Redesign asked for Millstone intersection
Zoners also want new sign plan for Shelly's School for Dogs
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer
Improvements to the intersection of Burnt Tavern Road and Routes 571 and 526 in Millstone will be made as part of the application for Shelly's School for Dogs. At the June 24 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, the applicant's attorney, Kenneth Pape, said the current intersection is not the best design, and the township has asked his client for a redesign of the intersection.

Shelly Liebowitz, owner of Shelly's School for Dogs, is seeking site plan approval to construct a 25,471-square-foot, one-story building on the 56-acre parcel. The application was granted a use variance April 29. The facility will include boarding of dogs and cats, pet training, pet grooming and a petgrooming school.

The applicant's engineer, Peter Strong, said the intersection was a little remote from the site but pertinent to the application. Right now, vehicles traveling south on Route 571 must veer off to enter Burnt Tavern Road with no controls regarding speed, he said. Drivers heading north on Route 571 wanting to turn into Burnt Tavern Road encounter an existing island, but some turn left on the north side of the island, and others make the left turn on the south side, according to Strong. Township Engineer Matt Shafai suggested changing the intersection so it will come in at 90 degrees, and paving over the existing island and replacing it with a painted island in the intersection to direct drivers where they should be going. Shafai said the redesign will be reviewed by the county because it has jurisdiction over Routes 571 and 526. Boardmember Barry Frost said he passes that intersection daily. While he thinks the plan is definitely an improvement, he believes it is equally dangerous because of motorists coming from Route 537 onto Burnt Tavern Road, because they cannot see traffic coming in the opposite direction when they try to enter Route 571.

Strong replied that the ideal situation would be to line up West Squan Road with the new intersection of Route 571 and Burnt Tavern Road, but that is outside the scope of this application.

The board also discussed the proposed structure that would include the sign for Shelly's School for Dogs. Pape said the architect was inspired by the Mohonk Mountain House in New York's Hudson Valley, and wanted an Adirondack-type, lodge-style sign for the entrance.

Township Planner Richard Coppola said the structure was unique and far beyond anything that would normally hold a sign. ChairmanMichael Novellino said the board wants customers to be able to find Shelly's School for Dogs, and such a structure would be a great landmark. Coppola said the proposed structure was 28.5 feet high with dimensions of 28 by 36 feet.

Board member Robert Bailey pointed out it was approximately the size of the meeting room they were in. Coppola said he thought the height should be lowered. Frost disliked the structure, saying it was almost like a billboard. "It looks like a house on sticks," he said. Board member Stephen Lambros said it looked like a giant tree fort, and suggested two stanchions with a sign going across.

Pape said the applicant will return with new designs for the sign at the next hearing July 29.