Bergen County Superior Court Rules in Favor of Proposed ShopRite of Wyckoff

Press release:

The Bergen County Superior Court, Law Division has ruled again in favor of ShopRite of Wyckoff, by an Order entered on Dec. 19, 2014.

In his decision, Judge William Meehan dismissed three counts of Stop & Shop’s latest legal appeal.

Stop & Shop initially filed an appeal of the Bergen County Planning Board’s unanimous approval to the Board of Chosen Freeholders. When the Freeholders also unanimously approved the project, Stop & Shop then filed this latest appeal to the Bergen County Superior Court, Law Division. In a separate legal matter, Assignment Judge Peter Doyne recently dismissed Stop & Shop’s action against the Bergen County Planning Board, which alleged Open Public Records Act violations.

“We applaud the decisions by Judges Meehan and Doyne, and remain focused on bringing a modern ShopRite supermarket to the Township of Wyckoff,” said Lawrence Inserra, Jr., president and CEO of the family owned supermarket chain.

Mahwah-based Inserra Supermarkets, which owns and operates 22 ShopRite stores, earned the unanimous approval of the Township of Wyckoff’s Planning Board in February 2013, following 38 public meetings over a three-year period. However, on-going litigation has stalled construction and breaking ground.

Separate municipal approval appeals filed on October 3 by Stop & Shop and its landlord, Munico Associates, are currently pending in the Appellate Division. These appeals may further delay construction of the proposed ShopRite by up to 12 months.

“Our goal is to bring ShopRite’s quality, service and brands to this community,” added Inserra. “We are committed to making ShopRite of Wyckoff a reality.”

Building designs and heights of the proposed ShopRite of Wyckoff reflect the historic character and architecture of surrounding commercial and residential buildings. The property’s existing structure has been vacant for more than 13 years, leaving the building and current 431 parking spaces in a state of disrepair. In addition to invoking traditional architecture, installation of almost an acre of new landscaping will significantly enhance the site and exceed the township’s green space requirements.

Established in 1954 by Patsy Inserra as a privately held family business, Inserra Supermarkets remains true to its roots as a family-owned grocery chain committed to serving families and children. In 1980, under the entrepreneurial guidance of the late Lawrence Inserra, Sr., the company grew to eight stores and experienced a banner year in 1981, growing to 14 stores.

Today, the company owns and operates 22 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey’s Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Sussex, Ocean and Somerset counties as well as southeastern New York.

More on the Wyckoff ShopRite Plans:

• Stop & Shop Sues Bergen County Over Wyckoff Supermarket Plans
• On-going Litigation Stalls Construction of Wyckoff ShopRite