Planning board approves Walmart seasonal shipping‑container storage with conditions

The Hampton Township Planning Board on March 19 approved Wal‑Mart Real Estate Business Trust’s request to seasonally store shipping (sea) containers in the parking lot at 26 Hampton House Road to help meet holiday inventory needs.

The board granted the minor site plan and variance relief after hearing testimony from the applicant’s attorneys and engineers, traffic and planning experts and the store manager. The decision allows containers on site from October 1 through January 7, with all containers removed by January 7; a maximum of 30 containers was required as a condition of the approval. The motion passed on a recorded roll call vote, 6–2.

Why it matters: The applicant sought four variances, including reducing available parking and exceeding a 45‑day limit on container presence in township code. Board members balanced the applicant’s operational needs to stock the store for the holiday season against pedestrian and vehicle safety, emergency access, and neighborhood impacts.

What the board heard: Attorney Tom Letizia said the sea boxes would store non‑hazardous, non‑perishable merchandise only and would be used seasonally. Civil engineer Alexander Lomei (Bohler Engineering) testified the containers measure roughly 8 feet wide by 40 feet long by 8.5 feet high, would be sited in a single line on the northwest corner of the lot with doors facing a drive aisle, and that the applicant planned to use forklifts and staff carts to transfer goods into the store. Gabriel Diaz, Walmart store manager, said supply deliveries typically arrive once per day during the season and that the sea boxes arrive empty and are filled at the store.

Traffic and planning evidence: Traffic engineer David Fahim presented parking counts and an Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) calculation that estimated peak holiday demand at about 370 spaces; with the approved configuration the lot will retain about 462 spaces, he said. Planner Matthew Flynn testified that a C2 variance is appropriate in this case because the 92‑day seasonal need (later modified to Oct.1–Jan.7) helps the store serve increased community demand and does not increase impervious coverage.

Conditions and safeguards: The board required several conditions intended to reduce safety and aesthetic concerns: limit containers to 30, install temporary perimeter fencing, add a camera to the nearest light pole to monitor the container area, require containers be in similar neutral colors and in good condition, and set removal by January 7. Applicant witnesses agreed to a plan showing a single line of containers and to fencing and camera installation; Engineer Simmons confirmed lighting for the area would remain unchanged.

Board concerns and dissent: Some members, including Daniel Gurick, questioned whether the operation would effectively become a temporary logistics area in a customer parking field and pressed on pedestrian/forklift interactions and truck staging. Others emphasized that moving containers away from pickup and high‑pedestrian areas and adding monitoring would mitigate the principal safety concerns. Two members voted against approval.

What happens next: The applicant must meet the stated conditions (camera, fencing, container color/condition, and removal deadline). The board’s memorialized resolution will record the vote and the attached conditions.