Parking Lot Improvements Planned for Route 37 Liquor Store
Monaghan's Liquors parking lot and building will see "substantial" improvements
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The unmarked "sea of asphalt" that is the Monaghan's Liquors parking lot was approved for upgrades including delineated spaces and curbing by Toms River's Planning Board last week.
Currently, the parking lot has no curbing, enabling uncontrolled vehicle access to the 1258 Route 37 property from the state highway and River Drive. The new plan is to restrict Route 37 access to an entrance only and have traffic exit on River, which will also have another entrance. Once on River, traffic will be able to connect with Route 37.
"The free for all at Monaghan's is about to come to an end," said attorney Harvey York, representing applicant 120 Exchange, LLC. "You kind of just pulled in and pulled out however you want. This plan represents a substantial revision."
The plan also calls for 19 marked parking spaces in the store's lot. Currently, "you park where ever you want," applicant engineer Millis Looney said.
Additional street parking is available on River Drive, complying with the required 22 spaces. Curbing will be installed on Route 37; some curbs already exist along River Drive and areas with missing curbing will be filled in, Looney said.
Township engineer Jay Lynch and board members welcomed the plan.
"It's an improvement to an existing difficult condition. It's an upgrade," Lynch said.
"From a safety aspect, the organized parking is a much needed improvement to that site," said board member Maria Maruca.
A 3,400 square foot addition to the store and landscaping improvements are also in the plan, according to the application. The application has been before the board previously, but the state Department of Transportation requested the changes that came before planners last week.
"For the first time, people will have driveway access to the building," said York, who referred to the uncontrolled lot as "sea of asphalt."
Property manager Donato D'Onofrio said it is unclear when work on the site will begin as other factors including securing the cooperation of neighbors must be dealt with.
"It's something that needed to be done," he said.
Bryan
6:49 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
This is major issue? Now you just cant have cars parking anywhere god forbid.
Shelly
7:47 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
Why is there such a big deal being made over paving this parking lot??????
mjmjr
8:42 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
THIS TOWN IS IN BAD SHAPE IF THEY THINK THIS IS A MAJOR BIG DEAL,PLANNING BOARD SHOULD ALL BE FIRED EVEN SAYING SOMETHING SO STUPID..
butch cassidy
9:05 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
cracking me up they pass this and the bubble but not the jersey mikes or chipoltle grill guess alot of drinking very important in this town...
barbara
9:51 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
Any improvement to this area is welcomed.
jaime
10:26 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
with all the problems in the town this is what you're worried about this is a f$#@ING joke
bassintime
10:34 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
This parking lot was a disaster waiting to happen. The planning board should of flagged this situation years ago before a fataitly accured. But that's TR for ya. Atleast someone is finally opening there eyes to the mess. and please stop it with the jersey mikes and chipoltle grill.... fatty....lol.
bassintime
10:41 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
please give me a break.... Maria Maruca.... what has she ever done or suggested to improve this town. nothing!!!!
George M. Lobman
10:55 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
The old days of gravel parking lots and open entrances are all coming to an end. This site and several other have been waiting for the request for improvements for years in order to get the curb upgrades. The town cannot demand because of grandfather laws and now with an application the improvements can be requested and optained. Planning Board has always been a good one in Toms River no matter who sat on it. The laws sometimes slow things down but eventually the area's in need will develope and improve.
Martin
5:19 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
It's time for TR to DEMAND clean-up of Rt. 37 ("the eyesore to the shore") and other places where absentee landlords allow dilapidated bldgs. to exist for years and years. Code enforcement is long overdue. Stop pampering those political campaign donors and make them clean up their act. No reputable large store chain or business would move into the pig-sty that TR has become.
bassintime
11:19 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
@politically correct George... I've lived in this town for 25 years now and have seen little or no improvements. Grandfather laws my a@#. The planning board has the responsibility to make the township a safe place to live. Not leaving it up to or when the owner decides to make an improvement and apply. Always an excuse why not to move forward and develope. Obviously you've been living in the TR time warp for way too long.
I have spoken
2:59 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Who cares...This is such a NON-ISSUE!
BN
3:08 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Nobody was forced to click on the link to this article. STFU you pathetic losers!
VoiceofReason
10:11 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Haha I love it.
Edward
11:28 am on Saturday, January 5, 2013
The traffic on River Dr.is bad because everyone trys to beat the jughandle on 37 And Vaughn and goes down Abbott Ave.at high speeds this is only going to make a bad and dangerous situation worse I'm sure the planning board did not take that into consideration just for the planning boards information there are children that play in that neighborhoods