Aging is inevitable, and for many, it signals the beginning of a new chapter - one where you cross off bucket list items and live life to the fullest, on your own terms. However, for some men, aging is a horrible prospect, filled with chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to perform in the bedroom. If you're concerned about life in middle age and beyond, we've got great news: there are easy, proven steps that you can take to help stop the negative effect of aging.
Global Life Rejuvenation was founded to give men a new lease on life - one that includes less body fat, fewer mood swings, and more energy as you age. If you're ready to look and feel younger, it's time to consider TRT (testosterone replacement therapy), and growth hormone peptides. These therapies for men are effective, safe, and customized to fit your goals, so you can keep loving life as you get older.
TRT, and growth hormone peptide therapies bridge the gap between your old life and the more vibrant, happier version of you. With a simple click or call, you can be well on your way to a brighter future. After all, you deserve to be the one in charge of your wellness and health. Now, you have the tools to do so - backed by science and applied by our team of TRT and HRT experts with more than 13 years of experience.
For men, getting older comes with its perks, like living life on their own terms and not having to "sweat the small stuff" day in and day out. At the same time, there are aspects of aging that men dread, like hormonal changes. Yes, you read that right – men, not just women, go through hormonal changes as they age. For men, the biggest change involves a drop in testosterone.
Lower levels of testosterone can wreak havoc on a male's mind and body and when left untreated, can result in symptoms like:
Those symptoms are concerning, but with testosterone replacement therapy and anti-aging medicine, many males improve their quality of life with age. The good news is that TRT and anti-aging meds aren't only reserved for "old guys." In fact, there's no magic age at which men should start thinking about hormone replacement therapy. Everyone's body is different, so if you're experiencing the above conditions in your mid-30s, TRT could be a viable solution when you consult with a doctor.
Testosterone is a crucial hormone for men and plays an important role throughout the male lifespan. Most of a male's testosterone is produced through the testicles. Also called the male sex hormone, testosterone starts playing its part during puberty.
When a male goes through puberty, testosterone helps males develop:
As boys turn to men and men grow older, testosterone levels deplete naturally. Sometimes, events like injuries and chronic health conditions like diabetes can lower testosterone levels. Unfortunately, when a man loses too much T, it results in hypogonadism. When this happens, the testosterone must be replaced, or the male will suffer from symptoms like muscle loss, low libido, and even depression.
TRT is exactly what it sounds like: a treatment option for men that replaces testosterone so that your body regulates hormones properly and restores balance to your life. Also called androgen replacement therapy, TRT alleviates the symptoms that men experience with low T.
Originally lab-synthesized in 1935, testosterone has grown in popularity since it was produced. Today, TRT and other testosterone treatments are among the most popular prescriptions in the U.S.
Without getting too deep into the science, TRT works by giving your body the essential testosterone it needs to function correctly. As the primary androgen for both males and females, testosterone impacts many of the body's natural processes – especially those needed for overall health. For example, men with low T are more prone to serious problems like cardiovascular disease and even type-2 diabetes.
When your body quits making enough testosterone, it causes your health to suffer until a solution is presented. That's where TRT and anti-aging medicine for men can help. TRT helps balance your hormones and replenish your depleted testosterone. With time, your body will begin to heal, and many symptoms like low libido and irritability begin to diminish.
For men, aging is the biggest contributor to lower testosterone levels, though there are other causes like obesity, drug abuse, testicular injuries, and certain prescribed medications. Sometimes, long-term health conditions like AIDS, cirrhosis of the liver, and kidney disease can lower testosterone levels.
When a man's testosterone levels drop significantly, it alters his body's ratio of estrogen and testosterone. Lower testosterone levels cause more abdominal fat, which in turn results in increased aromatase, which converts even more testosterone into estrogen.
If you're concerned that you might have low T, you're not alone. Millions of men in the U.S. feel the same way. The best way to find out if your testosterone is low is to get your levels tested.
For sustainable testosterone replacement therapy benefits, you must consult with hormone doctors and experts like those you can find at Global Life Rejuvenation. That way, you can find the root cause of your hormone problems, and our team can craft a personalized HRT plan tailored to your needs.
Are you used to blasting through a productive day and accomplishing all your daily goals? Do you find yourself losing muscle mass and the craving to be intimate with your partner? Does your partner complain about how irritable you have become? If you're not usually a curmudgeon, your body could be giving you a sign. It could be time to speak with a doctor about TRT and anti-aging medicine for men in Vernon Center, NJ.
