UserFriendly I like the new CVS, much closer for us. And yes there is still some cleanup to be done in back, but to me it looks better than the derelict buildings ever did. The one major concern for that site that hasn't been tested yet it the water run-off problem. So far we haven't seen a major rain incident combined with an existing high water table since the CVS went in. Hopefully the measures put into place will be effective.
As for WaWa, people have been complaining that something needs to go into that abandoned space for a very long time. Good to see that will finally happen.
The one major concern for that site that hasn't been tested yet it the water run-off problem.
I disagree, we had some major rain since CVS went in. Streets in town flooded just this pass spring. And that area of Stiger and Main that normally floods did not at all. The improvements to that run off so far have meet all expectations and has been a huge improvement.
I agree, as far as normal to large water runoff, huge improvement
What we haven't see yet is the effects when the trout brook backs up, the reason the oversize pipe was put in in the first place, to essentially have more volume capacity and hold it underground along with the underground basins under CVS's parking lot. I am interested in seeing the effects, if any, on the surrounding basements and roads when these systems get filled and can no longer flow out the brook,
Yes that's the exact scenario I was thinking of, when the brook is full and the ground is saturated and there is nowhere for the water to run off.
The last time we experienced that, at least for our basement, was Aug/Sept 2011 with Irene. Where we are located Irene caused more problems than Sandy.
Still, Jim L overall we really like the CVS!
WAWA will be in a perfect area to access to the ByPass project connecting Mountain Ave and 57 to 46 over by target. lol
CJ. Wawa will create more jobs? Who wants them? How about bringing some good businesses to this town? Sorry to be a Debbie downer but seriously. Wawa?
Like what kind of jobs? If you're unemployed, is a Wawa job beneath you?
People who poo poo new businesses coming to town, no matter how big or small, are simply privileged people who don't have to worry about having a job.
emaxxman Is Wawa actually still coming to Hackettstown because I thought that they were starting construction in October, it is now almost December and nothing has started yet.
MrMet Always go directly to the source.
Contact this person at the Wawa corporate offices. He should be able to provide details regarding the new location.
Jamie Thurmond
Regional Real Estate Manager
jamie.thurmond@wawa.com
Telephone: 484-748-1126
Fax: 610-358-6865
NJ Counties: Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Warren
Not really about the Wawa, but what’s the deal with that little building being built between Raceway and McDonald’s on Mountain Ave? Is it a strip mall?
1988LJ GC - you should be more specific. this thread has nothing.
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/758365
it was discussed at last night's town council meeting in our Engineer's report that WaWa is scheduled to begin construction on March 1st 2018. They got held up with their DOT application.
is this on the same side as Quick Check, where the empty field is that used to be that cemetary stone display?
are they knocking down those slum-like houses?
Hackresident No Hackresident, the old cemetery stone company field is what Quik Chek is proposing to do. Wawa is going in the failed strip mall lot next to the lot with Lowes/Wendys/Applebees.
Hackresident blame the owner for the condition of those houses. He doesn't care because he wants to tear them down. The worse they look is better for him to try to put the QuickChek up in residential area.
Animal lover My prediction is once the quickcheck is approved plans for the Wawa will be abandoned..they keep pushing it back
I can't imagine Wawa doing that at all. In addition I would say IF the plans get approved for the QC, not when.
“They keep pushing back their construction date”
They were looking to start in Oct...they were very optimistic or naive about the DOT process. It took longer than they expected so now that it is winter they will start Mar 1st.
The same thing happened with CVS, the DOT application took forever
Break the Quik Check Monopoly!!!
lol
How long does it take them to slap up one of those buildings - a month?
ru Must be in the works. Found this today while I was looking..
https://wfa.kronostm.com/index.jsp?LOCATION_ID=66177489978&locale=en_US&applicationName=HourlywawaMGT&SEQ=postingLocationDetails&POSTING_ID=2005122253&source=ContactSources.IJB&SpecificSource=ContactSources.IJB.SpecificSources.Indeed
4.1 Percenter I read that "Water Street" 's houses are also being torn down for the Quick Check gas station.. Yesterday mid-morning I tried to find Water Street, and I saw "lLittle street' and some other street, but not Water Street.....where is that?
Hackresident - You may want to switch over to the thread about the Quik Chek proposal since this is all about Wawa.
Water Street is on the other side of Mountain Ave than Little Street or Bell's Lane. It's not quite opposite Bell's Lane, you would drive between the medical building and Rent-A-Wreck/Htown Tire/etc.
No houses on Water Street are involved in the Quik Chek proposal. Two houses on *Washington* are involved as well as the vacant lot and houses on Mountain Ave.
Feeling pretty disgusted with the old bait and switch by the town on phase two of the wawa plans.
The plans were "sold" to the residents including a long walking trail along the river along with a boat launch. This, as a resident, was a very appeasing aspect to the plans, that we would be getting a usable park!!!
That was the bait.....and then the switch from the town...
I was not at the town council meeting to know the exact details but it seems, correct me if I am wrong, that the town council decided the town did not want the liability of the walking trail. The planning board really had no choice to go along with it.....so just like that no more walking trail, no public use to the property what so ever.
The way our town goes about, in this case, IMO, tricking residents is really getting old....they knew of the plans since day one, but after everything was approved and just as construction is about to start....then the town raises concerns about this???? Really?
Wawa is know for squashing any convince stores, gas stations and sandwich shops near them and we’re it’s located is really going to close down the c-store and bagel shop directly next to them I’m a demographics tech and have no doubt about that
John Haroldson It may be an issue for a convenience store. However I would think gas stations are safe as it will not have a fuel dispensing aspect to it.
In addition I can't imagine a quality bagel shop having much competition from a Wawa as far as bagels are concerned.
Greg - Budd Lake Bagel sells a lot more than just the bagels. They're a full deli with lunch sandwiches that may or may not be on a bagel. Plus they do a full breakfast menu. I agree the bagels aren't going to be such of an issue, I'd be more concerned over at Hot Bagels which Budd Lake is already surviving against. But even there they have the rest of the deli too. Wawa won't be competition for a full sit down breakfast either. The convenience store and Quik Chek further up will be impacted most.
When the Quick Chek in White Twsp arrived in Oct 2012 at the corner of Rt.519/Rt.46, I predicted, wrongly, that the Bagelsmith, across the street and the US Gas station, right across the street also would go out of business after a year.
I was wrong there. While it hurt their business, it forced them to become more competitive and creative in their pricing, which keeps them around.
However, Wawa does the exact thing that Quick Chek does- I would expect the Quick Chek there to either improve/move/build as has been spoken of, or just shut the door altogether in that location near the new Wawa.
The Rhyme Animal 
NJDad Greg
Am I reading you right that the wawa we are getting is just a store not a gas station? I didn’t realize they made them that way
Njchia I think if I need to go to a convenience store while driving on Mountain Ave, I'll just go to whichever one is on the side of the road where I'm driving. If I want a sandwich, I'll go to C&L ! :-)
I did not realize that was a fueling station as well. I have been so focused on the QC application that I have not reviewed the Wawa plan. I thought I read it was a store only. I was mistaken.
All the more reason not to allow the QC project to move forward.
OnTheEdge Is Wawa pushing back their construction date again? It is now March 6th and they still haven't delivered any construction vehicles or done any demolition to flatten the land. I am just curious as that I love Wawa and glad that we are finally getting one.
Be patient. The weather has a lot to do when construction starts. With the snow coming tomorrow I don’t you will see any construction vehicles for a few more weeks at least.
QC has not been granted a variance to move forward as their presentation is not complete. Hopefully they will not get it and there will be no construction on that site, by QC at least.
QC Is pretty much a done deal...they did their homework...there Is no real organized opposition..5 people at last meeting
It's a variance request so hopefully it's not a done deal. If this were already all commercial then sure. I hope attendance at the "last" meeting will match the early meetings.
Bonv LOL, when people say "it's a done deal" it just goes to show how little they know about how the process actually works.
with the Wawa going behind Applebees...wasn't the reason the "mall" they were trying to build back there stopped because of some kind of "environmental study" that ended up declaring the space "wetlands" and that's why there's been nothing on the site other than crumbling half-built concrete walls and a small carnival with kiddie rides once in a blue moon?
Marc That is correct, and it's also why the back half of the property will have nothing built on it....the walking trails that were suppose to be put in back are now, by request of the town council, only for the residents of the apartments that will be built in phase 2 of that project.
WaWa is going next to Applebee’s not behind it. Behind there are wetlands area but the originally footprint of the complex that was going to go there years ago has been grandfathered in. So as long as they used the same footprint they were allowed to build. Which is what they are doing.
