Controversial Tewksbury winery plan paused with new location in talks
TEWKSBURY – Landowners who want to build a winery on their Cold Brook Road property have "paused" the township approval process so they can explore alternatives.
The proposal by Frank and Elena Schwab to build a winery and tasting room was met with fierce opposition from neighbors and other residents who feared the winery would cause too much traffic on the narrow dirt lane off Lamington Road in the southeastern corner of the township.
Months of Tewksbury Land Use Board meetings to hear the proposal for the winery and tasting room called Soleiada Winery have drawn up to 100 people.
“… Given that the opposers of the project have expressed tremendous support for us considering other locations for our public tasting space we sought to find a solution that accommodates all considerations of the town,” Frank Schwab said.
Earlier:Tewksbury winery plan applicant says it will benefit township
“Now, with that support in mind, we have been presented with an incredible opportunity to move this project to another property that our friends and neighbors have agreed would be welcome by the community. We have thus decided to pause our application to the land use board and hope to find a good compromise solution in the very near future,” he continued.
No other details were available.
The proposal has also drawn opposition from the township's environmental and scenic roads and bridges commissions, which have also expressed traffic concerns.
Debate over Tewksbury winery plan:'Once it starts, you can't control where it goes'
Signs that say “Say No to the Winery” dot the township's rural landscape.
To limit traffic on the road where on some days there are more horses than cars, the Schwabs pledged the winery would be open only by appointment four days per week, eight hours per day from March 1 to Sept. 30. A maximum of eight employees, five or six in the winery and one or two servers in the tasting room, was anticipated.
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA Today Network New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Contact: JIntersimone@Gannett.com or @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Tewksbury NJ winery plan paused with new location in talks
