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Politics & Government

Planning Board Asks Chase to Alter Signage, Traffic

Chase Financial Center is proposed for the site of the former Charlie Brown's restaurant.

The applicant for a Chase Financial Center proposed for the site of the former Charlie Brown’s restaurant will return to the Planning Board July 7 with revised plans that reflect changes requested by the board.

Several experts testified at Thursday’s meeting on behalf of Southeast Investments, Inc., the site plan applicant. The application proposes demolishing Charlie Brown’s and build a 4,120-square-foot one-floor building on the 1.41 acres fronting on Route 206.

The banking facility would have 26 parking spaces and 41.3 percent impervious surface, as opposed to the 60 percent allowable impervious surface in that zone. Areas considered impervious surface include sidewalks, drive ways and parking lots.

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The existing restaurant building occupies 5,000 square feet, with 65 parking spaces and 71 percent impervious surface.

One of the major areas of concern for board members was signage.

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Mayor Gloria McCauley said, “We’re sign and lighting sticklers here in Hillsborough. I can appreciate branding but I do have my concerns with signs on the four sides of the building.”

Board Alternate Ted Mershon added, “There are also 13 other banks in town that don’t have anywhere near this amount of signage and they have brands, too.”

Chase ultimately agreed to remove a sign from one side of the building and to change one of the monument signs.

Traffic concerns were also addressed. “The change in use is actually a decrease in impact,” explained Jay Trautman, an engineer for the applicant.

Mershon questioned traffic surrounding the drive-through located behind the building, specifically the number of cars in the stacking lanes and an apparent sharp left exit turn.

Robert Heibel, engineer for the applicant, suggested rotating the remote drive-through 90 degrees in order to eliminate the sharp turn.

Board member Steve Cohen said, “I like that idea.”

Mershon also noted, “I don’t think there’s adequate parking here by any means.”

Attorney Lawrence Cohen responded, “We have plenty more space where we could put additional parking.”

Although the applicant requested a conditional approval, Board Attorney Eric Bernstein explained that the board could not grant any approval without seeing revised plans. The hearing on the application was continued until the board’s July 7 meeting.

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