If you're experiencing any of the following symptoms, you might be battling against low testosterone:
One of the most common reasons that men choose TRT is because they have lost that "spark" with their partner. It's not easy for a man to hear that they're not performing like they used to. Intimacy is a powerful part of any relationship. When a once-healthy sex life dwindles, it can cause serious relationship issues.
The good news is that low libido doesn't have to be a permanent problem. TRT and anti-aging medicines help revert hormone levels back into their normal range. When this happens, many men have a more enjoyable life full of intimacy and sex drive.
Weak erections – it's an uncomfortable subject for many men in the U.S. to talk about. It's even worse to experience first-hand. You're in the midst of an intimate moment, and you can't do your part. Despite being perfectly normal, many men put blame and shame upon themselves when they can't achieve an erection. And while the inability to perform sexually can be caused by poor diet, obesity, and chronic health conditions, low testosterone is often a contributing factor.
Fortunately, weak erections are a treatable condition. The best way to regain your confidence and ability in bed is to speak with your doctor. Once any underlying conditions are discovered, options like TRT may be the best course of treatment.
Hair Loss
Do you find it harder and harder to work out and lift weights in the gym? Are you having problems lifting heavy items that you once had no problem lifting?
Recent studies show that when men are inactive, they lose .5% of muscle strength every year, from ages 25 to 60. After 60, muscle loss doubles every decade. While some muscle loss is common as men age, a significant portion can be tied to low testosterone levels. When a man's T levels drop, so does his muscle mass.
Testosterone is a much-needed component used in gaining and retaining muscle mass. That's why many doctors prescribe TRT Vernon Center, NJ, for men having problems with strength. One recent study found that men who increased their testosterone levels using TRT gained as much as 2.5 pounds of muscle mass.
Whether your gym performance is lacking, or you can't lift heavy items like you used to, don't blame it all on age. You could be suffering from hypogonadism.
If you're like millions of other men in their late 20s and 30s, dealing with hair loss is a reality you don't want to face. Closely related to testosterone decline and hormone imbalances, hair loss is distressing for many men. This common symptom is often related to a derivative of testosterone called DHT. Excess amounts of DHT cause hair follicles to halt their production, causing follicles to die.
Because hair located at the front and crown is more sensitive to DHT, it grows slower than other follicles and eventually stops growing permanently. Thankfully, TRT and anti-aging treatments for men in Vernon Center, NJ, is now available to address hair loss for good.
While it's true that you can't change your genes, you can change the effects of low testosterone on your body. Whether you're suffering from thinning hair or hair loss across your entire head, TRT and other hormone therapies can stop hair loss and even reverse the process.
Also called "man boobs," gynecomastia is essentially the enlargement of male breast tissue. This increase in fatty tissue is often caused by hormonal imbalances and an increase in estrogen. For men, estrogen levels are elevated during andropause. Also called male menopause, andropause usually happens because of a lack of testosterone.
If you're a man between the ages of 40 and 55, and you're embarrassed by having large breasts, don't lose hope. TRT is a safe, effective way to eliminate the underlying cause of gynecomastia without invasive surgery. With a custom HRT and fitness program, you can bring your testosterone and estrogen levels back to normal before you know it.
Decreased energy was once considered a normal part of aging. Today, many doctors know better. Advances in technology and our understanding of testosterone show that low T and lack of energy often go hand-in-hand.
If you're struggling to enjoy activities like playing with your kids or hiking in a park due to lack of energy, it could be a sign of low T. Of course, getting tired is perfectly normal for any man. But if you're suffering from continual fatigue, a lack of enjoyment, or a decrease in energy, it might be time to speak with a doctor.
Whether you're having a tough time getting through your day or can't finish activities you used to love, TRT could help.
A study from 2011 showed that men who lose a week's worth of sleep can experience lowered testosterone levels – as much as 15%, according to experts. Additional research into the topic found almost 15% of workers only get five hours of sleep (or less) per night. These findings suggest that sleep loss negatively impacts T levels and wellbeing.
The bottom line is that men who have trouble sleeping often suffer from lower testosterone levels as a result. If you find yourself exhausted at the end of the day but toss and turn all night long, you might have low T.
