Tag Archives: commercial

Mayoral candidate: Pat Cassio, Republican

Note: The two major-party candidates for mayor were invited to submit a blog post (no more than 750 words) about their redevelopment platforms. The entries were edited only for spelling and style, if necessary. Also on the ballot in the Nov. 2 election are three At-large City Council seats. Today’s post comes from Republican Pat Cassio. Democrat Rick Proctor will appear Tuesday morning.

Continue reading Mayoral candidate: Pat Cassio, Republican

Kataluma Chai closes up shop

Kataluma Chai Company closed as of Sunday, lasting less than a year at its Main Street location. The coffeehouse opened in October 2009 at 1470 Main St., subleasing about 650 square feet from the neighboring Niece’s Pieces, at the corner of Main and Lewis streets.

An announcement was posted in the windows of Kataluma Chai on Sunday (click image below to enlarge):

Dear Customers,
We regret to inform you that Kataluma Chai officially closed its doors on Sunday, September 26th. We appreciate all of the support you have given us over the past year. It has been our pleasure to serve you, and as an new business in downtown Rahway, we thank you for your warm welcome. We hope that you will continue to support local businesses during these tough economic times. Thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,
Kataluma Chai Owners
sales@katalumachainj.com

Ice cream shop gets OK, plans for spring 2012

The Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously approved an application Tuesday night that paves the way to demolish a former tavern and construct an ice cream shop..

Jimmy Biniaris, owner of Piece of Cake Frozen Specialties, told the board he plans to open the ice cream shop by spring 2012. Half of the store would include 13 freezer doors to store items for pick up from his manufacturing facility across the street, with the other half serving as an ice cream shop, he said. All production would remain at the facility across the street at 62 W. Inman Ave., which serves hotels and banquet facilities but also is “retail legal.” Three neighbors spoke in favor of the application.

A few aspects of the application mentioned last night were slightly different from what was reported here last month: there will be no indoor seating area, only a service counter area, and there were 11 parking spaces proposed (not nine as previously reported) but 12 are still required, making a variance necessary. Other variances sought were a use “d” variance for a nonconforming use and bulk “c” variances for front yard setback and maximum impervious coverage.

Decker’s Tavern operated for 66 years at the corner of Jaques and West Inman avenues until it closed in 2006 and also was a nonconforming use. Planner Nicholas Sottoes argued that the site is at the edge of the R-2 zone, is more influenced by an adjacent industrial zone, and the proposed residential-retail combination is more consistent with the two-family homes in the area.

Board members had some questions about street parking and traffic. Decker’s had but eight parking spaces while 20 spaces were required considering it had seating for 20 and about 15 bar stools, according to Sottoes, who added that four street parking spaces (one on Jaques, three on West Inman) could be used as well.

Craig Peregry, a planner hired by the applicant, seemed to allay board member concerns about a potential for increased traffic at the four-way stop intersection and street parking. Current volume at the intersection is very low, and low speed, with about 200 vehicles per hour, he said. Trip generation projections at peak hours — weekday evening and Saturday midday — indicated about 14 in and out of the site per hour while the state considers a “significant increase” to be 100+ trips per hour. “The traffic impact is a wash versus the previous use,” Peregry said.

More details about the application, which includes an apartment on the second floor, can be found in this previous post.

Salon fills former gallery, frame shop

A new hair salon took up the space formerly occupied by Debbie’s Grand Gallery. The gallery, at the corner of West Grand Avenue and Fernote Street, closed earlier this year.

Beyond Perfection Total Hair Care is only about a block away from Rahway Barber Shop, which opened last summer. If you’re wondering how a salon could open so close to a barber shop, you’re not alone. Almost two years ago, the Redevelopment Agency rejected a zoning overlay request to allow a full service salon on Irving Street, within the Arts District and within 1,000 feet of a similar business.

The city prohibits personal service businesses within 1,000 feet of each other, but that only applies to the B-4 (Service Business) zone, which is where the Irving Street space is located.

The West Grand Avenue salon is in a B-1 zone (Neighborhood Business), while Rahway Barber Shop is located in an R-2 zone (Medium Density Single-Family Residential). The salon also is a pre-existing non-conforming use, which is allowed, according to Richard Watkins, city construction official.

A couple of other retail/commercial moves to catch up on this summer:
* Def Def, what appears to be an urban men’s clothing store, opened on Main Street in June, replacing Charlie’s Flowers, which closed and left the space in February.
* Shake It Up Nutrition Club opened in a space on Elizabeth Avenue.

Anyone notice any others? Check back next week for an update on some tenants coming to downtown later this year.

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Not related to redevelopment, but it’s pretty cool when a local resident plays in the NFL. Check out this training camp story on Antonio Garay with the San Diego Chargers.

Some work begins at Decker’s Tavern

Some exterior work looks like it has begun on Decker’s Tavern, ahead of its zoning application to turn it into an ice cream shop.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment is scheduled hear the application at its Sept. 14 meeting at 7 p.m. We detailed the application in a post about a month ago.

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Our latest blog poll will be up next week. I’m thinking, “What’s your favorite breakfast place?” I’ve got a few places in mind to include in the poll but, as always, I’m open to more suggestions, especially for any out-of-the-way places that aren’t downtown. Feel free to email to rahwayrising(at)gmail.com, or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

Piece of Cake has plans for Decker’s Tavern site

An ice cream shop would replace a vacant package goods tavern if the Zoning Board of Adjustment gives its blessing next week.

8/16 UPDATE: The applicant decided to postpone the hearing until the Sept. 13 Sept. 14 meeting because only six of the seven Zoning Board members were present. A use change requires five affirmative votes.



Decker’s Tavern, at the corner of Jaques and West Inman avenues, closed several years ago and a proposal in November 2007 that sought to build two three-bedroom duplexes was rejected by the Zoning Board, fearing it was too intense for the site. Continue reading Piece of Cake has plans for Decker’s Tavern site

West Grand Avenue boasts new 6-Eleven

[twentytwenty][/twentytwenty]

 

 

I’m no trademark attorney but my first impression is that the new 6-Eleven on West Grand Avenue might just be inviting a lawsuit from 7-Eleven. Then again, maybe it’s related to this 24-year-old, Houston, Texas-based company.

Either way, it’s a new convenience store and deli that’s a big improvement aesthetically over the dilapidated property that sat vacant for at least 10 years near the intersection of Irving Street.

The Zoning Board granted several variances about two years ago and the property underwent some renovations that were completed last year. Below is what the property used to look like. The ground floor has about 1,700 square feet of retail space with two two-bedroom rental apartments on the second floor.