A formal resolution giving the go-ahead to the developer of a Super Wawa near Route 73 and Kresson Road in Voorhees was adopted Thursday night by the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
The Wawa project, controversial with neighbors largely because of traffic concerns on Kresson Road, was approved 5-2 at the board's December meeting. The resolution spells out the conditions of the approval.
Voorhees Route 73 Development Group LLC plans to build the Super Wawa for the convenience chain at 995 Route 73 on a wooded lot of 4.16 acres, with 3.48 acres in Voorhees and the balance in Evesham.
Evesham Township's zoning board has received an update to the developer's existing application for the site and is expected to consider it at a future zoning board meeting, Zane Clark, Evesham's public information director, told 70and73.com on Friday. Evesham had approved a previous plan for a Tractor Supply Co. store and a Super Wawa on the site, but the Voorhees board rejected the plan in 2018.
Plans call for a 5,051-square-foot Wawa store with eight fuel dispensers and 16 pumps.Â
The Wawa will have two driveways. The main entrance and exit will be on the southbound lane of Route 73. A secondary entrance and exit driveway will be on Kresson Road, about 600 feet from the Route 73 intersection, allowing drivers to enter from either direction but permitting only right-turn exits, according to the resolution.
A home on Kresson Road will be demolished to make way for the driveway.
During testimony before the zoning board, the applicant's engineer, Matthew Sharo, of Dynamic Engineering Consultants of Lake Como, Monmouth County, said the Camden County Engineering Department would favorably consider reducing the speed limit on that area of Kresson Road to 35 miles per hour from the existing 45 miles per hour, according to the resolution.
"Residents also posed concerns that a Wawa approval would encourage motorists speeding on Kresson Road and illegal turning movements and U-turns on Birch Street (a residential street next to the development)," according to the resolution. "The board was instructed by the solicitor (the board's lawyer) that it must presume motorists will adhere to speed limits and compliance with the law in the operation of motor vehicles."
According to the resolution: "The zoning board rejects the argument that the secondary access drive will create new traffic problems on Kresson Road as it is anticipated that motorists will comply with posted speed limits and traffic laws."
The board also discounted concerns of increased traffic and decided most of the Wawa customers will come from "pass-by trips," which means they were already on the road headed to other destinations and decided to make a stop at Wawa. Testimony cited in the resolution said the state Department of Transportation says a typical Wawa's business is made up of 76% pass-by traffic.
Although on Route 73, the new Wawa would have a driveway west of the bad intersection.
The driveways on the southbound side of Route 73 will be right in and right out only, but drivers also could use the driveway from Kresson Road. TD Bank is in the lower right. Drivers on Kresson Road could make left or right turns into the driveway. Drivers leaving the driveway will be allowed to make only right turns.Â
