After months of testimony and debate, the Hopewell Township Zoning Board has approved a revised plan for a three-story, 117,000-square-foot self-storage facility at 2393 Pennington Road, near the intersection with Route 31.
The applicant, 1784 Holdings, won unanimous support from the board at its most recent meeting after presenting updated site plans that addressed earlier objections. The revised proposal eliminates previously planned outdoor storage areas for RVs and boats, increases the building’s setback from Pennington Road to 134 feet, and includes a 75-foot vegetative buffer along the road frontage. The updated design also slightly reduces the building footprint and the number of parking spaces.
The approval comes after a contentious review process in which several board members initially raised concerns about the project’s size and compatibility with local zoning standards. At the board’s May meeting, a motion to deny the application failed by a narrow 4–3 vote. In response, 1784 Holdings offered to amend its plans in exchange for approval of the full building size.
Under current zoning regulations, only 53,000 square feet is permitted on the site. Opponents of the project continued to argue that the larger facility—proposed to include roughly 1,000 storage units—is driven by the developer’s financial interests rather than local need. They said the project undermines the Township’s Master Plan and could compromise traffic safety along the Route 31 corridor.
In the end, board members said they were persuaded by the applicant’s changes, particularly the elimination of RV and boat storage and expanded setbacks, and felt the revised proposal sufficiently addressed their prior concerns. The project was approved unanimously.