Darrin,
The walking trails are out of the plan entirely, not just being used by the residents of the new buildings.
FactCheck the walking trail that would have run deep into the woods has been removed. It made no sense as it was a dead end trail and there was no way to police it. The Applicant agreed to still have a smaller trail leading to the river with a sitting bench for use of the residents of the development.
If at all possible the trail should have been accommodated so police could have drove through if they wished. I do not remember the setup off the top of my head, so I am unsure if this was feasible.
If the owner of the property was willing to give us a walking trail and a boat launch....why would we give that up cold turkey with nothing in return and not just modify it to work?
again Darrin, you and the one other person who attended the planning board meetings would have even known that walking trail existed. It was more of a headache for the town than a benefit.
Yeah I know Jim, I just can't stand when a developer is willing to give the town something for the resident's benefit....and then it gets removed for various reasons.
We had a developer in front of us that was willing to give us something, we didn't want to deal with it, so we gave it back.....with nothing in return. I feel like with some adjustments we could have made something work....not just said never mind!!!
you're getting a lot of facts wrong. First the developer wasn't willing to "give the town something". Our town planner wrote in the development plan that there should be a walking trail. The developer tried his best to accommodate the request but with wetlands back there he was very limited in where he could put the trail and how he could connect it. The result was a sloppy plan where there was basically no public parking for the trail, no way to loop the trail so it just dead ended in the middle of the woods. It was not as you put it before a "usable park." the Planning board brought up the trail at the meeting and ways to make it better, but again because wetlands there was no other place to put it. We thought we could have open grass fields in the back but because of wetlands the Highlands demanded tall grass to have the field area fill in over time. We couldn't have another opening at the Lowe's end as that was not the developers property. So once the town reviewed the plans the police had concerns over how to over see the trail and the town did not want the liability of maintaining it and policing it.
we didn't "bait and switch" the public or "trick" the public we made the best decision base on the options available.
Let's just be clear about one thing first, I am in no way shape or form saying the town bait and switched on purpose...it is just the way it turned out for various reasons, but with that being said my facts are not wrong Jim.....I just do not know every single detail, I am just public....I only know what was discussed at the meetings I was able to attend, and from that I gathered:
Fact: There was a walking trail in the plan....and the developer was apparently acceptable to this.....
Fact....in the end the town got nothing.
Fact....maybe we should reconsider our town planner if he is making plans and promises that the town cannot accommodate?
And as far as bait and switch...I personally was very excited about the plan because they were incorporating space for the public to use....in one way or another, as usable or unusable you and I may think it would have been.....and then it was removed AFTER everything was approved......that is LITERALLY the definition of bait and switch....I do not care if one person knew about the plans, or 200......The public (me and the other person in the meeting) were still sold on a usable trail with a boat launch.....and got nothing.
I get the town's reasons, and I understand why it did not happen....but that should have been brought up and handled PRIOR to making that a point when the plans were approved...essentially promising the public they were getting something and then taking it away.
you are still wrong on so many levels, but I'm tired of trying to correct you so go ahead and feel like you got duped if you want.
Darrin,
Points well made, reasonable, educational and thought provoking!
Jim L-- doublespeak, quite weak and submissive.
Well, planning processes inherently change as options are explored. I don’t see how it can be any other way, can it?
Justintime please point out where I doublespoke?
Darrin is only concerned with the black and white = we had something and then it got taken away. I filled in the grey with facts.
"that is LITERALLY the definition of bait and switch"
In reading through the chronology of what happened, I believe "white elephant" is a much closer definition than "bait and switch". The item offered to the Town was deemed BY the town to be far more trouble than it was worth.
It's also not uncommon for Governing Bodies to decline things that were made conditions of approval by Land Use boards. It happens all the time, usually due to insurance concerns.
ianimal I don't get how I am still wrong Jim....I think I spoke on quite neutral ground on my last post.
I UNDERSTAND the town felt it was a bad plan, there was no parking, the police couldn't drive back there to police it, it was not marked and nobody would know where it was......BUT the whole point of the planning board, etc. it to review plans PRIOR to them being approved....shouldn't have made promises by approving the plans if it was something that in the end the town was not even interested in....this idea was presented by a paid town professional and incorporated into the APPROVED plans....if it was clearly that bad of an idea as you say, why the heck even incorporate it.....the developer was okay with trying to incorporate it into their plans.....then AFTER the plans were approved the town decided they didn't want it/the liability/the inconvenience/etc.
I am trying to be as broad as possible, and let you know that i understand WHY the town did it so you can stop simply saying i am wrong....... I am not wrong...I am a resident who would have enjoyed the park, made use of it, and told others...i went to the meetings about this project...but apparently missed where the town council overruled the planning board.....
Metsman Ianimal, if you saw the way the town planner presented the walking trail/boat ramp you would be saying bait and switch too.....the hard sell was on in full force.....the whole project was presented in such a way as to say "Look what we can get if we approve this"
Well there you go Darrin you gained a new fan. 2020 knows you are right even though you admitted:
“ I do not remember the setup off the top of my head, so I am unsure if this was feasible.”
“I just do not know every single detail, I am just public....I only know what was discussed at the meetings I was able to attend, and from that I gathered:”
“I was not at the town council meeting to know the exact details but it seems”
You have admitted you don’t know all the details or attended all the meetings where it was discussed. You’re missing a lot of facts I have tried to explain them to you but you insist you are not wrong. I’ll gladly have a conversation with you next time I see.
Although you make a nice point by taking my posts out of context....I have listened to you Jim....even reiterated what you said so you know I listened....but I am still wrong? Okay now I am lost...well meet up soon and set the record straight.
They will probably never build the wawa..there is no mention of Hackettstown on their website's coming soon section
Always go directly to the source.
Contact this person at the Wawa corporate offices. He should be able to provide details regarding the new location.
Jamie Thurmond
Regional Real Estate Manager
jamie.thurmond@wawa.com
Telephone: 484-748-1126
Fax: 610-358-6865
NJ Counties: Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Warren
Bug3 - The real estate person at Wawa for this area had no idea about the new store? Yikes. LOL
The WaWa is still going in. Their application is being held up at the DOT. The same issue CVS had. The DOt is notoriously slow. Our Mayor and town Engineer have been on the phone with them numerous times trying to get them to move the application along.
Why are the Mayor and Engineer advocating on behalf of the applicant with NJDOT? Do they really love Wawa coffee or something?
the application was approved by planning board in May 2017. It's now Mach 2018 and Trenton is talking their sweet time. Why wouldn't they make phone calls to get this moving along? I didn't say they were advocating for the applicant, I said they were trying to get Trenton to at least review the plans and get the application to move along through the process.
If Wawa went through the approval process and is going to be contributing to the tax base of Hackettstown isn’t it the job of the Mayor to advocate for the tax payers he represents?
If they're calling Trenton for them, they're advocating on their behalf with perceived political pressure. Do you have any idea how many development applications on State highways are submitted every month in NJDOT's North region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Union counties, in addition to Warren County north of 57)? A 9-month delay is nothing.
I agree with Ianimal, as much as I want to see wawa come in, as I understand from what Jim is saying any political pressure to jump the line, hurry up, whatever you want to call it, would be and should be considered unethical
CVS as well as TONS of other developers have experienced the delay...I am sure the delay is NOT because DOT is sitting around playing cards, and as Ianimal states, they are probably THAT busy.
ok, I'm done giving you guys updates. go back to playing the "are they coming or not" game. Sorry for providing information.
I would gather it will be a 24 hour fueling facility as the only other one open for fuel 24 hours in the area is the QC on 517 I believe.
You just can't help yourself huh? LOL. Thanks Jim I, as well as most folks on HL do appreciate your input.
I have not been able to connect with Sharon and review the plans myself. You saved me a trip!
For those that are still playing the are they or are they not really coming game, excavation equipment has been dropped off on the site this morning. :). Finally ready to move forward
not just a wawa moving in but also a smash burger going in where the old gas station is.
mel 
kb2755 Actually they are moving all that excavation equipment to the site of the old tombstone store on sunday
so what is going on the site? A lot of equipment has been clearing the area over the past few days. .
SAAK 
Michael I see that there has been building progress. Is this really going to become a WaWa or is that just a rumor still?
Emily It is a total fabrication and rumor regarding a Wawa at that location-- said no one ever!! LOL!!
