Brick Planning Board Hears Start Of Smoothie King Debate

BRICK, NJ — Representatives for a potential Smoothie King across from Brick Commons began laying their case in front of the Brick Township Planning Board Wednesday night.

The board will continue considerations during their Jan. 26 meeting, when an attorney hired by two nearby homeowners opposed to the development will cross-examine the witnesses. In order to make room for the 1,100-square-foot restaurant and drive-thru, a nearby unoccupied home will have to be demolished. The drive-thru would be located on Chambers Bridge Road, across from a ShopRite, and developers say it would be able to accommodate up to nine cars.

While developer Humza Tanvir, who owns six other Smoothie King locations, has argued that the site’s busy location makes it an ideal choice for opening a new franchise, attorney Charles Tivenan, who is representing two dissenting homeowners, argue that it will increase traffic, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

Engineer Doug Hanley, who helped design the plan, has said that the lot is so small that it leaves no room for anything other than a small drive-thru, according to the Press. Hanley has also said that the property will include landscaping to delineate boundaries and avoid disturbing neighbors.

The Smoothie King chain is known for fruit and vegetable blends delivered quickly. It has more than 1300 stores worldwide and 17 in New Jersey. The proposed location would be the first in Ocean County.