Story and photo by Joseph Sapia
HOLMDEL – The township Zoning Board has approved Holmdel Village Exxon’s variance requests to replace its automotive repair business with a mini-market, while continuing to pump gasoline.
The zoners voted 7 to 0 at its Wednesday, June 1, meeting.
“I’m glad it all happened,” said township resident Tony Crisalli, who has operated the business in the historic Village section at the corner of Route 520 (locally known as Main Street) and Holmdel Road for more than 25 years. “I really do believe it’s going to be a good improvement.”
No timetable is in place to make the changes, Crisalli said.
Three years ago, ExxonMobil was looking to rid itself of company-owned gasoline stations and Crisalli bought the property. Although the business has operated there since the 1950s, it would not comply with today’s Business 1 zoning.
So, the board granted Crisalli such variances as allowing a gasoline station and convenience store in the B-1 zone and allowing less-than-minimum setbacks from the roadway right-of-way for his sign and the canopy above the gasoline pumps.
The plans for the property, about 8/10 of an acre, include converting the approximately 1,400-square-foot building’s two repair bays to create the new store. About 300 square feet would be added to the building’s east side to accommodate a refrigerator for the store.
Striped parking spaces are to be added.
If Crisalli’s plans are approved, he would no longer do automotive repairs at the site.
