Page 4 • Wednesday , June 27 , 2018 • The Hammonton Gazette
Kramer Beverage Co . receives subdivision approval
PLANNING , from Page 1 Attorney Robert Bucknam , of Archer and Greiner , and Project Engineer / Planner David Scheidegg , of Schaeffer Nassar Scheidegg Consulting Engineers . During the application hearing , the board was shown an aerial rendering of the proposed subdivision and land exchange , and the minor subdivision plan that was rendered for the application as part of the town ’ s subdivision package .
According to Bucknam , Kramer Beverage Company ’ s current distribution warehouse facilities are located on Lot 54 , which is 18.54 acres in size . The currently vacant Lot 46 , which is also owned by Kramer , is located adjacent to Lot 54 and is 9.215 acres in size . Meanwhile , the town owns Lot 45 , which is an L- shaped portion of the Commerce Way right of way , and Lot 44 , which contains recreation fields and other facilities , including the recreation complex on 11th Street .
Bucknam said Lot 44 , which is in the M1 Zone , was previously designated to be part of the town ’ s industrial complex , and parts of it were transferred to New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company during the development of its facilities .
Kramer Beverage Company will acquire the aforementioned portions of Lot 44 and Lot 45 in the land swap in exchange for a parcel of land located at Lot 1.01 of Block 1201 , which Bucknam Jr . said is worth significantly more to the town than the land Kramer is acquiring , but it will allow the company to expand its distribution facilities to a total of 35.11 acres in the near future after the completion and submission of a site plan application to the New Jersey Pinelands Commission . “ Suffice it to say that the value of the property being conveyed and the size of property conveyed by Kramer to the town is substantially higher than what it is getting back in return . But because of the location of the property , it ’ s much more valuable to Kramer because it will allow for the expansion of its facilities , which will be a subsequent application that we ’ ll be coming before this board with ,” Bucknam said .
Kramer detailed the logistics of the company ’ s planned expansion and explained why he chose Hammonton as the town to headquarter its distribution facilities . In 2017 , Kramer Beverage Company bought additional brand rights to beverage accounts in Mercer and Burlington Counties , which increased the company ’ s total footprint to eight counties and created the need for an expansion .
“ In order to service the entire market , we need to enlarge our building and specifically , our warehouse so we have the space for inventory , and then also the additional equipment and additional manpower that has necessitated to service the eightcounty market ,” Kramer said .
In response to the market size increase , Kramer said the company has decided to end leases with its current distribution warehouse locations in Winslow Twp . and Lawrence Twp ., and relocate those operations and their pre-existing jobs to Hammonton , where the company has had a presence since its market grew to six counties in 2002 .
“ It has been 16 years that we ’ ve been in Hammonton and , right from the start , Hammonton welcomed our company with open arms … Being that we ’ ve added Burlington and Mercer counties ,
we could look to a location that was centralized to the full eight counties , but because of what we consider our roots now here in Hammonton , we chose to expand the building here in Hammonton , rather than relocate our operation ,” Kramer said .
Bucknam acknowledged two details about the subdivision that may require variances once the properties involved in the land swap are conveyed , including Lot 45 ’ s square footage , which is currently undersized , according to the town zoning ordinance ’ s requirements within the M1 Zone . Scheidegg said that there is a minimum lot size requirement of 80,000 square feet in the M1 Zone , and the remaining townowned portion of Lot 45 that will exist after the swap will be approximately 30,492 square feet .
A second variance was discussed regarding a gravel driveway around the recreation fields on 11th Street ( Lot 44 ) that widens into an area that is commonly used as a parking lot . Scheidegg said the zoning ordinance requires all property lines to be at least 30 feet from any parking area , and the Lot 44 property lines in the proposed subdivision are about 70-80 feet from the gravel driveway , which may be able to be construed as a parking area .
A motion to approve the minor subdivision and provide conditional variance relief for the undesignated parking area along the property line of Lot 44 and a technical variance / condition for the undersized lot along Commerce Way , which is eventually going to be dedicated as a right of way , was made by board member Dr . Michael Hozik , seconded by board member Paul Esposito and passed unanimously .
The board also addressed several zoning applications during the meeting , including a request from the Sons of Italy ( LGG Club ) for a variance to allow an eight-foot-tall fence that is 290 feet long to be installed around the rear yard of its lodge hall , located 427 N . Third St . ( Block 2709 , Lot 7 , Zone DT-1 on the town tax map ).
Sons of Italy President Nick Laguardia attended the meeting on behalf of the application , and was accompanied by attorney Brian Howell . The fence is being proposed in a zone where fences are required to be no taller than six feet . Laguardia said the fence would begin at an existing fivefoot tall , decorative cement wall near a courtyard in the lodge hall ’ s backyard and would wrap around the rear property line in order to provide added safety and security for members and visitors during events that utilize the yard , such as the week of the Feast of Our Last of Mt . Carmel in July .
“ We had an incident recently of a neighboring property where — pretty late in the night — there was a vehicle exiting through our property at a high rate of speed with its lights off , through our parking lot . To ensure the safety of our members and guests , we decided to pursue the fence ,” Laguardia said .
A motion to grant variance relief for the height of the fence was made by board member Michael Messina , seconded by board member Michael Pullia and passed unanimously with the exception of two abstentions from board members Raymond Scipione and Jonathan Oliva .
In planning news , the board unanimously granted the third of three one-year extensions for a previous final site plan approval issued to MMG Real Estate
Holdings LLC , which is the site of a proposed five-building , 42-unit apartment complex on Main Road ( Block 4801 , Lot 7 , Zone H-B on the town tax map ). The applicant was represented during the meeting by attorney Jeffrey Chang , of Heilbrunn Pape LLC , who said a third extension was being sought because MMG Real Estate Holdings LLC is currently in contract to sell the property to a builder named Nicola Pengue , and must make sure the approval is protected before the purchase is completed .
Board solicitor James Schroeder said the applicant is entitled to a third extension and is hopeful that the project will begin within the next year .
A motion to grant a one-year extension of the site plan approval was made by Oliva , seconded by Scipione and passed unanimously .
In other business , the board granted a hardship variance for Gloria Santilli , who is seeking to place ground mounted solar panels on her property , located at 616 N . First Rd . ( Block 1001 , Lot 34 , Zone R2 on the town tax map ). The application was first introduced during the board ’ s
See TOWN , Page 10