Following roughly three hours of testimony and questioning, the Township Land Use Board unanimously approved plans allowing an established medical marijuana company to operate a growing and processing facility on Route 94.
The board voted 7-0 on Thursday in favor of preliminary site plan approval and variances for Harmony Foundation of New Jersey to move its existing operation from Secaucus to the former site of the Schering-Plough complex. The plan was modified following board feedback at last month’s meeting and will now include the construction of one building approximately 382,000 square feet across two stories — rather than two separate structures — as well as two entrance lanes to reduce the potential for traffic buildup on the road.
Among the variances included in the approved plan are a building height of 38.4 feet where a maximum of 35 feet is permitted and 322 parking spaces where a building of that size would require at least 1,029. Engineer Owen Dykstra, speaking on behalf of Harmony, explained that the relatively low parking availability is due to the fact that the public will not be allowed to access the facility.
While Harmony’s Secaucus location also houses a retail operation, CEO Shaya Brodchandel reiterated Thursday that the Lafayette facility will be strictly a growing operation and will not include any sales of the product at the site.