By Cheryl Conway
It is almost a wrap for an Amazon Delivery Station to receive approval to establish itself in Mt. Olive.
Some loose ends remain, but after conditions are met, the Mt. Olive Planning Board hopes to vote on the applicant’s resolution to memorialize the details this month. By the end of February, the latest, the board hopes to have the application signed, sealed and delivered…the Amazon way!
The Mt. Olive Planning Board spent about three hours at its last Planning Board meeting held Thursday, Jan. 16, to hear preliminary and final site plans for Amazon, to be located at 81 International Drive South in Budd Lake, where Sam’s Club was once located. The meeting ended close to 11 p.m. after hearing from Amazon’s attorney, civil engineer, architect and other experts about the plan’s details.
“The planning board approved their application with the conditions imposed,” explains Mt. Olive Planning Board Chair Howie Weiss. “In about 30 days, we will vote on the resolution which memorializes the details. Once signed, it’s official and they can apply for permits.
“They do not need to return,” he explains. “There are a bunch of conditions but no need to come back for. The resolution, and eventual developer’s agreement, will include the conditions. They can start the project after the resolution is approved by the planning board and signed by me.”
Weiss says “the resolution should appear on the agenda by the second meeting in February. That date is February 20, but it’s not impossible to think it may be ready on the 13...... unlikely though!”
Once the resolution is signed, Amazon can move forward with its plans and be open as a new business in town later this year, as planned.
“There will be pre-construction meetings and developer’s agreement...performance bonds will be posted,” says Weiss. “Realistically, end of the second quarter to start. I’m sure that by the holidays in Q4, it will be completely operational. They will hire and work the staffing situation along the way.
Experts Present Details
Experts who testified at the planning board meeting regarding the Amazon application spoke about the cosmetic and interior changes as well as site improvement plans of the parking lot.
Amazon.com is an American multinational e-commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Wash. It is the world’s largest online retailer that was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and began as an online bookstore. The company expanded selling other items in 1995, going online as amazon.com.
The site being proposed in Budd Lake is 132,054 sq. ft., according to experts. As a New Jersey Delivery Station for Amazon Logistics, the new facility will power Amazon’s last-mile delivery capabilities to speed up deliveries for customers in the Morris County area.
The center will operate as the “last mile station,” typically located in a greater distribution area. Customers’ orders get routed to a center then to a delivery station.
Then packages go to customers; not much different than a post office, explains Richard Diedrich, vice president for Amazon. Packages come in on trucks in the evening, then get sorted and delivered to customers.
Diedrich speaks about the forecast for non-peak operations at the proposed facility. Non-peak meaning anytime not including December 26 holiday season.
He testifies to 15 Lionel trucks to be making deliveries at the NJ Delivery Station between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. To cover the late-night shift, to begin around midnight or 1 p.m., 110 employees will be working 10-hour shifts, sorting packages to be queued up in vans.
Vans will then leave the station between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. to make their deliveries. Diedrich says this includes about 241 daily routes to surrounding areas with vans returning to the station after 7 p.m.
He says the goal is to “avoid traffic times.” Drivers show up in their personal vehicles and park in 50 to 60 spots, and then get in the vans to make deliveries. Every 20 minutes, 30 vans will be dispatched.
“Then the next round of drivers come in and leave,” says Diedrich. Vans will pull into the building then load, and leave.
Drivers can help load their vans; it is estimated that it will take 20 minutes to load 220 packages.
Mt. Olive Twp. Mayor Rob Greenbaum asks if the drivers come in waves? Diedrich says “yes,” they park their vehicles, then leave in vans.
Onsite personnel will consist of 14 to 16 delivery service managers who will be handling the number of routes, says Diedrich.
The company is also looking into whether they will allow customers to come into the station to pick up their packages rather than await deliveries.
“We may do this or we may not do this,” says Diedrich. “Instead of choosing to have it delivered, I can choose to pick it up.” Customers would receive a code to pick up their packages on site. This would give customers the option to not have their packages left on their doorsteps to be snatched by thieves, he explains.
They may also have access to return packages on site, with designated parking spots to do so.
In regards to vehicle maintenance, Diedrich says vehicles will be serviced at a central location off the premises.
