RED BANK: WALGREEN’S GETS GREEN LIGHT
Walgreen’s developer Marc Steinberg greets neighborhood supporters after winning plan approval. Below, the revised site plan, at left, called for a smaller structure than the prior proposal, at right. The building was also moved slightly from the property lines along Garfield Place and Broad Street. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
After six months of hearings and a close call with defeat, a proposed Walgreen’s store won approval from the Red Bank planning board Wednesday night.
The 6 to 2 vote came after store developer Marc Steinberg revised his plan by shrinking the proposed building and changing its placement on the site of the former Rassas Buick auto dealership on Broad Street, at the southern gateway in the heart of town.
The vote also followed passionate pleas by neighbors, one of whom said Steinberg had “bent over backwards” to address their concerns, while others called the changes “token” measures.