Emily- It is noted on the Wawa corporate website regarding this new location, Indeed.com has had employment ads for the Hackettstown location. In addition, you can look on the Hackettstown.net website and read through various council and planning board minutes dating from last year to follow the Wawa application process. Also, a council member who is part of the HL regular group of contributing posters has stated ad nauseam that a Wawa will be a great addition to our town. So the sum and substance of my remarks is absolutely without a doubt, you take it to the bank, I guarantee for certain a Wawa is under construction and will be located on that site.
Thank you for that epic display of mansplaining, Greg. Next time a simple link to the WaWa website would suffice.
Or you could have engaged in some woman up-scrolling prior to redundant question asking.
Skippy "Mansplaining."
Wow.
Someone took the time to answer your question in depth, and you accuse him -- with zero reason to do so -- of being a condescending sexist.
Seriously, I don't know how much further down the rabbit hole we can go.
Rebecka Yikes! I do apologize, Emily. I actually interpreted your post as if you were joking around hence my thorough tongue in cheek response. This thread has been active for the past 6 months with scores of folks stating the fact it was a bonafide project in the works. I didn't realize you had not read through the entire thread.
On a positive note, I have actually never heard the expression 'mansplaining". I learned a new word! LOL. Obviously you don't know me but I most certainly would never speak that way to someone. I tend to be frank at times but never intentionally condescending.
It's all good! : )
On a completely random yet related note am I the only person who immediately hears George Harrison's wonderful song "Wah- Wah" in their head each time visiting this thread??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usGObvP42GM
YO Jim L is this property going to be left half done with the plan like the property of Stiger and 46 (CVS)?
That tract of land had a plan also.
That certainly was left in a mess!
Yo Bernie. This is a different developer and there are timeframes built into the site approval that would f the developer misses they face fines. So no it won’t be left half done like the Bergen tool site
Feel free to reach out to the owner/developer of that site to see when he is going to start building. The planning board approved Phase 2 a year and a half ago
Can't wait. Better sandwiches than Quickchek. You can actually get chicken salad at a Wawa.
Wow, I am actually thinking about moving back to NJ so I can go to the Wawa. Oops, must have had a senior moment.
Went to Sheetz a few times when my kids went to school at WVU.There all basically the same in my eyes as I just drop in to get a coffee on occasion.
http://www.businessinsider.com/wawa-or-sheetz-which-is-better/#upon-entering-sheetz-we-were-stunned-by-the-flash-and-the-panache-but-this-stylish-sound-and-fashionable-fury-signifies-nothing-its-the-food-that-counts-while-sheetz-may-have-plentiful-soda-reserves-its-made-to-order-food-cant-measure-up-to-the-image-it-presents-30
bake off between wawa and sheetz - wawa wins for food
eapos For all the time I lived in NJ and Hackettstown most recently I never close to a Wawa. I moved down to Richmond and I have one literally around the corner from me and a second one maybe a mile down the road.
ASfromBklyn Traffic is back enough going through Hackettstown in that area. It will only be worse with WAWA and apartments going in. Not looking forward to it.
Been to quite a few Sheetz while traveling in the south. Same as WAWA and Quik Chek. Nothing special. I don't find any of them special.
There will be no left turn out of WaWa. They along with the apartments will have to go through an easement at the back of the Applebee's to that traffic light to turn left onto Mountain Ave so it should not have a huge impact on the current traffic.
yes in the back. 145 apartments. It is the same project that was supposed to go in there way back in 2006 but stalled. Back then it was 177 units. Now the approved site plan calls for 145 units. Of which only 25 apartments will be "affordable units" (17%).
Here is the parent company's site. They have not updated the rendering of the Lion Gate At Musconetcong River, the approved plans are different. But if you are looking for contact info they would be the ones.
https://www.leocomp.com/lion-gate.html
"There will be no left turn out of WaWa" I don't think I've ever driven the length of Mountain ave without seeing someone make an illegal turn, that sign will be more of a suggestion at best. The only time I see police no Mountain ave is when there is an accident. They could literally write a ticked every few minutes there.
Denis Denis the curb will be raised and curved to only allow right hand turns out of WaWa. Person would really have to jump the curb to make that left
Jim L, Thanks for adding reasonableness and facts to what seems to be nonsense of those who are uninformed and unwilling to get off there couches to make a difference. I along with others appreciate your civil service, candor and explanation of matters that many could participate if they actually cared.
We need more Civic participation and while this forum can be informative it is not the scope of the full picture... I would suggest,the following...participate!!!
civic participation, according to the American Psychological Association, is "individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern". It can be defined as citizens working together to make a change or difference in the community.
I am so disappointed about the Wawa. What Hackettstown really needs is a great YMCA, or some other fitness center with a pool. There is nowhere to swim indoors. We definitely do NOT need another convenience store. That would have been the perfect spot. What a waste of space! Another awful decision by Hackettstown.
Taxpayer What should be researched and spotlighted is what the tax situation will be. Did they receive special tax abatements? Same thing for the pending Quick Check less than a mile down the road.
Ok I’ll bite taxpayer so since it’s not what you wanted it’s an awful decision? That site has sat vacant since the 1980s. obviously if YMCA had any interest in opening a location in Hackettstown they had plenty of time to buy that site. But they don’t. The town has had developers come and go with plans for that site with nothing built. For 30years.
And no bonv neither site has received any special tax abatements.
And what is wrong with open space on Mountain Ave.? Especially along the river. All this development brings down the values of the houses nearby, which then drives down the property taxes collected.
JAK It was not open space. It was half developed concrete slabs and a complete mess. Now the entire site will be cleaned up and 13 acres will be left green along the river and the back of the site
This is a google image of what the site looks like. It has sat like that for decades. I certainly wouldn’t decribe that as open space. Now all that space on the right will be cleaned up and made green
At Wawa.com's website, under the "Coming Soon" tab, there is no mention of a store opening in Hackettstown this year.
https://www.wawa.com/about/locations/store-locator
Ned 
@ Jim L
Just wondering, do you know of an online, publicly available, proposed site plan(s) for Wawa and the apartments? Out of pure curiosity, I started to put your two posts on the apartments and the google earth image together, in my mind, then combined the images I captured of the two. Attached is my result. I start to wonder if the Apartments will be in their own buildings moved further back on the land or apartments over retail space. It seems that if the Loins Gate builds on the existing or replaced foundations currently in place, there wouldn't be enough space for a full service Wawa. I used what I have seen from aerial view of other existing full service Wawa(s) as a comparison of space needed. Just try to piece it all together. Your thoughts?
JimInMF 
The original plans for that site years ago had more residential buildings. Here is what the site will look like now that WaWa has replaced some of the residential. The light green section will be planted with wild grass not turf so won’t be “usable” space but preserved wild land to help with any river over flow in that area. Full drawings are available at town hall, I’m not aware of any online
@Jim L
Do you know what's happening with the land behind CVS. Are they still going to build housing there?
Wow. Ever since Murphy....now we get wild grass plantings.....smoke em if you got em....
Jim L: do you know the total acreage and how much of the green will be "used" by the residents (baseball? playgrounds?)
Off hand, just based on the picture, this looks pretty good and a departure from the usually un-green developments approved in this town. Am I wrong? Or is this already protected lands?
Yes, drive them to the light, go to the light..... That's good planning too, unlike many previous adventures in individual access points for each business or neighborhood.
Though I do disagree about the traffic. While funneling them through the light is good, 145 apartments can not be a slight traffic increase. At least during commuting times.
I also disagree about OK impacts to Musky. We put so much runoff into it that we must screw it on every rain storm. Too many direct impacts from parking lots. Perhaps that ship has passed but I am sure this one, with it's green space, is better than the strip Malls Mansfield has graced us with on 57.
Nice design although I prefer Caldwell or Sparta ---- hope our picture changes :>) Seems like much better planning than usual from our team. Hopefully, congrats.
strangerdanger 
I'm pretty sure none of that is official. Looking at Wawa's official website under 'coming soon' in NJ, it doesn't mention anything about a location being built.
https://www.wawa.com/about/locations/store-locator
Aerione Aerione - What Jim L posted is the official town approved plans. It's definitely all approved and the building has already begun. You'd have to ask Wawa why it's not up on their website. But since it's just recently broke ground the ETA might be out of range of when they last updated their site. The other locations are up to fall. Maybe the opening date is expected to be more like early winter.
It’s official I don’t know how much more I can state that. Technically WaWa hasn’t broken ground yet as they are still in the process of clearing the entire site. About 45 days out from WaWa construction starts. Perhaps by then it will go on their website and people can stop guessing.
