Planning board clears Chase Bank site plan at 1180 Raritan Road, grants signage and parking variances

The Clark Township Planning Board approved a site plan on Feb. 6 for a new Chase Bank at 1180 Raritan Road, a redevelopment of part of the existing shopping center that will replace parking with a roughly 3,368‑square‑foot branch and associated site improvements.

Applicant representative Stephen Hale said the bank will include a 24‑hour lobby ATM, a drive‑up ATM with night‑deposit capability, community financial‑advising services and a typical staffing pattern of four to five employees on a typical day (up to eight to 10 at maximum staffing). The proposed building includes architectural detailing, landscape buffering, lighting and on‑site pedestrian connections.

Why it matters: The proposal converts a portion of a large surface parking area into an active commercial building at a highly visible intersection. The board granted relief from the township’s parking table, impervious‑coverage caps and the limit on the number of building signs; testimony and engineering evidence were the basis for the board’s…