Seven years later, GRJH site plan approved

NORTH EAST — With an audible sigh of relief, the Planning Board gave final approval to GRJH’s site plan for the Sunoco station on Route 44 — it took seven years before the applicant met the conditions set by the board — conditions such as getting its LED-illuminated sign into compliance.GRJH Inc., owns the Sunoco station and convenience store on Route 44 in the Boulevard District, technically part of the town’s BD-2 zoning district. The Sunoco station has been operating illegally since it opened for business a number of years ago. For one, its LED (light emitting diodes) illuminated sign was not allowed by the town’s sign ordinance. Another issue was that the business never attained a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from the town’s building inspector, which is a standard requirement. That issue dated back to the Sunoco’s original application in 2005.The Planning Board granted GRJH conditional approval of the amended site plan based on a number of requirements back in December of 2010, including the requirement that a site plan be submitted by Jan. 9, 2011. That deadline, along with others, was missed. However, since then, many of the conditions laid out by the Planning Board have been met, according to its chairman, Dale Culver. Some of the last details included plantings and final inspections by the building inspector or code enforcement officer, like checking the sign met the town’s sign ordinance. As of the Planning Board’s meeting on March 14, those loose ends had been tied up.“A site visit was performed on Monday, March 12, 2012, by Code Enforcement Officer Michael Segelken to verify the wattage of the light bulbs located in the fixture on the LED sign,” stated a letter from Building Department Secretary Lisa Cope. “Mr. Segelken has verified that a 150 watt bulb is located in the fixture. This is in compliance with the town of North East’s sign ordinance and the site plan that states the maximum wattage of the bulb would be 150 watts.”A letter also dated March 12 from GRJH attorney Keith Nolan reiterated that fact; it also stated that action finalized the application.“I am advised by GRJH that the lamps on the monument sign now contain 150 watt bulbs,” Nolan wrote. “This completed all items for site plan approval.”Back at the March 14 meeting, Culver reviewed the data.“All of the plantings, light bulbs, everything has been done?” he asked.The board confirmed it had.“I feel there should be fireworks or something,” said board member David Shapiro.“Do I hear a motion for final approval for site plan for GRJH?” asked Culver.“Can we give favor with reservations?” asked Planning Board member Bill Kish, hesitant to give his full blessing to the application that stretched out over seven years, when others like it have only taken a few months. Though others at the table expressed their understanding of Kish’s reservations, Culver said it was either a yes or a no.“All in favor?” Culver asked.The motion was voted in favor of unanimously.

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