Target Parking Project Returns To Long Valley Planning Board

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Developers seeking to remodel the current parking structure at the local Target will appear before the Washington Township Planning Board again on Monday, Dec. 12.

Target, located at 68 US-46 West, Hackettstown, plans to convert standard parking spots into drive-up spots, as well as add signage, stop controls, a pedestrian crosswalk and update supplemental lighting, according to planning board documents.

An earlier version of the application was presented to the planning board in early June, but requested changes to the site plan pushed back the application.

Among those changes were adjusting the light plan and requesting a variance for the nonconforming parking count, official documents said.

According to the revised plans, 12 existing drive up stalls will be converted into 18 standard parking spaces, and 29 standard parking spaces will be converted into 23 drive-up "stalls."

Target employees can deliver online-ordered goods directly to customer vehicles thanks to drive-up parking spaces. Customers won't be able to park in the new drive-up spots if they plan to visit the store and shop.

Members of the planning board also voiced concerns about the site plan's lack of visible warning surfaces, which goes against ADA compliance.

However, according to the engineering consultants, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., "the Drive-Up spaces are not intended to be used as part of an accessible path into the building… therefore an ADA detectable warning surface is not required."

The developers have also suggested updating the exterior façade, which might involve adding a single "drive up" wall sign and a separate directional way finding sign in order to make it easier for future customers to find the drive up stalls.

To view the complete application, click here.

The application will be discussed and assessed for completeness by the board members at the meeting on Monday night, and if time permits, a potential public hearing will also take place.