The owner of the Valero station at 410 Princeton-Hightstown Road (at the intersection of Southfield Road, across from McCaffrey’s) intends to expand the station to include four more gas pumps under an extended canopy while adding a 7-Eleven store and a driver-operated car wash.
An initial site plan presentation went before West Windsor’s SPRAB (site plan review advisory board) on Monday, May 14, at the West Windsor senior center. The board did not look upon the initial plans favorably, saying that the proposed layout and design needed to be changed to better match the brick buildings at the Southfield shopping center.
The design was also contested because of concerns over safety — cars coming into and out of the Valero station or car wash and the possibility of delivery trucks creating blind corners around the property. The applicant is also seeking to have a large propane tank at the property to sell refills to customers. That caused hesitation from board members as well.
The potential visual and sound impacts on the homes down the road were also considered, and SPRAB heard from five residents opposed to the project who were in attendance. The matter first came up at the April 16 Council meeting when Perry Weaver of 10 Endicott Lane, whose home is behind the Valero station, spoke during public comments to voice his concerns about the project creating additional traffic in the area.
The Valero owner and his team of professionals agreed to come back with a significantly revised plan at the June 25 SPRAB meeting. That meeting has been canceled. The application will likely be reviewed at SPRAB’s next meeting — Monday, July 9.
If the project gets approval from SPRAB, the next step will be going before the West Windsor Zoning Board some time in the late summer or fall because variances would be required for the property.
