Some Manalapan residents unhappy with talk of new ShopRite

To hear some tell it, a proposed ShopRite would be “strategically located” and in a “perfect spot.”

Not everyone sees it that way.

Manalapan Crossing is a mixed-use development and before the Planning Board is a proposal for a 77,408 square foot ShopRite grocery store. Vito Cardinale, president and CEO of Cardinale Enterprises which owns the developmental says the grocer is needed.

With thousands of (housing construction) permits that have been pulled in the last couple of years, everyone can see the amount of homes that have come on 33," he said. "The ShopRite is perfect.

But K. Hovnanian's Four Seasons at Manalapan Crossing, a development with 280 single family homes for ages 55 and over, has residents who are not pleased. If that neighborhood sounds familiar it's because it’s the same one that made news recently about not getting mail delivered.

After being promised they could have individual mailboxes for their homes the rug was pulled out from under them when they were told community cluster boxes would go in instead. It resulted in a USPS standoff over which I’m told K. Hovnanian is fighting.

Now, some of the same residents are expressing displeasure about the huge ShopRite being proposed which they’d be sitting right across from. One resident tells me when he bought the property they were told the plan was small shops and restaurants, not this. Some say they’re concerned about heavy traffic, trucks, pollution and lighting in the parking lot. Some homeowners are vowing to fight the proposal.

Cardinale however says given the position in front of homes at Manalapan Crossing every effort will be made to not have it be an eyesore.

We're making sure that all four sides of this ShopRite are very appealing to the road and to the homeowners" at the Four Seasons development. "Our engineer was challenged to make sure that the landscaping made all four sides look beautiful.

Who wins this battle is anybody’s guess. Stay tuned.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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