TRT and anti-aging medicines can restore your T levels back to normal, which can help you sleep better with proper diet and exercise.
You're feeling down about everything, and there's no solid explanation for why you're in such a crummy mood. Your daily life is great and full of success, but you can't help but feel unexcited and unmotivated. If you're experiencing symptoms like these, you may be depressed – and it may stem from low testosterone.
A research study from Munich found that men with depression also commonly had low testosterone levels. This same study also found that depressed men had cortisol levels that were 67% higher than other men. Because higher cortisol levels lead to lower levels of testosterone, the chances of severe depression increase.
Depression is a very real disorder and should always be diagnosed and treated by your doctor. One treatment option gaining in popularity is TRT for depression. Studies show that when TRT is used to restore hormone levels, men enjoy a lighter, more improved mood. That's great news for men who are depressed and have not had success with other treatments like anti-depression medicines, which alter the brain's chemistry.
Ask anyone over the age of 50 how their memory is, and they'll tell you it wasn't what it used to be. Memory loss and lack of concentration occur naturally as we age – these aren't always signs of dementia or Alzheimer's.
However, what many men consider a symptom of age may be caused by low testosterone. A 2006 study found that males with low T levels performed poorly on cognitive skill tests. These results suggest that low testosterone may play a part in reducing cognitive ability. If you're having trouble staying on task or remembering what your schedule is for the day, it might not be due to your age. It might be because your testosterone levels are too low. If you're having trouble concentrating or remembering daily tasks, it could be time to talk to your doctor.
Why? The aforementioned study found that participating men experienced improved cognitive skills when using TRT.
Even though today's society is more inclusive of large people, few adults enjoy gaining weight as they age. Despite their best efforts, many men just can't shed the extra pounds around their midsections, increasing their risk of heart disease and cancer.
Often, male weight gain is caused by hormone imbalances that slow the metabolism and cause weight to pile on. This phase of life is called andropause and happens when there is a lack of testosterone in the body. Couple that with high cortisol levels, and you've got a recipe for flabby guts and double chins.
Fortunately, TRT treatments and physician-led weight loss programs can correct hormone imbalances and lead to healthy weight loss for men.
The benefits of hormone replacement therapy for men are numerous. TRT not only grants relief from low-T symptoms but can help give protection against age-related diseases. Additionally, doctors now recognize male testosterone as an important role in alleviating depression.
Some of the most exciting benefits of TRT can include:
Because men do not go through a specific period of hormonal changes like women do (called menopause), many doctors refer to "male menopause" as androgen decline. This is just another term for low testosterone, but like female menopause, the symptoms can be serious and affect your quality of life.
The best way to fight back against male menopause is with male HRT treatment from Global Life Rejuvenation. We provide the following HRT treatments for men:
Our treatment options are personalized for your body and are available as creams, gels, injectables, and implantable pellets. To find out if testosterone replacement therapy is safe for you, contact Global Life Rejuvenation today to schedule your comprehensive testing and anti-aging treatment consultation.
Growth hormone peptides are an innovative therapy that boosts the natural human growth hormone production in a person's body. These exciting treatment options help slow down the aging process and give you a chance at restoring your youth.
Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.
Benefits of Sermorelin include:
Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.
Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.
One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it is suitable for both men and women. It provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies, boosting patients' overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life. When growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland using Ipamorelin, clients report amazing benefits.
Some of those benefits include:
Whether you are considering our TRT services, HRT for women, or our growth hormone peptide services, we are here to help. The first step to turning back the hand of time starts by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation.
Our friendly, knowledgeable TRT and HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!
866-793-9933
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — The nation’s first open-air mall — the ...
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — The nation’s first open-air mall — the Cross County Center — will host two special events in March to help us enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and the approaching spring season.
Back by popular demand, will perform circus shows daily from March 3-20. Amazing acts include acrobatics, aerial and trapeze, clowns, jugglers, motorcycle globe, magic and more!
The big top tent will be located in the north parking lot, across from Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Monday - Friday, 7:30pm and 1, 4 and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. To purchase tickets, click here. (TIP: There is a $10 discount for purchasing tickets online instead of at the box office.)