SD as for the open land. It’s protected wetlands so the state had big hand in what could be planted around it. They wanted the tall wild grass so unfortunately there will be ballfield or playground. We tried but got shut down real quick once we were told what the NJDEP wanted there. Best we could have gotten was a walking trail along the river which was In the plans but removed
@ Jim L
Thank you for providing the concept site plan and satisfying my curiosity. Make sense now.
Best Regards
Yuppper, thanks and this one seems to make sense, state/local, whatever the reason, it seems we got as good as we gave on this one and I hope the owner/developer feel so also.
I have to say: good job, go figure, congrats.
Too bad about the trail; hope the planners audit themselves as to why they failed in this. Especially since trails will be made --- have to grant access to the stream I believe. But good to know how to improve so they can win next time!
I will shop WAWA before I go QuickChek.
"Too bad about the trail; hope the planners audit themselves as to why they failed in this. "
it wasn't the planners that failed on the trail. They included one, the problem was it was a 2000ft dead end into the woods. So Town council and police had concerns about policing it.
I was advised the Town Council nixed the trails, same as they do with any new Rec fields proposed. they don't want to maintain anything more than they are doing. So much for worrying about the Quality of Life...
Sounds like an out of site place that could become trouble and require policing. Doesn't seem like a big deal. Looking forward to Wawa.
Bug, I imagine there will be a sign once Wawa technically breaks ground, like Jim mentioned above. There is a sign just like that on a construction site in Bridgewater by Wegmans where a new Wawa is being built.
Tracy Does Hackettstown really need another convenience store and/or gas station ? Just askin' .
htownguy 
Luca Yea Trader Joe’s is never going to happen. They only opened up 17stores last year which was their lowest number of new stores in years. They are only going to towns that meet their income and population size requirements which Hackettstown does not.
Jim L -- "if it's to be, it's up to me......" No, I still say they lost on this one although I totally agree with the rationale. That was the first thing that came to mind --- with 145 apartments of people willing to live there.....uh oh, there's a body dump if I ever saw one.... :>) :>( Uh oh, the cost to maintain and secure such a place....
All that said, a trail will exist there, whether formal or not, because I believe owners have to provide access to the stream. This just lowers the usage and risk while increasing the attractiveness for dumping because of less usage. Trade-offs, between costs and safety always but....but....could-a forced the developer to maintain, got state funds for park-land, yada, yada, yada.....it's always a choice, a deal, a negotiation.
Got to admit though, a nice walking path against the Musky would be a grand thing that we don't have. Likewise, any canal path or rail bed usage in this regard is always appreciated by this taxpayer. Man, would I love to see us park-trail the canal bed from Rt 46 to Pt. Murray. Still doable probably IF we desired it. And the Musky from Mickey-D's down Rt57 still has potential.
Just saying.
Next time, reviewing this, knowing this, whatever ---- our planners might be able to negotiate better next time to an ever better improved solution if they audit where this one turned South. I mean if we can't police anything new beyond the WAWAs, new high-density apartments, CVS, and QuickCheks of the world, gonna be a pretty boring neighborhood in the future.
And you usually have a much easier time doing this BEFORE development approval rather than after.
Still --- unless new info comes to light this one is a pretty good job in my book and way much better than most approvals by this planning team like the QuickChek disaster or the Bergen Tool could be way better designs (IMO). I say: Plan-well-done!
http://locations.traderjoes.com/nj/
It’s kinda of silly that people keep bringing up Trader Joe’s as an option for Hackettstown. Here are the list of towns NJ with a TJ. It is so clear that those towns have absolutely nothing in common with Hackettstown.
Are there any viable options for Hackettstown that are different from what we already have?
The town and BID have been aggressive in pursuing stores like Aldi and Ramsey outdoor to come to town. Both would be great additions and make sense for both them and the town. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are not realistic
We'll get a Trader Joe's when we get a BMW dealership. Not going to happen in this town. I think the Salvation Army store says it all.
Don Got to admit though, a nice walking path against the Musky would be a grand thing that we don't have. Likewise, any canal path or rail bed usage in this regard is always appreciated by this taxpayer
funny you should mention that SD as we are in the process of completing our 2018 Master Plan and I have suggested a walking trail that connects Brook Hollow to Riverfront to Alumni to Cemetery to Budd Lake Bagels along the river to be included in that plan. Now the fun part getting it done!
Monserate R. 
Friendly McFriend That is because bug3 for the 30th time WaWa still has not officially started construction. They are doing the storm water upgrades first and have to get the DOT to sign off on the upgrades before WaWa can begin their store construction
"for the 30th time"
bug3: sorry you are talked to like that especially by a "professional"
Yea Bernie it has been explained over and over again that WaWa has not started construction yet
Jim L so what if it has been explained over and over? It isn't what you say -- it is how YOU say it !!!
Woot You people should be grateful you have a Counsel Man willing come on this forum, and give first hand information.
Old Gent WaWa's gas underground storages tanks were delivered today. Maybe now people will be convinced its being built..... and I know bug3, there is still no coming soon sign up. :)
Does anyone know why there are so many Rain For Rent trailers on the site ? There must be at least 15 or 20 that can be seen from the road and more in back. I was told a long time ago that the property was contaminated and that was why the mall was never finished but never saw any proof that was true. Just curious because I have never seen so many on one job site
Raisin I am not trying to start a rumor I said I never saw any proof. I was asking a question.
it sure looks like they are doing injections over there with all the rain for rent trailers and barrels/steel plates. Why else would they have hazardous signs all over the fence? I couldn't find any information on NJDEP's website. Either that or the water table is too high while they put in footings? And I honestly can't believe it's going to have a gas station component. We have at least FIVE gas stations within a 2 mile radius and there's already at least FIVE convenience stores within the same radius.
I figured the water was to wet down the site since it had been so dry until last week. There was initially a lot of dust when they first started working.
Htown Resident Another ugly store/gas station going into Hackettstown. There is so much traffic on that road. I remember the early-mid 90s being much more pleasant, and that's when there was a mall there!
centblows Knowing that the water table is very high in that area and the sheeting they are putting in place, it looks like a dewatering operation to get the tanks put in. Just my professional opinion!!!
I think those are trash pumps to get the water out of the ground for the gas and diesel tanks!
No need for logic here guys. LOL
Let's go with wild speculation and outlandish rumors!! That's a helluva lot more interesting than just plain old facts. LMAO!
Aquarius Ok the Hackettstown WaWa store has finally been added to the "Coming Soon" list on Wawa's website. Store #8390
https://www.wawa.com/about/locations/store-locator
Perhaps now Bug3 will be convinced it is actually being built????
You people are not very respectful to Bug3.
AND some of the language used shows what "class" you are from!
Hard to say
They spent 20 years trying to build a mall there (lol)..i am a bit skeptical
METSMAN you should go back and read some of the postings YOU write !!!
This site AND other sites as well.
You are not the only one that says "sharp worded" things.
Then you don't know what I post on other sites just what I post on here. Everyone gets picked on sometimes on here. Grow some thicker skin. Bug3 isn't even complaining, you are. He doesn't need you to stick up for him, since he doesn't appear to care.
There is WAWA sign in front now with a rendering of what will the building will look like.
Ian
I don't know if anyone else "got" your last comment, but frankly it cracked me up a bit. Of course, if anyone watches the movie "Pitch Perfect" you hear that almost ad nauseam... .
On a more personal note (in general), due to QC's bulldozing of the populace in order to make the new monstrosity on Mountain Ave. once the Wawa is built I'll make sure to spend my money there instead.
Frankly I think that's the site that's much more onerous. They could have picked the old Lukoil spot OR even have beat Wawa to the punch and secured that spot, but they didn't. I'll be extremely surprised if that intersection turns out no worse than it is now unless somehow the State DOT's plan for relieving congestion on Main and at the Five Points helps.
Go Wawa, go Wawa... .
Phil D. 
EVV "On a more personal note (in general), due to QC's bulldozing of the populace in order to make the new monstrosity on Mountain Ave. once the Wawa is built I'll make sure to spend my money there instead." - - - Phil D.
Agreed! I'm down with that and will happily spend my money at the new WaWa rather than the new QC, It's a good way to send a message. I'm not happy with the way the town railroaded this in over the concerns and input of the public.
GreyHawk Is pending road construction project to connect Route 46 and new WaWa site going to be completed now? Or it was cancelled?
