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Planning board approves Bottle King façade and signage variances, defers freestanding pylon decision
Summary
The Springfield Township Planning Board approved most variances for a Bottle King at the former Sam Ash site — including canopy, side sign height and limited facade graphics — with conditions on landscaping, parking, loading and generator testing; the freestanding pylon panel was deferred to April 10 for coordinated design with the landlord and Staples.
The Springfield Township Planning Board on the evening under review granted most of the variances requested by Springfield Bottle King LLC for a new store at the former Sam Ash site at Route 22, while deferring a decision on the property’s freestanding pylon sign.
Richard Stewart, attorney for the applicant, called architect Howard Cooper Smith and planner‑engineer Joseph Spron to describe exterior changes that include a projecting canopy with concrete columns, a tubular‑aluminum truss for the Bottle King sign, new storefront openings and two rear loading bays. Cooper Smith, testifying as an architect, said the canopy and signage are standard Bottle King elements and do not increase interior floor area. Joseph Spron, a planner and engineer with Dynamic Engineering, told the board the project meets the aggregate 10% sign‑area limit and that the side corner sign would be visible to eastbound traffic on Route 22 — justification for variances on sign location and the stacked lettering that increases sign height.
Board members focused on operational and safety conditions. Mayor Huber and several members said all deliveries should occur at the rear of the building once the proposed loading docks are completed to avoid blocking the parking lot and interfering with Staples’ access. The board also required a landscaping plan that addresses the utility transformer and adds greener, softer edges to reduce impervious coverage, and it asked the applicant to repair potholes and restripe the lot before a certificate of occupancy is issued.
The board attached additional conditions: generator testing hours and a schedule to be submitted for municipal approval, a provision that some parking spaces be restriped or reconfigured to ensure safe circulation, and detail on shopping‑cart storage so carts cannot roll into Route 22. The board agreed that any future addition of a second loading dock would require review by the township’s technical review committee and likely return to staff or the board for approval.
Members expressed concern about sign clutter on the existing three‑panel pylon that serves multiple tenants. Andreas Corz, representing the applicant’s retail operator, said the stacked Bottle King sign is part of their branding; several board members objected to leaving a vacant or “blank” pylon panel and urged the applicant and landlord to present a more cohesive pylon design. The board voted to approve all requested variances except for the pylon/freestanding sign panel, which it deferred to the April 10 meeting so the applicant could coordinate with Staples and the landlord and present an improved design.
Chair Tiger called the roll and recorded a majority vote in favor of the conditional approvals. The board instructed staff to draft the standard resolution recording those conditions, with the pylon sign to be addressed separately on April 10.
The board’s action authorizes the applicant to proceed with facade and site improvements subject to the stated conditions; the freestanding sign remains under review.
