Board Approves Plan For 'Derelict' River Road Building

A developer is planning to revitalize a River Road building located across from ShopRite and described as "derelict."  

The plan to demolish the building and build a new 29-foot-tall car wash and 24-foot-tall, three-bay garage was approved by the Fair Lawn Planning Board during their meeting Monday night. The business will offer car washes, oil changes and auto detailing.  

Board Chairman Brent Pohlman called the plan "a good application" for the property.

"It is an eyesore that is in need of improvement," he said.

The current site has a building and shed from a defunct business, broken pavement and several abandoned vehicles.

The new buildings will also utilize some "sustainable" elements, according to architect Anthony Garrett. Large windows will allow for natural sunlight, a water reclamation system will recycle it onsite and waste oil from the quick lube service will power the heating system, he said.

Experts who testified on behalf of the application also said they believed the project would not cause traffic problems on busy River Road. Craig Peregoy, a traffic engineer, said that 22 cars could line up on the site.

The board also required the applicant include "no left turn" signs for cars both entering and exiting the property, and that they keep the exit narrow enough to prevent two cars from trying the leave at once. 

"It's a nice, deep property, so works perfectly for this kind of use," Peregoy said.