Lena There is no “pending”rte 46 connection project. That was shot down years ago. Not on Hackettstown’s end. We were all for it. The town of Washington shot it down. Both towns needed to approve it since it would have gone through both towns and they didn’t want it
LittlePiglet Does anyone know if this site will be a 24 hour station? That would be great since currently I think the only one is on 517.
thecatsmeow "The town of Washington shot it down"
Just for clarity it is Washington Township (in Morris County).
"I don't need no WaWa"----close enough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usGObvP42GM
One of my top 3 George Harrison Tunes. The version on the concert for Bangladesh is great.
Anyone know of an opening date yet? Website just says fall 2018. Outside is starting to get cleaned up and have seen lights on at night so I would think maybe a couple weeks or so?
I hope they open soon, so I can get a “gobbler”, which is basically a turkey dinner on a roll. They only have it during this time of year, leading up to Thanksgiving.
FarmerJake The site looks good. I'm eager to see how the traffic flow works. I look forward to the opening.
I still can't imagine how difficult to navigate, dangerous and congested the area will be on and around Bell's Lane once that monstrosity Quick Chek gets squeezed into that now declining residential area. Just try to imagine a facility similar to the Wawa at that corner. We're doomed.
Booster90 If it's one thing Hackettstown has proved, they are in desperate need of gas stations, greasy fast food, and urgent cares. Great job BID. Nothing like a diverse town.
yea this project had nothing to do with the BID, but nice try on the dig.
The owner of the site found a tenant to build on his land... darn that pesky free enterprise where we let landlords find their own tenants.
And I agree with Greg, this site looks good and it looks like it belongs there. Fits nicely in that empty lot and the flow will be ok. Where as the QC will look very forced and crammed into that site.
So Jim L. whats going to go in the back of this WaWa property?
I remember when the back of the CVS property had plans to build. Years later this is just an eyesore of dirt mounds that have grown over with weeds on them.
Great planning of someone?
"and the flow will be ok."
...as long as no one tries to turn left onto Mountain Ave. Especially during rush hours.
It's a shame they didn't think to put an exit in behind Applebees.
"It's a shame they didn't think to put an exit in behind Applebees."
We did. The only way to turn left out of WaWa is to go behind Applebee's to the traffic light..
sorry this is rough, but here is an view on how the site will look. the road has already been connected to Applebee's parking lot and you will exit there to turn left onto Mountain Ave
No, you will be able to turn left into WaWa from Mountain ave as there are 2 lanes in that direction. You will not be able to turn left out of wawa directly. you will have to go behind Applebees to traffic light.
So if it's not one way going into the Wawa then how do you expect to enforce the new traffic pattern?
To answer your question Metsman, the exit onto Mountain Ave is angled and curbed to drive to traffic to only turn right. So you would have to jump a curb to turn left. Driving by it tonight the curb is not as high as I would want and as long as I would like so we will have to monitor it to see if it’s enough to stop people from turning left. If not then the developer might have to come back and raise the curb and extend it to be more dramatic
Jim L: the diagram you posted shows trees and shrubs all along the front of WAWA, also no arrows showing a turn in. Is what is being implemented different than the drawing?
What I posted was in the development plan for the site since that is what I had access to at my fingertips to show JR how the flow will go. I don’t have the final site plan realidly available to me right now. When I get home I will look for to get you a better understanding of what it will look like
Jim,
The site looks great. Looking forward to the opening. Thanks for all your efforts with these posts. Some people will never be happy …..
Rob
Rob Durana 
Indie I am not sure if this was already posted, my apologies if it was. This weekend, I heard from a hostess at TapHouse that WaWa is opening on the 21st and giving out free coffee the first four days. FYI
Just Saying.... I for one am really happy to see Wawa come to town. It'll give quick chek a run for their money and I'm sure will be good for us to have them compete directly more.
I agree. When is Walmart going to get into the fast food and convenience store business? I can see Mountain Avenue now, "Walmart Burgers", "Walmart Fried Chicken", "Quick Walmart", "Taco Walmart", "Walmart's House of Pancakes" and "Hong Kong Walmart". Paradise!
At least big chain stores maintain the property and overall appearance of the establishment. Most of the crap on Main St. looks like a front for an illegal business or trafficking operation. And since the WaWa offers gas, coffee, lottery, sandwiches and cheap smokes that satisfies most people's reason to stop. The gas will be cheaper than most places so you can say goodbye to the Raceway's Cash/Credit ripoff pricing.
The only competition will be a Quick Chek.
But by all means support whatever place you'd like.
Mom and pop businesses fuel the local economy and add personality and character in their physical presentation of store fronts. Main Street is a fairly quaint grouping of local owners trying to make a living in an ever increasing world of big box stores and concrete jungles like Mountain Avenue. I enjoy and frequent as many mom/pop stores as often as possible. WaWa is an eyesore and will not get our patronage.
Robin So...I expect to see you all there daily!
There's nothing wrong with a combination of both local and chains. And let's not forget, while Wawa is now HUGE, they're local-ish and not national. (PA) Wawa is generally one of the good ones - they pay workers well and treat them well ( https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Wawa-Reviews-E3041.htm) and as Don said, their gas pricing is fair to cheap. Plus, it's another place open 24/7
They may take away some business, I'll certainly go there over quick chek sometimes even though its further because honestly, it's hard to find a good cheesesteak in this town but Wawa does a good job.
But Wawa can't compete with many of the amazing places we have in town, like James on Main, or Enjoy Creperie or Monchys, and with 30 burgers coming to my end of town I doubt I'd justify headed to Wawa over that. And now Marley's has over 200 flavors of wings!
The places that run risk of losing business are Quick Chek (Everything), sunrise (most everything except gas), Raceway (Gas), McDonalds (Only direct competition there would be breakfast, everything else is pretty different offerings) and maybe Sub Shack (Subs/lunch), but I suspect their loyal base and more than fair pricing will keep them around for a long time. Out of all of them, I'd only feel sorry for Sub Shack should they suffer any negative.
Now if you older generations could get on the killing-applebees train, that would be great.
Plus, I'm sure Wawa will be paying their share in taxes. I believe the price tag for the land was $3M.
I know this too, some of us from South Jersey who live in the area now will definitely come into town for Wawa. That was a common bonding experience for those of us at Centenary from South Jersey.
YeahRight 
thehazguy 
Hipster Tomorrow at 8am it opens with opening ceremony at 10am. They are giving away free coffee
Was going to drive up from North Carolina for the Grand Opening but too much rain in the forecast.
darlughh 
Anom " . . . you older generations . . . " (lol) Define 'older generations'
love me some WaWa
Pork roll egg and cheese on a crispy toasted english muffin this morning. They made it fresh in the back. The employees were walking around with samples of sausage egg and cheese on a toasted croissant. Equally fabulous. Nice specials going on with their subs and fresh salads. Very nice place with friendly enthusiastic employees. I still like the Quick Check up by M&M's also.
Angela 
dodgebaal For Suze.....
"Went to a dance
Looking for romance
Saw WaWa Ann
So I thought I'd take a chance
WaWa Ann, take my hand
You've got me rockin' and a-rollin'
Rockin' and a reelin'
WaWa Ann
Wawa Wawa, WaWa Ann" The Musconetcong Beach Boys.
A Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese from a local bagel shop or deli will beat WaWa any day of the week. Support local businesses.
Whip I prefer Wawa coffee to Quick Chek's. Looking forward to getting free coffee. For good subs though I would still go to The Grove.
Wendy For the Semantics Police among us: Yes, WaWa is locally located but it is far from a Mom and Pop (“local”) business.
Shop local!
Waldo 
Jdem 
Forcefed4door Gas price is just a hook to get you to come by and wont last long. Take advantage while you can
TJS Went today. It's big and clean and the food options look great. Got my free coffee and they were handing out some free food samples too. I got a pre-made turkey and bacon salad and it was very fresh. The staff was nice and upbeat.
I'm still a QuickChek fan and their Extreme Caffeine coffee remains my go-to, but it's nice to have two options in the area and I could not get over the gas prices at Wawa. As for location, QuickChek is easier for me to get to, so they won't be losing me as a customer anytime soon. I can walk there.
SquirrelGirl Gas prices at other WaWa's are usually the lowest or close to it. I'm sure it will fluctuate but my guess from experience with their other locations is that they will be very competitive in that regard.
I agree the location is very good. Stopped by, it's a nice place, open 24 hrs, you can pre order sandwiches by app and pick up if on the run. Tie that with online payment and you are in and out quick, plus they have specials from time to time with the app.
Subs will never compare with a real deli if it is a good one. However, one can't overlook convenience. Americans like convenience. Quick, easy, fast many times beats quality.
The smaller places and fuel stations are going to lose business for sure.