Then the Easter Bunny will return to the iconic outdoor shopping destination for photos with families, creating memorable moments that last a lifetime! Photo ops with the Easter Bunny begin March 24 and continue through April 8. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday - Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Visitors are encouraged to dress in their Sunday best for photos with the lovable bunny! Reservations are recommended. For more information and reservations, please visit www.crosscountycenter.com.
VERNON — A new visitor contact station has been added to the Owens Station Crossing area of the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and will be open to the public next year.The new building will allow visitors to rent kayaks or fishing poles and will offer "explorer backpacks" for children to use. Also inside will be a store being stocked by the Friends of Wallkill River NWR.The refuge is a federally protected area under the administration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and includes federally-owned, a...
VERNON — A new visitor contact station has been added to the Owens Station Crossing area of the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and will be open to the public next year.
The new building will allow visitors to rent kayaks or fishing poles and will offer "explorer backpacks" for children to use. Also inside will be a store being stocked by the Friends of Wallkill River NWR.
The refuge is a federally protected area under the administration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and includes federally-owned, as well as privately-owned land. The refuge straddles the Wallkill River in both Vernon and Wantage townships and crosses the New Jersey-New York border.
According to officials and the Friends group, the facility has become a refuge for wildlife as well as humans.
The number of visitors has increased during the coronavirus pandemic as humans sought out recreation venues where they can socially distance.
The building sits just a few yards from a handicapped-accessible dock which includes an area that makes it easy to get into and out of kayaks.
The "explorer backpacks" are filled with activities children can follow while in the refuge designed to help them get acquainted with the many species of waterfowl in the refuge, including at least one pair of nesting bald eagles.
The refuge also has walking trails, Liberty Loop, Winding Waters and Timberdoodle, in the northern part and Wood Duck Nature Trail just off Route 23 in the southern part.
There are also kayak-launching areas on the river.
The Friends group, active since 2006, is a non-profit organization run by volunteers.
“Raising funds during a pandemic has been challenging, especially since we have been unable to hold events in person,” said Giselle Smisko, president of the Friends group. “Thankfully our members are supportive, and we are reaching out to the local community and applying for grants. One way or another, we are determined to succeed.”
The group has also provided volunteers on weekends at the Liberty Loop trail to offer visitors information on the refuge.
Wallkill River refuge is also the administrative head of the Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Great Swamp, Cherry Valley, Shawangunk Grasslands and Great Thicket national wildlife refuges.
VERNON — Legends, the now-shuttered former Playboy Club that hosted sold-out performances by Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr. and other big-time entertainers in its heyday, may be on the verge of a second act under terms of a proposed legal settlement with the township.Mayor Howard Burrell, who will present it to the Township Council for approval Tuesday, said the township has already received hundreds of thousands of dollars in past due property taxes and is betting the house's money the agreement ca...
VERNON — Legends, the now-shuttered former Playboy Club that hosted sold-out performances by Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr. and other big-time entertainers in its heyday, may be on the verge of a second act under terms of a proposed legal settlement with the township.
Mayor Howard Burrell, who will present it to the Township Council for approval Tuesday, said the township has already received hundreds of thousands of dollars in past due property taxes and is betting the house's money the agreement can resurrect the late Hugh Hefner's once-palatial resort from mothballs into something that can again be a revenue generator for the township.
The linchpin of the proposal is the agreement by Metairie Corp., the facility's current owner, to make good on $860,000 in delinquent property taxes due to Vernon. Of that amount, $472,000 was paid at the end of last month with the balance due by June 30, 2021, Burrell said.
Metairie would also be required to find a buyer or obtain financing for the redevelopment of the property, located at the junction of Route 94 and Route 517, by June 30 or find an auctioneer to sell it off by October.
Vernon, in turn, would forgive about $60,000 in building and fire code violations and drop its opposition to renewing the resort's cabaret liquor license, a major consideration for any investor.
"The assumption is that anyone who buys this will know what the situation is and have some plan to make it useful," Burrell said. "I can't see somebody paying a lot of money for it without a plan."
Vernon residents have heard this song before, from proposals to turn it into a convention center or satellite college campus and again two years ago when a hedge fund investor claimed to be finalizing a deal to turn it into a retirement community. All came to naught.
But with the new Legoland theme park set to open next year in Goshen, N.Y., Burrell said the time is right for Vernon and its resorts to cash in on an expected spillover of tourism and demand for hotel rooms across the region. He believes this spillover will be key to resurrecting the resort.
