Oldbridge Planning Board hears presentation for proposed 518,000‑sq‑ft warehouse at 554 Waterworks Road

The Oldbridge Township Planning Board on March 26, 2026 heard an initial presentation from applicant HB Warehousing LLC and its development partner Stonemont Financial Group for a proposed 518,542‑square‑foot warehouse at 554 Waterworks Road.

Applicant counsel Larry Cali told the board the parcel comprises three lots in block 6303 and lies mostly within the township’s Waterworks Road 2 redevelopment area, adding that the warehouse use is allowed under the redevelopment plan. He said lot 9 will be the primary site for the building and that the project follows a recent zoning‑board adjustment that refined lot lines.

Operations witness Brian Danahy, sworn for the record, described Stonemont’s regional experience and the speculative nature of the development. "Because this is a speculative development ... the approximate number of employees ... is unknown, but we expect that could be up to hundreds," Danahy said, noting operations could run up to seven days and across potential three shifts and that the team plans rooftop solar and compliance with municipal, county, state and federal regulations for noise and emissions.

Project engineer Joshua Weary (Dynamic Engineering) introduced two exhibits: A1 (aerial map) and A2 (site plan rendering). He said the overall site is about 83.41 acres across three lots, with wetlands and a tributary on the eastern and southern parcels. Weary noted that portions of the property—identified in the record as remnants of a former CPS chemical facility and the Oldbridge Minerals site—are listed for EPA remediation as Superfund sites and that remediation work and monitoring are ongoing.

At a high level, the applicant described circulation and capacity: a new full‑movement driveway on Waterworks Road, a 30–40‑foot internal loop road, 379 parking spaces (including nine ADA and 18 EV make‑ready stalls), roughly 86 loading docks, 57 trailer storage spaces, and 19,286 square feet of office area within the building. The team said those counts comply with the redevelopment‑plan thresholds the board applies for parking, floor‑area ratio and building height (45 feet proposed and permitted).

Opponents’ counsel Priscilla Shoendorf, representing several nearby residents, objected to proceeding without more time to prepare expert review. "I was only formally engaged on March 22nd, 2026," Shoendorf told the board, asking for an adjournment to allow meaningful analysis and expert work; she said her clients retained counsel only days before the hearing.

Several neighbors used their limited opportunity for questions of the witness to tell the board they had not received notices of a pre‑application neighborhood meeting or had received the invitation late. "I am one of those people within the 200‑ft notice and I never received such a letter," said Hardik Bhat. Bina (as introduced for the record) said she received notice a week late.

Board members and counsel clarified process and timing: the applicant said it would address the township professionals’ review memo and return with supplemental testimony; the board indicated cross‑examination by objectors and full public questioning will be allowed when the applicant resumes and completes testimony. The panel set a continuation of the hearing for June 25, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. in the same room unless a special meeting is scheduled earlier.

What happens next: the applicant told the board it will review and respond to the township professionals’ memo and submit any material plan changes at least 10 days before the next hearing to allow public review. The board also recorded routine procedural votes earlier in the meeting (approval of minutes and a resolution for a separate application).

Why it matters: the site is in a redevelopment zone where warehouse development is a permitted municipal objective; nearby residents and their attorneys pressed for additional review time, clearer outreach and assurances about environmental protections given the proximity of declared Superfund parcels and wetlands. The planning board’s next public hearing on this application is scheduled for June 25, 2026; the applicant said it expects to return with additional witnesses and plan revisions.