Wawa is still a family owned company that is actually an esop with 42% of the company being owned by the associates while
The majority is owned by the founding Wood family.
You can always find something better out there but it’s a pretty good use for a blighted property that sat as an eyesore for 30 years
Huh Got a hoagie today to try out Wawa's
It was really gd. I like that there is an option to toast whole hoagie. Coffee was gd too.
Love Wawa, brings me back to my college days when they were all over Philly; heck they come from Wawa PA! Processed meats are carcinogenic so don't eat them everyday, but enjoy. Wawa and QC need to offer Top Tier gas which would only raise the price a few cents per gallon so detergent is added to the recommended levels by most automakers. The following are Top Tier, why not Wawa and QC?
76
ARCO
Aloha
Amoco
BP
Beacon
Break Time
Breakaway
CITGO
Cenex
Chevron
Conoco
Costco Wholesale
CountryMark
CountryMark PLUS
Diamond Shamrock
Express Mart
Exxon
Fast Fuel
HFN – Hawaii Fueling Network
Hele
Holiday
Irving Oil
Kirkland Signature Gasoline
Kwik Star
Kwik Trip
MFA
Marathon
Metro Petro
Mobil
Ohana Fuels
Phillips 66
QT
QuikTrip
Ranger
Ranger Fuel
Ranger Mustang
Ranger Stallion
Ranger Thoroughbred
Reeders
Road Ranger
Shamrock
Shell
Sinclair
Sunoco
SuperAmerica
SuperFuels
Texaco
Tobacco Outlet Plus Grocery
Tri-Par Oil, Inc.
Tri-Par Qwik Stop
Valero
Value America
WOW
Win Win
Updated: December 19, 2018
iJay I second the Top Tier reference. I would absolutely be there at least twice a week for Top Tier and the would subsequently get all the additional purchases. It does make a difference.
CraftBeerBob I don't know if this was already posted, forgive me if it was, they are giving out free coffee through Monday.
eperot @ eperot..We were going to go into Raceway today about noon and they were closed for some reason..So did go to WaWa and filled up there. At WaWa they also were offering all people getting gas to have a free coffee but we declined.
joyful Raceway is still cheaper.
Good to know that they are competitive.
Depending on my driving direction I will go to one or the other, whichever does not require crossing or changing directions.
$2.19 a gallon of gas. never thought i'd see that again!
The hot chocolate was flat w/ little chocolate in it, I hope they heard about that from any customer there. hogies are great, I had that at another WaWa a few week ago, but $6.00 vs. Quick Check's $3.00 for the special hoggies.
They're probably going to put the other few gas stations out of business with those great prices for gas!
Stopped by for gas around lunchtime today - place was very busy. Glad they have a side lot for parking as the Quick Check on 517 has limited parking in comparison.
And it already begins...yesterday while driving to work in the left lane headed toward Schooley's Mt. traffic in front of me came to a halt because someone was trying to turn left into Wawa. It's pretty obvious that the entrance is only meant for the opposite direction of traffic. I can see this being a constant problem.
Right. No turning lanes. Another left hand turn in traffic lane along that road. But hey, we put a lot of thought into no left hand turns out of there. Gonna be a problem. Just make no left hand turn there off of mountain ave. Force them to turn at the light. Poor planning.
How else are you supposed to get in? I went yesterday and got caught behind someone as well and thought to myself shouldn’t there be a turn lane? I waited until I was coming back from my shopping to go so I could turn in from the right and also so that I wouldn’t mind the right turn going out as I was heading that way.
RAS Sounds like there should be a sign to turn left at the light to enter behind Applebee’s
John C Maybe adjustments to the traffic pattern will be made after people get into enough accidents there.
3wbdwnj Probably inevitable that a NJ barrier will be installed at some point. If there was more room they could have 5 foot wide curbed barrier with landscaping.
Yup, because Americans cannot follow simple driving instructions. Give them a fine plus a MANDATORY class with a MANDATORY driving test to see if they finally learned something. If they are not capable of passing the test, pull the license.
"And it already begins...yesterday while driving to work in the left lane headed toward Schooley's Mt. traffic in front of me came to a halt because someone was trying to turn left into Wawa"
And while we are at it,
Do away with all of these PBA cards-what exactly is the purpose of these if our country is based on justice anyway? Are some animals more equal than others? How does that fit into the justice system?
"Yup, because Americans cannot follow simple driving instructions"
Is there actually a "No Left Turn" sign there? If there isn't, then you can't expect people not to make a left turn into Wawa. I've only driven by there twice, and didn't notice.
Rich I stopped in at about 11:30 this morning, for the first time. Had to drive around the parking lot 1 1/2 times, to get a parking space; others weren't even that lucky. I was going to use the coupon they sent, for a free breakfast sandwich, but learned they stop making breakfast at 11:00. I was going to get something else, but the checkout lines were VERY long, and only two registers were open, and the cashiers were obviously struggling. So, I walked out.
I drove down to Quick-Chek. No line at the deli or the cashier, and both employees knew what they were doing.
Kudos to WaWa, for becoming so popular, so fast. And I understand the store (and the employees) are new, and things will be a bit hectic, for a while. But personally, I don't see any reason to go back.
P.S. I certainly expect to hear of more than a few accidents, in from of WaWa!
JerseyWolf "It's pretty obvious that the entrance is only meant for the opposite direction of traffic."
"Is there actually a "No Left Turn" sign there? If there isn't, then you can't expect people not to make a left turn into Wawa."
2 different posters, one says it's obvious, the other says it's not.
Cannot be both.
DOT mistake? Would not be the first..
Went there about 11:45. Hot Chocolate instead of the Latte. The breakfast sandwiches are "Sizzli" not the ones that are made in the back. They're up by the check out and there were about 10 of them available. The bagel it was on was good but the cheese I didn't even really recognize. I would get a plain bagel but not one of the sandwiches.
When I pulled up there were two spots right in front available. It was really busy and the parking was scarce but not that bad. We were told to pay while waiting so everything was ready by the time it was paid for. There was only one person in front of me to pay. The people inside were really moving so the wait was not that bad. I don't frequent QC much either so this isn't a big deal for me. But I'd get gas here and stop in once in a while. I'm not switching away from Budd Lake Bagel, The Grove or Sub Shack where I get things now. But there's nothing wrong with Wawa.
Rich
There may not be a "No Left Turn" sign (yet), because people continuously make left turns into Safelite Glass, the other convenience store (Sunrise Deli?) and Budd Lake Bagel II, as they always have. The concrete entryway is meant to prevent people from doing that by the way it's formed, but the curbing isn't high on it.
That's just like the Quick Chek on Lakeside Blvd. in Hopatcong. Same type of divider and there's an earlier entry for those going towards town, but people miss it and drive into the exit that is supposed to be for those leaving the QC going away from town.
I think they both make those entry and exit-ways with low & gentle shoulders to keep from popping truck tires that can't negotiate the curve quite as easily.
Eperot
When I'm on my way to work, (normally between 6:15 - 6:45am) there's always been people that force the left lane to a halt because they're waiting to turn into one of the three businesses I noted above You think that's bad, just wait for that QC monstrosity... .
There definitely should be some kind of signing and a note on their website as to making a left at the light from Route 182 (as HPD's Nixle alert often calls it, rather than just Mountain Ave) to get in from that direction, so less people are inclined to make that error. Let's face it, often people just don't care and are likely to take the path of less resistance for themselves and not either safely turn back around further ahead and come back or just "skip the trip" and save it for later.
If some of you can complane of something so insignificant then you can be told that there are 2 lanes approacing that light now you know people are making a left use the other lane.
Roywhite 
Two weeks ago Jim L posted the "development" plan (see photo), it didn't have any entrance on Mountain Avenue, entrance and exit via existing taffic light. Would be interesting to hear how we got here.
As I understand it, It is legal to turn left into WaWa from Southbound Mountain Ave. The ONLY prohibited turn into or out of the WaWa is from the Wawa lot out to Southbound Mountain Ave. This turn must be completed using the light by Wendy's/Applebee's/Lowes.
I agree this will cause occasional backups on Southbound Mountain Ave, but all the other businesses in the entire stretch of Mountain Ave. (I think) already function this way, including the ability to turn left onto Southbound Mountain Ave. (With the exception of the rear Lowe's/Chase exit, and Rite Aid.
Kurt So, a little bit of a non sequitar but you’re not supposed to cross a double yellow line but there’s no way to get into the Quick Chek on 517 without crossing one unless you’re coming up from Bilby towards the store and make a right into the lot or coming up 517 from town. I can’t tell you how many times I’m trying to turn out of the lot directly into 517, and just when the traffic eases up some bozo wants to turn left into the lot instead of going to the light. There’s no legal way to turn left into the store!