Built at a cost of nearly $30 million, the Great Gorge Playboy Club had eight floors and over 800 guest rooms as well as a penthouse suite famously reserved for Hefner himself when it opened in 1971. The resort had a cabaret, ballroom, 27-championship hole golf course, bowling, tennis, jacuzzis, indoor swimming pools and an Olympic-sized outdoor pool plus access to nearby skiing and riding. These amenities, coupled with its nightly entertainment and ubiquitous Playboy Bunnies, enabled the club to flourish in its first few years.
Things started to go south once the novelty wore off and hopes for the legalization of casino gambling at the hotel were dashed. In 1982, the facility was sold to the Americana hotel chain and later was resold and rebranded as Seasons.
Many of the units were subsequently converted to timeshares and condominiums. In 1998, the remaining units and building were rebranded as Legends Resort & Country Club and acquired by Hillel Meyers, a Florida-based timeshare industry executive whose Metairie Corp. remains the facility's primary owner today.
Much of the building has since been shuttered and the unused units leased to short-term tenants including a Tennessee Gas pipeline worker from out of state who was murdered at the hotel in 2008. With reports of drug dealing and vultures, bats and other vermin taking up residence in the building, Vernon took steps to have the remaining 60 or so low-income tenants evicted three years ago for health and safety reasons.
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Burrell is hopeful the removal of legal and tax encumbrances will make the former hotel more palatable to an investor. However, he acknowledged the sale could be complicated by the multiple unit owners and more than 2,200 people who bought timeshares here in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Some are believed to still hold title to those units.
"All of the people who still own condos are unknown and probably unknowable to a great extent," Burrell said. "For us, the important thing is that all of the taxes and anything else that's financially due Vernon will have to come off the top, so it's going to be up to the new owner to deal with those people. He'll have to do that."
Although the township could seek to condemn the facility through eminent domain, Burrell said it would do nothing to put it back on the tax rolls. Additionally, the township doesn't want to be in the hotel business or left to shoulder the $1 million in annual carrying costs to keep its infrastructure from deteriorating, let alone the $15 million or more it may take to refurbish it.
Burrell said the settlement will be a win-win if it leads an investor to come forward and restore the facility to the tax rolls.
Eric Obernauer can also be contacted on Twitter: @EricObernNJH or by phone at 862-273-5349.
BURLINGTON TWP. - An imposing entrance that once welcomed shoppers to a mall here now looms over a field of rubble.Demolition is well underway at the former Burlington Center, and the planning board this week is to consider plans for extensive new construction there.A Maryland firm wants to build three warehouses with a combined 1.9 million square feet at the sprawling property off Burlington-Mount Holly Road near Interstate 295.Its proposal also calls for more than 100,000 square feet of retail developmen...
BURLINGTON TWP. - An imposing entrance that once welcomed shoppers to a mall here now looms over a field of rubble.
Demolition is well underway at the former Burlington Center, and the planning board this week is to consider plans for extensive new construction there.
A Maryland firm wants to build three warehouses with a combined 1.9 million square feet at the sprawling property off Burlington-Mount Holly Road near Interstate 295.
Its proposal also calls for more than 100,000 square feet of retail development, including shops, restaurants and medical offices in seven buildings. That compares to more than 850,000 square feet of space at the long-vacant mall.
The project, known as The Crossings, won preliminary approval Thursday from Burlington Township’s planning board.
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The board also considered a preliminary proposal for an unrelated shopping center with a Chipotle restaurant and up to four other tenants. The 12,000-square-foot project would rise next to a Lidl supermarket that opened last summer on the same highway, also known as Route 541.
Board members approved consolidation of a three-acre lot as an early step toward potential development.
Township officials pursued redevelopment of Burlington Center for almost 15 years, eventually reaching agreement on the current proposal.
"The location is tremendous," said developer Dan Hudson of MRP Industrial, a Baltimore-based firm that has built multiple warehouses in Burlington County.
He noted the site's location next to Interstate 295 and a short distance from the New Jersey Turnpike.
The two-level mall was built in 1982 by the Maryland-based Rouse Co., which developed Cherry Hill Mall in 1961 and Echelon Mall in 1969. The shopping center struggled with rising vacancy rates before closing when burst pipes flooded its interior in January 2018.
Demolition began at the 230-acre site in March and is expected to continue into September.
