Zoning Board Approves Acme Party Rental Changes

The Acme Party Rental recieved approval from the Aberdeen Zoning Board to open a retail sports consignment shop, an office and a second floor storage area inside the already existing warehouse at the board's regular action meeting Aug. 10.

The warehouse, which is located at 26 New Brunswick Avenue in Aberdeen, is in the R 100, or residential, zone.

Currently, there is a plastic banner on the face of the building identifying it as Acme Party Rental, a gravel parking lot without specifically marked spots and no parking lot lighting.

Plans call for more professional signage that would be visible to someone driving past, a paved parking lot with twenty individual spots, parking lot lights, security lights on the building entrances and more vegetation to serve as a buffer between the business and neighboring homes.

According to the engineer, Daniel Dorian, the lights will be recessed to prevent spillover into the residential properties. The parking lot will also be curbed and paved, which according to him will help clean up the property and make it look more appealing.

Lisa Wilson, of 31 New Brunswick Avenue, expressed concern that having the additional entrance on New Brunswick Avenue would increase traffic on an already busy road.

"We already practically get killed every day trying to back out of our driveways because people come speading around on New Brunswick Avenue. We have to look behind us, right and left already, and now we will have people pulling out of there as well and not letting us out of our driveways," Wilson said at the meeting.

According to the Harvey Brenner, chairman of the board, New Brunswick Avenue, also known as County Road 516, belongs to Monmouth County. The county already conditionally approved the driveway which opens to New Brunswick Avenue.

According to testimony heard by the board, a traffic study done also found that the opening of the consignment shop will not worsen the traffic.

An exact date for the renovations to begin had not been set as of the meeting.