Thank you, Ras. I was starting to question myself because I always thought that was the law but I started questioning myself after this thread because no one mentioned it
Nosila There should be a break in the lines for it to be legal. Like at the road that goes behind Fulton bank.
Most states allow turning left over a double yellow line to access a business or residence. New Jersey... Being what it is.... Seems to have a bit of a confusing statute that states you can not cross a double yellow line and it appears different law agencies and different courts may interpret it differently. Most see it as a restriction to pass another vehicle on the left by crossing the double yellow line and not intended to prevent left hand turns.
Acl76 Umm Ontherdge, the drawing I posted has an entrance on mountain ave and is what was built. It’s not a direct entrance to WAWA but it an entrance.
I was there on Saturday. You'd have thought people never saw a store with potato chips on a shelf before. Holy sea of humanity.
MYD “No tickets with PBA card. Ebay sells them.”
Wasn’t someone recently commenting that inequality is a good thing? ;-)
Just saw on the Warren County Safety site that there was a motor vehicle accident at Wawa.
Lonesome Dove Unless they put a "No Left Turn" sign there, then they can't really stop people from turning left into Wawa from southbound Mtn Ave. You can't use the double-yellow line rule for them, either, unless your going to do the same for all the other places on Mountain Ave, where people have always turned left over the double-yellow line.
I just drove through there and there is no opening in the double-yellow line to turn left (Going Northbound) into Berks, Friendly's, the Medical/Corporate buildings, KFC, Urgent Care, Raceway, McDonald's, etc, so they would have to start enforcing all left turns into those places as well.
Or, they can just put a "No Left Turn" sign in front of Wawa if they really don't want people turning there.
Calico696 All traffic patterns are approved by NJ DOT and this location would be no exception. The light by Applebee’s is definitely the best way in and out whenever a left turn is involved.
Went to WaWa for the first time yesterday... I like it. Love that it has entry from both sides (for those heading south on 517/Mt.Ave. and not getting gas)
It looks like all the construction behind isn't finished? It looks like they will be putting in a new "bypass" to get out of the lot to get back to the light? (instead of having to drive through the back lot again?
It'll be interesting to see how this impacts Quik Check.
Thanks JR, yes the developer, Town Engineer, Town Planner and Planning Board all did a good job in designing the site the best way possible. Total process was well over a year starting with a development plan for the site. The Bypass will be completed when the apartments get built, which is on hold for the time being. It's meant more as an entrance/exit for the apartments then it is as a bypass for WaWa customers although it will improve their exiting as well. I believe WaWa just still needs to add some landscaping which they will do in the spring.
"the developer, Town Engineer, Town Planner and Planning Board all did a good job in designing the site the best way possible."
No love for the site engineer who actually DID the design? Pffft... (-;
The design is great and it's nice to see a store/gas station built there. Waste of land space for many years.
And who can complain about fuel at $2.15 a gallon again? I would love to see it at $1.99 a gallon - will it happen?
"No love for the site engineer who actually DID the design? Pffft... (-;"
sorry ianimal that's who I meant by developer. :)
Hackresident - one of my high school classmates posted pictures of his holiday trip home to NJ a couple weeks ago and one of the pictures was a gas sign that said $1.97 (presumably in Vernon).
MB Gas would be well below a $1.00 these days if it weren't for all the tax in it. How much was the recent addition to the gas tax to allow for all the smooth as glass roads we drive on?
Jono Diesel 1/13/2019
Wawa and Raceway $2.99
Speedway and Delta $2.85
Guess the Wawa honeymoon is over.
LDJ So Wawa prices spiked and then dropped. I wonder if they went "hey, lots of traffic, let's raise prices." A day later "hey, where did everyone go?" Back to "maybe we should drop the prices?"
Very strange. It's one thing to see gas prices fluctuate, but at that rate? Really weird.
IncognitoinHtown 
It's terrific we have these low prices. That EXXON in Chester is a real mystery, $3.79 cash for regular today.
"That EXXON in Chester is a real mystery, $3.79 cash for regular today."
and people actually pay it. baffles the hell out of me.
Gas prices should remain at or near these levels unless something really bad happens or until the spring/summer driving season kicks in. Then watch out.
I think that WaWa should have a table or two for one to sat down and drink the coffee like QC has.
That was asked at the planning board meeting when WaWa was presenting their store layout. They said they don’t do that in most of their stores. Don’t know why, it would make sense to have tables
I think the only QC that has any tables is the one on Main Street. Don't think the one on 517 or Mountain Ave have them but I may be wrong.
Typically, if you serve food and have seating, every three seats adds a parking space that you need to provide. Space is usually at a premium and the additional parking requirements are site prohibitive.
JL Robbed by some employees.
http://wrnjradio.com/news/2019/two-wawa-employees-charged-with-theft/
The article states that one of the employees charged is from Brooklyn. That's a hefty commute I tell ya.
"That's a hefty commute I tell ya."
Maybe a student at Centenary?
I actually like the charges... "theft by unlawful taking".
Perhaps taxes are theft by lawful taking?
Mark Mc. Be careful what you wished for because now it's here to stay. Just scroll back a few months and read all the posts from those who couldn't wait for Wawa to open. They were thrilled that Hackettstown was finally getting a 24 hour gas station in town with cheap? prices along coffee and sandwiches. I personally found a way to survive without having to fill my car at 3am in the morning. The "cheap" gas lasted 2 weeks before the local stations had cheaper prices. I don't need 27 different flavored coffees, a breakfast sandwich that was made 3 hours ago or a so called sub that amounts to 3 slices of cold cuts on a cardboard roll. There are so many better places in town. I will always stick to the local Mom and Pop businesses. I know that the person who waits on my doesn't live in Brooklyn and wouldn't steal a penny because their family owns the place. Enjoy the "progress" that big business has brought to town.
Hey Raisin.
How’s the view from your high horse?
How about everyone enjoy the ratable that was put on a dilapidated piece of property that was vacant on a commercial stretch for 30 years.
What an absolute stupid post. First of all you didn’t realize that the other gas stations lower their prices to compete with Wawa? So thank you WaWa for making the other gas stations lower their prices. Second. There are plenty of mom and pop stores that hire 19yr old college kids to work at their stores. It’s not like this kid was commuting from Brooklyn every day and it’s not like other stores in town wouldn’t hire non family members to work for them. Absolutely ridiculous post.
Reggie Voter Wawa is in Hackettstown. If it was further down on Mountain Ave by the golf course it would cross over to Washington Township (Morris County) and not Mansfield.
I like the wawa, finally went there a few weeks ago for the first time...although I do see people making illegal lefts out of wawa onto mountain ave ALL the time......so note to the planning board...the whole "but there will be a illegal turn sign" thing does not work worth a damn!
I did notice the rear exit into lowes is a bit confusing and not well marked. If it was not for knowing the plans from attending the meeting, I would have not known there was a rear exit. I have actually had friends from other towns ask me how to get out of wawa and go left legally and I have had to tell them there is a rear exit.
I agree with Darrin for once - the entrance/exits could have been done better.
Every time I'm there, I have seen and heard people saying how much they love Wawa. Parking is sometimes difficult as most spaces are taken up.
Wawa's sandwiches are great, and the people there have been very nice. They're gas prices are cheap to reasonable.
I have been to a lot of wawas and have never seen a cafe/seating. Just eat in your car like the rest of us!
Laws are put in place and then people need to obey them. It seems pretty simple to me. And as far as it being confusing using the rear entrance/exit, you must be half blind not to be able to see where to go. Obviously, a lot of people are using the store so I guess they are not having any problems getting in and out. Maybe just once Darrin, see some positives in a town that you don't even live in anymore!
The Wawa's in Florida have outdoor seating. I almost changed my daughter's diaper on the table because their bathrooms don't have changing tables, but I didn't.
Smilingbecs I don't know if it's been posted yes as I didnt read this whole thread, but Wawa's air is free............not that I mind having to pay 50 or 75 cents, but just the other day I was very low in one tire and didnt have a dime on me.........so it was VERY nice seeing they were free.
littlelu "......so note to the planning board...the whole "but there will be a illegal turn sign" thing does not work worth a damn!"