The warehouses could employ more than 1,000 workers in buildings ranging from 210,800 to 939,300 square feet, according to an environmental impact statement for the project.
The distribution centers would offer “loading stalls” for 336 trucks and parking stalls for more than 1,000 cars, according to the developer’s application.
Tractor-trailer access for the warehouse would be restricted to Burlington-Mount Holly Road, it says.
Retail uses, which could include restaurants with liquor licenses, would occupy about 43 acres of the property. Those buildings, expected to rise near the Bromley Boulevard intersection, would range in size from 2,850 to 55,655 square feet, the application says.
The property will include open space that could be used for additional retail development, noted Chris Roche, a consultant for the developer.
"Hopefully, it will work to our advantage to get some good restaurants and retail into that site," Mayor Brian Carlin said at Thursday's meeting.
The plan also calls for extensive landscaping to screen the project from a nearby residential neighborhood.
According to the environmental impact statement, the plantings would include more than 160 trees and almost 1,300 shrubs.
An application before the planning board says the former mall is being revived by an affiliate of a Maryland real estate investment trust, Lion Industrial Trust.
The smaller retail center is proposed by a group that includes Vernon Hill II of Moorestown, the chairman and CEO of Philadelphia-based Republic Bank.
Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development and other beats for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
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The Vernon Township Council on Feb. 8. changed the zoning of a property in the Town Center to allow a gas station/convenience store on the old D&S Mall site.The ordinance passed 4-0 over numerous objections from the public and surrounding property owners. Council vice president John Auberger abstained.Attorney William Askien of the Askien and Hooker law firm represents the Shotmeyer family, which owns the Lukoil station and Mini-Mart at the corner of Route 94 and County Highway 515. The ordinance was “fundamentally un...
The Vernon Township Council on Feb. 8. changed the zoning of a property in the Town Center to allow a gas station/convenience store on the old D&S Mall site.
The ordinance passed 4-0 over numerous objections from the public and surrounding property owners. Council vice president John Auberger abstained.
Attorney William Askien of the Askien and Hooker law firm represents the Shotmeyer family, which owns the Lukoil station and Mini-Mart at the corner of Route 94 and County Highway 515. The ordinance was “fundamentally unfair,” he said, calling it “spot zoning disguised as a master plan” reimagined.
He said the proposed Circle K gas station and convenience store would cripple Shotmeyer family’s business. “Nobody is against or opposed to new development,” Askien said, “but people do oppose it when it’s likely to negatively oppose existing businesses that have been around all these years.”
Chuck Shotmeyer said his family also owns 541 Route 515 and has owned property in the township adjoining the Lukoil station, which he hopes to redevelop. The family worked with the township’s historical group and paid for moving the Mixing Bowl Restaurant.
“We’ve done all this knowing there is a master plan in place,” Shotmeyer said. “We understand there were no more gas stations permitted in that zone. We continued to do our part and our best as a business citizen in the community.”
Residents surrounding the site, especially on Guthrie Road, which runs behind the D&S Mall, complained the township gave no advanced warning of the meeting and no notification about the proposed the Circle K gas station.
Township attorney Josh Zielinski said the requirement to adopt the redevelopment ordinance has the same notification requirements as any other ordinance the township adopts.
With the ordinance now approved, the property owners will send a site plan application to the Vernon Township Land Use Board. At that point, all the notification requirements would apply under the law, including notifications to anyone close to the site. “There’s nothing deficient about this ordinance,” Zielinski said.
Jasvinder Arjani of Bertin Engineering, the project manager for the proposed Circle K, said the plan is now just a concept, and that notices will be sent out when it goes before the Land Use Board. He said the project is a commercial and retail use, which is the property’s current use, and the only addition will be the gas station.
Residents also expressed concern about apartments to be located above the store, which Arjani said were for the people who will work at the business.
Others at a previous meeting said gas stations may become obsolete in ten years. But Arjani said the station will provide at least two charging stations for electric cars.
“There is no guarantee the Land Use Board will approve everything they present,” Mayor Howard Burrell said. “We have standards in this town.”
Councilwoman Toni Cilli said the Circle K isn’t anyone’s first choice for that property.
“We need something,” she said. “That’s what came to us. That’s what wants to build here. We all want restaurants. We all want little shops. That’s what I want. But we have to be business friendly to those who want to come here. We have to start somewhere.”
