CVS/Pharmacy Crompond Road
SBL: 26.18-1-25
Location: 3320 Crompond Road
Contact: T.M. Crowley & Associates
Description: Proposed construction of a 12,900 SF CVS/Pharmacy with drive-thru and a standalone 2,500 SF retail building with drive-thru.

See also Staples Center for issues involving the traffic light at and lane configurations

Planning Board 3-9-2020

The board reviewed and gave its approval to the latest renderings.

The board approved the site plan, and stormwater plan and tree permits. One of the conditions is that the applicant return to the board for approval of its final architecural details as the board is concerned about the rear of the building facing Old Crompond Road. The board thanked the applicant for working with the restaurant across the road.

The board reviewed some plan changes pursuant to its earlier concerns. The board needs to do some tweaking on the approval resolution which should be ready for its next meeting. The applicant will be addressing a slope issue along Old Crompond Road and whether the plan is ADA compliant; if not a board waiver may be needed.

In response to comments at the previous hearing, the applicant has substituted a different and shorter tree species along Route 202. The number and spacing of the trees will remain the same.  The applicant is proposing a 15’ high pylon sign along Route 202 and a monument sign on Old Compond Road. The board asked if the height of the monument sign could be lower.

The hearing was closed. The Planning Department will tweak a draft approving resolution for a possible vote at the board’s next meeting.

Most the discussion focused on the number and spacing of the trees to be planted along Route 202 and whether there should be more space between the trees to allow for growth (or change species to ones that don’t grow as tall and wide) so as not to block the view of the building.  Mr. Tegeder also asked the applicant if more windows could be added to the building in order to soften the “warehouse” look.  The applicant will be meeting with the DOT to discuss possible interim timing changes to the traffic light; once the construction is completed with the additional lane, the timing will be  adjusted.

A public information hearing will be scheduled.

The applicant showed revised plans that addressed some of the board’s previously discussed technical issues. Still to be resolved is the landscaping plan and reconciling differences between ABACA recommendations and the board’s concern about assuring the visibility of the Hudson Valley Steakhouse. A conceptual landscape plan includes plantings in the corner along Stony Street and street trees along Route 202. Mr. Tegeder suggested that the corner plantings be low maintenance and that the street trees would not be a visibility issue if the correct species was chosen and planted at the right spacing.   In response to comments from Jay Kopstein about pedestrian and cyclist safety at the Route 202 crossing, Mr. Grealy said that as part of the project, the timing of the lights would be modified and also that the construction of an additional turning lane on Stony Street would  improve the timing situation.

The hearing was adjourned in order to give the applicant time to work out the landscaping details.

The applicant presented updated plans that modify some landscaping to take into account concerns by the owners of the Hudson Valley Steakhouse across the road.  The board was concerned that the site plan show how an abutting vacant property would have access to the road in the event the property owner wanted to develop the site.

A Public Hearing was scheduled for December 16.

The board opened the adjourned public informational hearing. There were no comments. The hearing was closed.

Planning Board, 9-23-2019

The applicant explained the project and its traffic consultant reported that the new traffic count was actually less than what had previously been estimated.  The owner of the Hudson Valley Steakhouse on Old Crompond Road spoke about his concerns that during construction, his restaurant might not be visible and asked if the proposed building could be shifted to the east. He was also concerned  about the height of proposed new trees between Stony Street and the building. The applicant explained why the building could not be shifted and agreed to work with the restaurant owner  in order to address his concerns, both during  construction and in the proposed landscaping.

In response to a comment about problems with the timing of the traffic light, Phil Grealy, the applicant’s traffic consultant, said that this would be adjusted and that the revised traffic plan for the intersection took into consideration the possible future development in the area.

The hearing was left open because of a notice issue.

The applicant returned with a revised plan that addressed the board’s previous concerns. The plan includes adding an additional traffic lane on Stoney Street leading out to Route 202 and the widening of the portion of Old Crompond Road abutting the applicant’s property. The applicant’s traffic consultant will be doing a new traffic count that reflects the opening of Lowe’s and the start of the school year. A Public Informational Hearing will be scheduled.

The applicant returned with a slightly revised plan that reflected the board’s previous concerns. The board would like to see the entrance on Old Crompond Road line up with the existing entrance to Crompond Crossing but the applicant explained that that would require the cooperation of the abutting property owner (Adrian Autobody). The board also asked the applicant to look into revising the location of the loading docks. The revised plan calls for adding a third lane on Old Crompond Road and a third lane on the end of Stony St where it intersects with Route 202; the additional lane would relieve some of the existing stacking problems.  

Supervisor Gilbert, in attendance at the meeting, advised the board that the Hunterbrook pump station was “under stress” and that the applicant might be asked to do some mitigation measures.  The Conservation Board expressed concern about the temperature of the water leaving the site and entering the near by Hunterbrook stream.

The applicant returned to the board for early feedback on a revised conceptual plan that only includes a CVS building; the bank building in the original plan has been eliminated in order to avoid the flood plain issue.  The plan shows access to the site from Old Crompond Road opposite the existing road into Crompond Crossing. The board had a generally positive response to the new plan but advised the applicant that its major concerns would be traffic and landscaping. There was also a title issue that needs to be resolved.  The board also indicated that as part of any future site plan approval, it would want to preclude any future development of an additional building on the site.

Planning Board, 2-23-2015

CVS representatives gave an overview of the plans, which incorporate some of the Planning Board’s suggestions.  This overview started out with a description of the flood plain situation on the site.  As currently delineated, the existence of a flood plain on the site precludes the project as proposed.  However, the applicant thinks the flood plain limits are conservatively drawn and will most likely be redrawn in a direction to make the site feasible for the CVS project.  Therefore, the applicant is proceeding with the planning and review process, essentially gambling that the flood plain redefinition will be favorable.

