P&Z May Decide On Stop & Shop Gas Station Tonight

After three nights of testimony for a public hearing on a controversial proposal to construct a gas station with five bays and 10 pumps on vacant property at 528 Monroe Turnpike, the Planning & Zoning Commission may decide on the application tonight ... during its third night of deliberations on the proposal.

The P&Z will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Council Chambers of Monroe Town Hall.

Monroe Gas LLC has filed a special permit application to construct a gas station where Stop & Shop customers can realize discounts with their store cards. But the plan faces strong opposition.

The owner of Prushko's Shell, which is directly next store, hired an intervenor to argue against the plan on environmental grounds and residents living near the property have expressed concerns that an existing flooding problem could be exacerbated.

Others join Aquarion Water Co.'s opposition to building a gas station in close proximity to a public watershed. Beardsley Brook flows behind the brownfield, which used to house leaky in-ground home heating fuel tanks.

Experts for the application tout a state-of-the-art drainage system with safety features including double walled tanks and pipes with alarms in the event of a spill. Stephen Studer, the attorney for the applicant, has praised Stop & Shop's environmental record. He says the plan will be an improvement over doing nothing on the parcel.