Director of Community Development Anthony J. Zappasodi said he received a verbal confirmation of plans to withdraw their application from the company’s attorney and is expecting a written confirmation to follow.
Royal Farms has put a halt to its plans to construct a convenience store and gas pumps at 3 Route 38, according to Director of Community Development Anthony J. Zappasodi. He said on Friday, Sept. 21, he received a verbal confirmation from the company’s attorney of plans to withdraw the application and is expecting a written confirmation to follow.
The convenience chain was set to appear before the zoning board in a special meeting scheduled for Oct. 30. Royal Farms was seeking variances to place gas pumps in a zone where gas is not currently permitted.
Zappasodi said the business was well into the application, and the Oct. 30 meeting would have been its formal hearing. Royal Farms’ attorney did not return The Sun’s calls for comment.
The Community Development office was receiving numerous emails, phone calls and visits from concerned citizens regarding the project. Zappasodi said during the last three months, he had many conversations with residents, and the majority of those were neighbors voicing their concerns.
Resident Jay Frederick was one of those residents. Frederick created a Facebook page titled “Say No to Royal Farms Moorestown” as well as an online petition that received 225 signatures.
When he heard about the application, Frederick started the petition because he felt strongly the convenience store would have had a negative impact on the surrounding area. He said the neighbors did not want added traffic, light and noise along the already congested intersection of Route 38 and Church Street.
He said a convenience store would hurt the housing values of the surrounding properties and generally would have posed a “hindrance to the neighborhood.”
“We’re tired of the over-expansion,” Frederick said of the commercialization taking place along Route 38.
For those reasons, Frederick took to Facebook to spread the word about what was going on. He said social media created a network for concerned residents to come together and have their voice heard.
Frederick said he was “overjoyed” to hear that Royal Farms plans to withdraw its application.
“If we make a big enough issue out of something, things get done,” Frederick said. “[Facebook] has just been a huge help on our part. I think [Royal Farms] really caught wind of this.”