Darrin I too have noticed cars turning left out of Wawa onto Mountain Ave but I will tell you what was built was slightly different then what was approved by the planning board. We had a nice thick, raised curb angled at the exit that would have really prevented cars from making a left without jumping the curb. However, because the DOT has to approve all exits on entrances onto state roads, they for some reason changed the raised curb to a painted curb. Which is useless as cars can just drive over the painted curb.
I brought this up at last night's Land Use board meeting, and our engineer will reach out to the DOT to see if they can come back and revisit it. But we at the local level design the site as close to perfect as we could, but like most things, when it gets to the state level it got mess it up.
"But we at the local level design the site as close to perfect as we could, but like most things, when it gets to the state level it got mess it up."
Doesn't surprise me one bit.
And as for the back entrance it is pretty clearly visible. the project is also not complete as there will be a loop road going around the back once the apartments get build. Then there will be signs that says Mountain Ave N "this way" Mountain Ave S "that way". I can't make arrow signs on this so "this way" and "that way" are arrows not words lol
Jim L - You do understand this means people will have to actually know which way is north and which way is south. Good luck with that. ;-)
I like the back entrance to both the lot and the store. If you just want to pick up a sandwich, easy to park in back and pop in, avoid all the of the traffic around the gas pumps.
I can see where people making a left out of there by Applebees to head toward the light might accidentally turn too early and end up on the wrong side of the divider though. Just have to get used to the wide turn.
Thanks for the info Jim.
As for the second part, I agree with you....during the day...but go there at night (like I did for the first time) and pretend like you haven't been there before....good luck knowing there is a back exit. Good to know there eventually will be signage.
Anyone know what they are going to do with the property behind the new WAWA?
Billyjoejimbob 
Drew Never assume.
There is an approved site plan. The developer came back with some change requests to the design and will be back at a Land Use Board meeting this spring. There are deadlines in the site plan that the developer must meet so it will be built sooner rather than later.
What about the traffic problems that will only worsen in that area? What is the plan there?
There's never a plan for that. Just look at the 4 corner intersection. don't forget the schools re-aligned due to a bad line move a few years ago. So now traffic will increase as more and more parents will need to cross back and forth through town. A town which wasn't conceived much past horse and buggy days apparently.
3 square miles to manage and it's FUBAR.
There is a No Left Turn sign as you pull out of WaWa onto Mountain Avenue. You really can't miss it unless you are blind lol.
Got a sub for the first time at this location and they left of the Tomatoes? Not impressed at all other than it appears clean. I will give them another try in a month or so but my memories of Wawa subs of the past might just be that...
John C, it's not about people missing the sign, it's about people completely disregarding it. There's a shopping center near my office that has an exit onto a side road with a no left turn. People make that left turn ALL.THE.TIME. They just dgaf about the sign, it's about what is easier and more convenient for them to do.
Maybe they should put a cop there just to ticket people making the left out of there. Some more money for the town coffers at least!
In the morning tho, the times I have seen cars making the left out of there, they then go to the Heath Village construction site.
thomasnj Proof that we can no longer design sites around "signage" because, much like "rules" in other projects, people just do not follow them!
i haven’t seen anyone turn out of there illegally yet, but we no longer go to that wawa for gas because the three times we did the attendant spilled gas on the car.... three times, same person = ridiculous. then we had to go pay for a car wash and the car still smelled in the garage. wonder if anyone else had that issue since the place is always packed and i have to imagine ours wasn’t the only car.
The illegal left hand turn has gotten out of control. They are now pulling out and turning into Autozone making the illegal u turn almost hitting people in the parking lot. I heard the other day that one of the Autozone’s employees cars was hit and the person just left the scene the police said that they are ramping up patrols in the area
Voice of the valley Definitely glad to hear they are upping the patrols in the area, the only problem is if people see a cop, they won't make the illegal turn. If they don't see the cop, then all bets are off.
They need to come up with a better and more permanent solution. Maybe that all traffic that exits has to go out to the light instead? That whole street is a disaster.
I wouldn't necessarily deem the whole area a disaster by any stretch.It is simply a busy area. I have noted that on occasion there have been some folks making the left onto Mountain Ave even though it is forbidden. In time folks will settle into the new, expected legal traffic patterns in the area. Perhaps some additional, duplicate signage at the exit there will garner more attention as well as strongly indicate the zero tolerance of the restriction. Obviously a single sign and some lane markings on the road are not sufficient. A double set of signs like the one in the photo at that exit will help remedy the issue I believe.
Like many suburban planners, our "golden mile" is a hodge-podge of stick built stores, small malls, and big box stores. For the most part, each has it's own exit and entrances with very little effort to flow traffic from major arteries only. You can count how many entrances/exits in a few block area, it's a lot. In the "newer" designs like on Rt57, one or two exits, often by light, per 10-20 stores. Much better flow.
So, forcing all Wawa-ers to use the back exit makes sense to me, seems safer for sure.
As new places develop, town planners would be advised to better aggregate traffic to off-road with consolidated major entrance/exits. Skip the one store, one entrance/exit strategy. For example, funnel everything on the WaWa side through the two mall exits all the way up to the corner (or as close as physically possible. Make the Chase/Lowes alley easy to use. Put lights in for both entrances.
The other side is more difficult, but with long range planning...…..progress still might be made there too.
Suze yeah our BID is on top of their game. check cashing, cash for gold, and now more ghetto apartments. meanwhile the town infrastructure worsens as do the schools. No one in town government talks to each other. they just take the money and make stupid decisions because they have our money.
Good job all good job.
The BID has nothing to do with this. They don’t control what businesses move in. Also apartments have nothing to do with the BID. Also they are not ghetto apartments or low income apartments. A small percentage will be affordable as is the law in NJ.
These apartments have been in the works for well over a decade now. They are finally (maybe) ready to move forward on them. The school system has know about them for years and included them in their strategic planning over the years.
Not sure I understand your question. If they are moving into an existing building with no construction then they don’t need approval.
If they are building a new building then their site plan needs to be approved by the Land Use Board.
You answered my question. Thank you. I’m sorry I misspoke re: the BID.
I do wish that the Land Use Board would consider the overcrowding of our roads and loss of rural atmosphere when they approve all these housing developments especially multiple dwelling units.
I think the key to this is the master plan and zoning regulations. Isn’t that where it is first decided what can be developed there?
I agree the apts have been in the works for awhile. Nice, low rent or whatever, the are higher density developments which means more people, more infrastructure, more problems.
Jim’s assessment that everyone knows and plans, frankly, is naive. It assumes that all estimates and forecasts are correct; that no one has lied, and that competent people are involved everywhere in the process. Bull.
Worse yet; does anyone measure and correct based on changes from plan? Even worse yet, is there any penalty for being wrong? For lying? Would anyone even know what the original plans were much less who wad responsible.
Hypothetical: they estimate 100 kids. Schools plan for ninety, just to keep costs down. Plus, the ten extra kids would require building expansion so better to play it safe. 120 kids show up on the first day of school. Uh oh. Plus, would anyone even see them coming in time to react?
Estimates are guesses that often turn into messes.
Personally Jim, I like mixed development and feel we have enough higher density.
Hey at lest we’re not in Flanders where is new one is going in across from the after at the old garden center
If a development meets the zoning ordinance there’s not much the Land Use Board can do to deny the site plan. We work with the developer to design the site they best we can.
There’s 2 ways to stop over development, change zoning ordinances or have the town buy vacant lots to keep them open space. Other than that if a developer wants to build on their land and meets the ordinances then you can’t just say no.
And as for the WaWa/ apartments when it was originally proposed it was 3 apartment buildings and no retail. The town did a redevelopment plan and made it mixed use which lowered it to 2 apartment buildings and a gas station. So the number of apartments went down then was originally proposed.
No matter what about the traffic we should all be happy Wawa picked Hackettstown it created I would think 20-30 jobs. I’m 30 and that land has been empty my whole life glad to see something there. Now let’s fill the compac building and maybe put something in front of the office medical building that has been empty forever as well.
Don -
With all of your keen insights on what happens in this town, you should volunteer for one of the Boards or better yet run for Council or Mayor.
Then you could straighten everything out.
Simple.
Where would the entrances be for those apartments?
Are they going to use the same small back road that is the back exit to WAWA into the parking lot area or are they going to have their own entrance?
Where is the traffic flow for those buildings going and what capacity are we talking about? Four Apartments to a building or thirty?
I'm just curious about the planning for the apartments.
Guilty-Remnant Just had the Wawa Gobbler - Turkey, Mashed potatoes, Stuffing and Gravy on a sub - didn't do the Cranberry juice. Ive enjoyed many sandwiches but has to be in the top 5 maybe 3. Messy but awesome!
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