The site is zoned for the proposed uses (a pharmacy and bank), but a wetlands permit and special use permits are needed for the drive-thru windows. 

Traffic:  Mr. Fon opened the discussion by pointing out that in addition to the representatives of the proposed CVS,  representatives of both BJ’s/Urstadt Biddle and Crompond Terraces on Old Crompond Rd  were present, affording a valuable opportunity for discussion to coordinate and mitigate the traffic impacts of these three new facilities.  This applicant was amenable to this suggestion.  Mr. Tegeder pointed out that coordinated traffic planning wouldn’t require any major changes in the CVS site plan in any case.  Applicant’s traffic studies indicate this project would add 136 afternoon trips and 121 peak Saturday trips.  To accommodate this increase, Stony St northbound will be enlarged to two lanes, one for right turns and one for left.  This extra lane and the absence of a stop sign on Stony St at its intersection with Old Crompond Rd will eliminate traffic stacking on the “stub” of Stony St.    Traffic will enter the CVS/bank site either from Route 202 or from Old Crompond Rd.  The State DOT requires a deceleration lane on Route 202, leading to that entrance, however the applicant is unable to make this lane as long as the DOT would prefer.  Trucks will enter the site from Route 202, deliver on the east side of the CVS building and exit onto Old Crompond Rd.  A road connection to the adjacent property will be provided, eliminating the need for another curb cut onto Route 202 should that site be developed in the future, but the exact location and nature of this connection has yet to be determined.    The Old Crompond Rd entrance/exit has been relocated as much as possible to align it with the entrance to the Best Plumbing Supply site across the street.  The applicant said the sight distances are adequate, but Ann Kutter pointed out that trees further along Crompond Rd actually block visibility at that location.  The applicant was resistant to the idea of contacting the neighboring property owner (based on a question from Mr. Kincart) to negotiate a land swap in order to move this entrance/exit further along Old Crompond Rd, citing lack of necessity for this change.  The applicant was also resistant to the possibility of another lane on Old Crompond Rd (based on a question from Mr. Flynn), citing how “tight” the development already is on the property.  Mr. Flynn asked about snow removal on the site.  If snow piles up, some parking spaces might be sacrificed, or else it will be removed from the site.

Sidewalks:  Sidewalks will encircle the site and connect to the residences across Old Crompond Rd.  “CVS wants to be the neighborhood pharmacy.”

Wetlands:  There’s a 590 sq ft wetland in the northeast corner of the CVS parking lot, most likely formed by dumped soil making a berm on the site.  It has been delineated and evaluated by Bruce Barber, TOY environmental consultant.  Ann Kutter asked about Sherry Brook which is culverted along the Route 202 edge of the site, maintaining that it “saw daylight” at one spot.  The applicant said that the brook was entirely underground, having been closed in by the DOT during its recent work on Route 202.  According to the applicant, “daylighting” the brook would result in the site turning into a pond.  There is a larger wetland on the adjacent property, but this project is outside that controlled area.

Drainage:  There’s been extensive drainage system engineering, including sand filters and underground water storage, which is detailed in a separate, written report. 

Architecture:   CVS has proprietary building designs, but the design incorporates Planning Board comments.  For example, the side facing the residential development across Old Crompond Rd has been made more attractive and “softer”, and brick which coordinates with nearby buildings will be used.  The 3472 sq ft proposed bank building will be one story and feature brick veneer, stucco, split face block and aluminum exterior surfaces.  However, this building’s design may change when a specific tenant is found.  Both buildings will have drive-thru windows, so the site needs an interior traffic loop.  The drive-thru for CVS will be on the back (Old Crompond Rd side), for the bank on the Stony St.  Mr. Tegeder asked about the location of the buildings’ mechanicals and pointed out that roof locations will be visible from the Route 202 hill so additional screening will be necessary.  If the flood plain re-delineation doesn’t come out as the applicant hopes, the buildings will have to be elevated 2 ft which could create a problem with the grade of the parking lot.

Legal Issues:  The site has several legal issues that need to be resolved.  For example, there’s a culvert with no easement in place, so no provision for maintenance.  Also, in the past Old Crompond Rd was relocated, but the old road still exists as a paper road with an unclear title on this site.

A Public Informational Hearing is set for April 13, 2015.  

The applicant presented a concept plan as part of a pre-preliminary application for two new buildings between Route 202 opposite BJs and Old Crompond Road opposite the new Best Plumbing building and across the street from Chase bank. The plan calls for a 12,900 sf  CVS building and a standalone 2,500 sf bank building (which might be enlarged) with 74 spaces between the two buildings. Ingress and egress would be from Route 202 and also Old Crompond Road. Both buildings would have drive-thrus. A sidewalk would surround a portion of the site, although it was not clear if the sidewalk would run along Route 202.

In a series of renderings, the architect explained that the traditional CVS red brick template has been modified to create more of a village look and to capture some of the architectural details in the nearby Chase and Best Plumbing buildings. Because the building will be oriented to face Route 202, several Planning Board members expressed concern that the back of the building would face Best Plumbing and the still-to-be-completed building that the owner is trying to lease for a restaurant. They asked the architect to consider changes to the rear of the building to enhance its look, or alternately, rotate the building 90 degrees so that the entrance would face Old Crompond Road.  Given the constraints of the site, the architect wasn’t sure if the building could be repositioned.

The board also asked that pedestrian crosswalks be marked in several locations and members wanted more details about truck delivery times and truck access into and out of the site.

The board also requested that in a follow up submission, the applicant provide more detailed information about the auto body shop that abuts the property.