Somerset Development's Anchor Glass Project Seeks Final Site Approval Wednesday

The Glassworks project at the old Anchor Glass Factory on Cliffwood Avenue will get final approval or denial at the Aberdeen Township Planning Board's meeting Wednesday night.

Somerset Development, LLC will seek preliminary and final site plan approval for the first phase of The Glassworks project as well as preliminary approval for the second phase. 

According to the planning board agenda, the current plan for The Glassworks includes the demolition of the existing factory, preservation of the three smoke stacks and construction of a mixed use development with 500 residential units, a community center, pool, neighborhood park, 82,00 square feet of retail space, a 110 room hotel and a move theater. The plan also calls for residential and commercial parking, landscaping, lighting and grading and drainage improvements. 

In June 2012, Somerset presented to Aberdeen Township what they dubbed a "pre-preliminary plan" in hopes of addressing the concerns of the planning board before seeking approval of the project. 

Those plans called for an entrance and exit to the property located on Cliffwood Avenue, near the Parkway overpass. That road would be called Main Street, and would be the location of the commercial property and several multi-family units above the retail stores.

Continuing down Main Street, there would be a traffic circle allowing a motorist to turn around and look for on-street parking or to travel along Main Street to Glassworks Park. Glassworks Park would be located where the factory is right now, and Somerset said they plan to preserve three smoke stacks and make the rest of the space open for passive recreation.

Behind the commercial property on Main Street near the Cliffwood Road entrance would be a large parking lot, where the majority of shoppers would park, explained Planner Robert Goodill, of Tort Gallas and Partners, Inc. According to Goodill, by keeping the majority of the parking out of sight and off of Main Street, shoppers will be more likely to visit the retail area and foot traffic will dominate the road.

The Planning Board meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17 at the Aberdeen Township Municipal Building.