Mike Deak, MyCentralJersey.com
May 12, 2023
The public hearing on one of the largest developments in Clinton’s history has been postponed again.
The Land Use Board hearing on Clinton Moebus 34’s proposal for a mixed-use development on southbound Route 31 just south of the bridge over the South Branch of the Raritan River was originally scheduled for May 16.
The hearing on the project, Clinton Commons, is now scheduled for 7:30 p.m. June 20 at the Clinton Firehouse on New Street to accommodate an expected large audience.
The proposal has generated opposition from residents of the town that has received recognition for maintaining its small-town character. Many residents say they’re concerned that the development, though it is on a state highway about a mile north of an interstate highway, will damage the character of the town.
What is Clinton Commons?
Proposed retail: An unidentified 21,998-square-foot grocery store, a 2,558-square-foot drive-thru and eat-in Taco Bell and a 5,694-square-foot convenience store with eight gas pumps.
Proposed residential: 56 three-bedroom townhomes in 11 buildings of three to six units each.
Layout: The grocery store would be in the northern part of the property nearest the river. To the south would be the convenience store and Taco Bell. The townhomes would be behind the commercial buildings.
Traffic: Two entrances and exits from Route 31 into the development. The developer has submitted plans for the access to the state Department of Transportation for approval.
Off-site development: The project is in compliance with Clinton’s affordable housing settlement in Superior Court that calls for 10 affordable residential units to be built on the former site of the Clinton Music Hall, 23 W. Main St., which was destroyed by fire in May 2016. Those plans have not yet been submitted.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com