Engineer’s Testimony
Bryan Ehnes of Bohler Engineering spoke about parking spaces, circulation pattern for trucks and overall site plan.
The lot will be designed to accommodate 14 parallel spaces, 161 passenger vehicle spaces, 30 spaces inside the building and 308 spaces for other shoppers at the surrounding businesses.
Ehnes testifies to how vans will enter the facility, park in designated van parking and then make a right out of the facility onto International Drive. Passenger vehicles will enter through a signalized intersection and then be routed out to Rt. 46 rather than Rt. 206.
He discusses the truck turning plan, updated on Jan. 16, in which tractor trailers entering for deliveries will use five loading docks, with two more on the eastern side of the facility. They will circle behind the shopping center
All trucks will be instructed to go one way along the back of Amazon and make a right onto International Drive, says Ehnes. “That’s how Sam’s Club operated,” says Ehnes. Trucks will be permitted to enter from routes 206 and 46.
He is getting another survey to make sure there is enough clearance for the trucks.
“It’s a good circulation pattern for trucks,” says Dr. Michael Vreeland, board engineer for the Mt. Olive Planning Board. He likes that the trucks will not be circulating in the parking lot.
The majority of the trucks entering the facility are Amazon owned or leased, says Diedrich, adding that there are several thousand tractors.
There will also be a cross easement that will restrict access and parking between the vehicles and the shoppers, confirms Joseph Paparo, attorney representing Amazon.
Access will be restricted,” says Paparo. “We are close to having the document finalized.”
Greenbaum adds that the easement needs to be a condition of approval.
Ehnes also testifies that there will be Do Not Enter signs so customers will not be inconvenienced in driving in areas that are restricted.
The suggestion was made to have an emergency access driveway just for Amazon.
“We will have to have a sign that says ‘Amazon Only,’” says Ehnes.
Ehnes then presents the overall site plan, including the entire layout of the property, landscaping, restrictions with signage.
Landscaping includes more trees and shrubs. The property meets all storm water management requirements; trash/recycling will be inside of a fenced enclosure.
The applicant is asking for excess lighting especially for evening hours since employees will be working overnight shifts.
Weiss suggests that lights be shut off to the north in the evening so homeowners in vicinity will not be affected.
Architect’s Testimony
Michael Krawiec, expert architect for Amazon, provides a breakdown to the building’s operations within the proposed facility. Areas include delivery, loading, warehouse, sorting and administrative.
The mayor questions Krawiec about the exhaust system with multiple vehicles that will be entering and exiting the building for loading and unloading packages.
“You’re talking about 30 vehicles every 20 minutes; that’s a lot of vehicles,” says Greenbaum.
Krawiec explains the co-monitoring system and the exhaust system in the roof that evacuates and causes air changes in the building.
Chuck McGroarty, Mt. Olive Twp. board planner, questions the noise involved with doors opening to let vehicles in and out.
Krawiec says once the vehicles get in the building, there are no sounds, as well as the machinery used inside. “It’s all passive,” says Krawiec. “There’s no heavy machinery.” Small motors are used with a conveyor on rollers to put packages on.
He also describes the exterior of the building which will be blue and dove gray with the Amazon logo, and canopies over the loading dock area. “Soft colors with tinted glass,” he says.
Expert Planner
John McDonough, expert planner for the applicant, presents the parcel map which consists of a five acre zone on a 12 acre site; physical condition of the property without any additional need to build or disturb the property; land use; and district designated at as Commerce Oriented Zone District.
He mentions the request for 1.6 ft. candles in regards to lighting and need for nine signs- five signs at 6 sq. ft. and four being at 20 sq. ft. Signs are for navigation, drop-off, directions for customers and “visual cues to move people through the site,” says McDonough.
The larger signs are needed to go over rules; another has the address and company logo. He says the signs are informational rather than for advertising.
Traffic Expert Reports
Dr. Gordon Meth, traffic expert for the applicant, speaks about his traffic study of the area during peak hours. He says during morning peak hours, 165 trips are proposed, and 138 in the evening peak hour.
He suspects a slight increase in the morning, but says it will be quite comparable as to when the Sam’s Club was open.
“I’d say there’s not going to be a traffic issue,” says Meth.
