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Berkeley Heights board denies expanded hours, diesel sales and store conversion at 713 Planefield Avenue
Summary
After an hour-plus public-comment session on May 28, 2026, the board denied the applicant’s requests to expand operating hours, add diesel fuel sales, and convert an existing garage into a convenience store at 713 Planefield Avenue, citing neighborhood safety and traffic concerns raised by residents.
The Berkeley Heights board voted on May 28, 2026 to deny three parts of an application for 713 Planefield Avenue — expansion of operating hours, conversion of an underground tank to permit diesel sales, and conversion of a three-bay garage into a convenience store — following extensive public comment about traffic, safety and neighborhood impacts.
Residents described repeated near-misses and a pattern of accidents near the station, submitted photographs and a multi-year compendium of crash reports, and warned that longer hours and diesel service would bring larger vehicles and more congestion into a residential area. Chris House, a nearby resident, asked the board, “Why would we expand commercial operations in a residential area?” and urged members to consider impacts on children and nearby backyards.
The applicant’s representatives defended the proposal. An attorney for the applicant told the board that the police department had reviewed the site and “indicated that they have no concerns regarding the ingress and egress” and said the project team had presented traffic-engineering and planning testimony addressing the board’s professionals’ comments. The representative also described the proposal as a modest rehabilitation of a long-standing gas station, noting the site’s use dating back decades.
Board members considered three separate votes. On hours, the board denied the applicant’s request to expand from the existing hours (stated in the hearing as 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.) to the requested hours (reported in the hearing as 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.). The board then voted to deny the request to convert a 5,000‑gallon underground storage tank to allow diesel fuel service intended for light commercial vehicles. Finally, the board denied the application to convert the existing garage into a mini‑market convenience store. Each motion passed on a roll-call vote recorded in the hearing as unanimous (motion recorded as carrying 7–0).
Neighbors emphasized pedestrian safety and blocked sidewalks, saying trucks sometimes extend into the sidewalk and create hazards for schoolchildren, strollers and people walking dogs. Several speakers submitted photos and accident reports spanning 2022–2026 and pointed to online listings that showed different advertised hours for the existing station. One resident said a Bitcoin kiosk and an inventory heavy in beverages and tobacco suggested the store would not provide routine household staples that would benefit nearby families.
The applicant’s attorney challenged the evidentiary value of some submitted photographs, questioned whether any of the documented crashes were attributable to site design, and reiterated that the applicant’s traffic engineer, planner and architect testified that the proposed work met applicable standards and that the town’s professionals raised no unresolved objections in their testimony.
After the votes the board closed the public-comment portion of the hearing and concluded the evening’s business. The board also discussed scheduling and asked that the zoning officer attend a future meeting to clarify how building height will be measured; that item was postponed for later discussion.
The denial preserves the site’s current operations and hours while the applicant may pursue future revisions or return with modified proposals.
