YMCA speaks out about business center plan

The Photo-News recently spoke with Ross Miceli, executive director of the South Orange Family YMCA about their proposed neighbor, the 208 Business Center. According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) prepared by Tim Miller Associates, the business center is a 47,500-square-foot mixed-use retail and office building with 260 parking spaces, including a possible grocery store that “would carry specialty foods catering to the local community and not typically available in larger chain stores, including Kosher foods.”

This project is not to be confused with another Tim Miller Associates project, Monroe Commons on Nininger Road, which would be a 407,819-square-foot building, and a total of 653 parking spaces. Monroe Commons would be less than six miles from the proposed 208 Business Center. The Commons building will be four floors including offices, a small hotel, and the first floor set aside for prospective tenants. One of those tenants highlighted in the DEIS is, yes, also a grocery store.

“The YMCA is concerned about the traffic impacts during and after construction. As you recall, the Y has been concerned about access to and from our property since 2011. We even had an alternative access proposal presented in the past. We are concerned with the proposed traffic circulation because it will bring all trucks onto Gilbert St. Extension rather than the main entrance to Route 208.”

Miceli pointed to three issues he saw in the 208 Business Center DEIS Traffic Study, including using what he described as undersized vehicles used to produce the study’s estimates. He added, “Assuming that a portion of the building will be used as a grocery store, frequent, large volumes of groceries will be delivered to the store using typical over-the road semi-trailers. The operators of businesses are generally not in control of the type of truck used by independent haulers.”

While noting that the YMCA has no opposition to their neighbor developing the property as they see fit, “just not at the expense of other property owners and businesses,” Ross said, “The YMCA is requesting that roadway improvements be made before this project is allowed to open for business. Preferably even before demolition and construction begin. Any increased traffic congestion will severely impact our operations as well as those of our two tenants. Traffic is already a major issue for members and YMCA tenants.”

The children attending Inspire for Kids, which is within the YMCA building, and the impact the 208 Business Center would have on them has been a hot topic. “The fronts of the idling trucks will only be 55 feet from the playground. We all know that trucks are not supposed to idle, but we all know they do unless police are there to enforce it,” said Miceli. “The proposed pavement elevation is virtually the same as the playground elevation. Trucks could plow into the playground without any protections.” When asked if the YMCA had talked with the developers behind the 208 project about this issue, as well as other concerns, Miceli said, “No, but we welcome this opportunity. Our engineer is in the process of reviewing the plan and the DEIS so that the YMCA can present all of our concerns.” When asked what else he’d like to see changed, Ross said, “The YMCA would like to see some type of prevention put in to prevent a truck from plowing into our playground. [...] We believe that the loading areas can be configured differently so that they do not pose a danger to Inspire and the Y.