June 3, 2026 Planning Board Regular Meeting Minutes

Highlighted landscaping and storefront design intended to shorten the perceived walking distance, provide shade, and improve wayfinding Proposed detectable warning surfaces at street corners by changing sidewalk texture or adding highly visible painted signs. Proposed bollards to separate vehicles from pedestrians near the entrance and reduce the likelihood of vehicle-pedestrian accidents. Proposed decorative street murals between the store entrance and parking lot, explaining this naturally encourages drivers to slow down. Included bicycle racks for employees and other cyclists. Discussed maintaining adequate sight triangles for motorists. Suggested creating painted curb bump-outs (rather than constructing permanent ones) in coordination with the Township traffic engineer and Essex County. Mentioned working with a company that has implemented similar artistic traffic-calming treatments in South Orange. Explained these painted bump-outs would both beautify the area and improve pedestrian safety at crossings. ~ Explained, using rain ‘gardens, creates a landscaped buffer between the parking lot and the sidewalk Said this landscaped edge provides tree canopy, serves as a living screen between pedestrians and parked vehicles, and makes walking along Main Street more attractive. Introduced loading operations,’ explained that the team extensively researched "last-mile" delivery practices because the issue arises in many municipalities. Referenced several sources studied during the design process: o A Montgomery County, Maryland case study o New York City's freight parking policy research o A publication by’Nan Chen, Smart Solutions for the Loading Zone Revenue Dilemma Summarized the research findings: o Off-street loading works well for industrial uses or long-duration deliveries. o For short 20-30 minute "last-mile" deliveries, dedicated on-street loading zones ("smart loading zones") are generally considered better urban planning solutions Explained that the largest delivery vehicle expected is a lowboy trailer under 53 feet. Said simulations and videos demonstrate that bringing such a truck into the site's parking lot would require approximately 20 minutes of difficult maneuvering. Described how the truck would need to occupy opposing traffic lanes while maneuvering into the site. Stated that exiting would also be problematic because Essex County does not

difficult maneuvering. Described how the truck would need to occupy opposing traffic lanes while maneuvering into the site. Stated that exiting would also be problematic because Essex County does not permit trucks to reverse onto county roads. Explained another operational issue: during the designated delivery window (approximately 8:00 a.m. to noon), adjacent parking spaces would have to remain vacant because delivery arrival times cannot be predicted precisely. Pedestrian safety concerns with on-site truck loading o Argued that having large delivery trucks enter the parking lot creates a significant pedestrian safety hazard. o Explained that trucks maneuvering through the lot would temporarily block pedestrian circulation for several minutes. Applicant's proposed loading solution o Concluded that a dedicated on-street loading zone is the safest solution for short- duration (20-30 minute) deliveries in an urban environment.