Lacey Road Bank of America to Become Handicap Accessible

The  on Lacey Road in Forked River will become handicapped accessible after the township Planning Board approved its application pending several conditions.

“The federal government working through state agencies as well as the county and township, they’re becoming more stringent on the enforcement of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance,” said site engineer Charles D. Olivo of Stonefield Engineering & Design, LLC.

The improvements to the Bank of America comply with the ADA by creating handicap access from Lacey Road to the building. Currently there is a curb off of the sidewalk on Lacey Road to the bank. A ramp will be made from the sidewalk.

The applicant will also be repaving the parking lot.

The Planning Board’s conditions include revising the plan to move the ADA ramp to the east corner, provide additional plantings, create an enclosure around the dumpster, install a 6-foot fence along Alpine Street, provide a letter from the property owner agreeing or disagreeing to consolidate lots, install a monument sign and meet the engineer’s requirements.

The applicant’s attorney Scott Collins of Riker, Danzig, Hyland & Perritti LLP opposed installing a monument sign since he was unsure whether the Bank of America would approve.

“I don’t know if we can agree to that,” Collins said. “We went from a handicap ramp to a trash enclosure, a fence and landscaping.”

“You’re talking about existing code violations which we allowed to exist,” said Gary Quinn, committeeman and board member.

Quinn argued that while the board wants the site cleaned up, the township is also in the process of updating the master plan and monument signs is a part of that.

If the Bank of America doesn’t agree to the monument sign, the applicant will have to reappear before the Planning Board.

A resolution will be memorialized at the April 9 meeting at 7 p.m.