By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – Spruce Liquors has received zoning board approval to relocate from its Shrewsbury Ave. location to a larger, vacant lot across the street previously occupied by Green’s Auto Performance Center. After a lengthy debate on the proposal’s suitability at the initial Feb. 20 hearing, the application was carried over to the March meeting for final approval.
Samartha RB LLC, owner of Spruce Liquors at 205 Shrewsbury Ave., was granted zoning board approval March 20 for its application to convert the garage at 204 Shrewsbury Ave. into a liquor store. The garage has been vacant since the auto center moved out nearly six years ago. Zoning board members engaged in an extensive debate during the first meeting but eventually voted 5-2 in favor of the liquor store proposal.
In his testimony during the Feb.20 meeting, attorney Edward McKenna, representing Spruce Liquors, noted that the liquor store has been in business for more than 30 years. The current owners have owned the business for nearly five years but were limited by their existing square footage and wanted to expand.
According to plans presented to the board by architect Edward O’Neil, the liquor store would reconfigure the former auto center’s roughly 3,700 square feet of space to contain interior improvements and add no additional square footage.
The members weighed both community concerns and the potential economic benefits of permitting the move. Board members against the application had significant reservations about the store’s potential impact on the neighborhood and nearby small businesses.
“It (Spruce Liquors) is in the center of what we’ve been trying to build as a stronger residential community,” zoning board member Sharon Lee said. “It’s just a difficult fit.”
Lee explained she was not in favor of a “superstore liquor store” in a location that she described as the “heartbeat of the whole neighborhood.”
In response, McKenna said the only other proposal for that site was a cannabis business and that the liquor store is “going to be bigger, but it’s not going to be a Bottle King or one of those facilities.”
Board member Paul Cagno echoed Lee during the meeting, saying the site is unsuitable for a liquor store because it abuts a residential neighborhood. He recommended subdividing the lot to allow another option.
However, those in favor of the application argued the site, which has stood empty for nearly five years, presented an opportunity for economic revitalization. The current building, which is oversized for the property and lacks exterior renovations, was seen as an eyesore that could be revitalized by the proposed liquor store.
Board member Ben Yuro, who lives along Catherine Street near the site, said he wanted to see a “functioning business in there.” He had concerns about loitering around the site, but he suggested that could be prevented with better design plans. “I don’t think the use per se is a bad one,” he said.
“Weighing both the pros and cons, all the arguments presented were legitimate,” board attorney Kevin Kennedy said, recalling the lengthy debate that preceded the March 20 meeting. “Each board member considered these factors through their own lens, ultimately leading to a decision based on balance.”
The approval includes several conditions aimed at mitigating any potential negative impacts, such as limiting the number of employees to three, restricting operating hours to between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., and implementing a strict anti-loitering policy. Additionally, the applicant will be required to improve the parking lot and also enhance the property’s landscaping.
Spruce Liquors is expected to return to the board for future site plan reviews.
The article originally appeared in the March 27 – April 2, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
