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Mixed feelings?

Mixed feelings on new Brunswick roundabout resolution passed

At the regular Brunswick Hills Township zoning meeting on April 2, 2026, Circle K gas stations presented a request for a map amendment at the intersection of Sleepy Hollow and Pearl Road.

Brett Lamb, Circle K’s real estate development manager, asked to rezone the property from C1 to C3 to align with the company’s plan to build a gas station. The engineer accompanying him noted that adjustments had already been made to the site plans to accommodate the lot size.

Board member Chris Kalina raised concerns about spot zoning, suggesting that the applicant should pursue variances instead. Fellow board member David Smerel echoed that worry, stating it appeared the zoning change was being sought merely to bypass the variance process.

However, Wes Humphrey, Brunswick Hills’ building inspector, argued that the rezoning request was the simpler and more straightforward path. He added that he hadn’t heard the term “spot zoning” in 20 years.

The Circle K representatives left the meeting with plans to return at a future variance hearing.

Residents voice alarm over rezoning ‘formality,’ but settlement leaves township few options

BRUNSWICK HILLS — During a Zoning Commission public meeting Thursday, April 2, 2026, residents voiced fierce opposition to the rezoning of two parcels adjacent to Pearl and Bluebell Lane — even as officials acknowledged the change may be legally unavoidable.

At the heart of residents’ concerns: proposed development plans that include small business warehousing, driveway access off Bluebell, and increased light and noise pollution. Minimum setbacks were waived during a previous meeting, and one adjacent property owner said they never received the legally required certified letter notifying them of the variance requests. Stormwater runoff also drew sharp criticism, with one resident noting that a nearby creek is already overburdened and prone to frequent flooding.

But the township’s hands may be tied. Zoning board member Edward Whitt stated at the outset of the meeting that the rezoning is mandated by a 2005 lawsuit settlement, calling the proceeding “a formality.”

Resident Kathleen Shutzour recounted the settlement’s origins, explaining that in 2003, the original proposal sought to develop the entire property with residential units behind C1 commercial space. The developer sued the township and herself, she said, and the resulting settlement required the property to be marketed as C1 for two years, after which it was to become townhomes or condominiums.

Chris Kalina, holding a copy of the settlement, reaffirmed that developers have legal authority to develop the property as either C1 commercial or condominiums — both permitted under C1 zoning at the time.

The board adjourned without taking any action, presumably to weigh what comes next. But if the township fails to follow the settlement agreement, legal consequences could follow, leaving officials little room to deny the rezoning despite resident opposition.