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Commission flags Wash King car-wash sign plan over easement, sight lines and light pollution
Summary
At its Jan. 5 meeting the commission reviewed a site plan for a new Wash King car wash at 1463 Route 27 that requests a sign setback variance because a sewage-authority easement blocks the required area. Members raised concerns about sight lines, sign height and internally lit LED cabinets and recommended comments on light pollution and visibility.
The Franklin Township Environmental Commission reviewed a site plan for a proposed Wash King car-wash at 1463 Route 27 on Jan. 5 and raised environmental and safety-related concerns about a requested sign variance.
Staff presented the application: the applicant seeks a variance to place a free‑standing pole sign within about 9½ feet of the road, citing a Franklin Township Sewage Authority easement that prevents placing the sign at the standard 20-foot setback. The commission examined mapping and footings and discussed whether the sewage-authority easement leaves any practical site for an effective, visible sign.
Members asked about the sign’s size and height (drawings indicated a sign roughly 20 feet tall). They noted the sign would be internally illuminated with LED cabinets and suggested the commission’s review comment address light pollution and aesthetics as well as possible sight-line or visibility hazards for drivers entering Sinclair Boulevard and Route 27.
Commissioners observed that planning and engineering reviews would assess setback, footing, sight distance and any state transportation permits for a large roadside sign on a state highway, and they agreed to include environmental comments about light pollution and aesthetics while deferring technical height and setback determinations to planning and engineering staff.
No formal approval or denial of the site plan was issued by the commission at the meeting; the commission recorded its environmental review comments for the zoning/planning board process, including a recommendation to consider light-pollution mitigation and to coordinate with the Franklin Township Sewage Authority regarding easement constraints.
