Sparta board hears detailed engineering, carries 76,500‑sq‑ft rail‑dependent warehouse to Nov. 5

Sparta Township Planning Board members on Sept. 17 heard more than three hours of testimony about a proposed 76,500‑square‑foot rail‑dependent warehouse on Aaron Way and agreed to carry the application to Nov. 5, 2025 for additional testimony from traffic and architectural professionals.

The applicant, Sparta Holdings LLC, represented by attorney David Gray of Gray Law Group, requested preliminary site plan approval for two lots (block 16001, lots 16 and 17) and a rail siding adjacent to the New York Susquehanna and Western Railway. “We designed it that way to fall within the definition of a warehouse specifically with respect to the number of dock doors,” Gray said, noting the tenant is not yet identified and that tenant hours and time‑place‑and‑manner conditions would return to the board for review.

Owner Thomas Schoonmaker testified that the project site is about 7.66 acres at the end of Aaron Way and that he has coordinated with the railroad about potential tenants. “If we were to get approved, I would go to the railroad and they have many many people that look all the time,” Schoonmaker said, describing marketing outreach through the railroad’s networks.

Board‑retained engineer Owen Dystra (Dystra Associates) described Exhibit A1, noting the building’s nine elevated loading dock doors, two at‑grade doors and a rail‑adjacent loading area that can hold about five rail cars. He said there will be no outdoor storage, the building includes roughly 2,000 sq ft of office space, and the site plan provides 138 parking stalls with an option to “bank” additional stalls to reduce impervious coverage now and add them later if needed.

Board engineer Simmons and other reviewers flagged outstanding technical items the board must resolve before final approval. Those included confirmation of easements and approvals needed to connect utilities and storm drainage to the township’s regional detention basin; the recorded water‑main easement that may run beneath the proposed siding; a mapping and mitigation plan for the Germany Flats wellhead protection area; and a detailed stormwater/impervious‑coverage analysis that could affect whether a variance is required.

Simmons recommended that any approval be conditioned on resolving water and storm‑drain easements (including any necessary municipal approvals), county health approval of septic, fire‑official signoffs and final as‑built surveys. Dystra testified the design includes porous pavers in the employee parking field and a suite of lighting controls; he supported a condition banning hazardous materials storage on site given the wellhead protection overlay.

Several board members and residents pressed for specifics about operational intensity. Board members asked how many truck trips versus rail deliveries would be expected, how long goods would remain on site, and whether overnight loading or lighting would affect nearby residents. Brian Inendola of Neglia Group, the traffic‑engineering consultant on the record, noted typical rail deliveries often occur overnight, which can create night‑hour activity at the siding even if truck movements are concentrated during daytime hours.

Members sought clarity about one raised platform on the north side of the building that some viewed as an additional loading area; the applicant agreed to add a railing and to clarify the element so it would not meet the township’s dock‑door definition and change the use classification. The board also discussed parking calculations and EV charging credits; applicant and engineer agreed to work with township staff on final numbers and any necessary waivers.

Several members of the public asked about rail noise and trains standing nearby, and raised concerns about PFAS levels in the Germany Flats aquifer and how site runoff and porous pavement interact with wellhead protection. Board counsel agreed to research the extent to which railroad operations and timing might be preempted by federal or state regulation and to report back.

The board voted to carry the Sparta Holdings LLC hearing without new notice to Nov. 5, 2025 to allow the traffic engineer and the architect to present and to give board professionals time to review outstanding engineering items. Any tenant‑specific conditions (hours of operation, special traffic routing, generator or HVAC details) were left for future hearings.

What’s next: The applicant will provide additional engineering detail (final stormwater impervious calculations and any easement language), the board will expect traffic‑engineering testimony about truck trip generation and routing, and counsel will report on railroad regulatory preemption. The board’s next opportunity to hear the application is Nov. 5, 2025.