Walgreens Plan Sparks Safety Concerns in Teaneck

A proposed drive-through Walgreens pharmacy on Cedar Lane has prompted concerns over traffic safety and congestion from area residents and township officials. 

Representatives of Win Development LLC, which is seeking permission to build the store in place of the closed Louie's Charcoal Pit, an adjacent corner gas station and the former Davis Toys, maintained that the drive-through traffic would be minimal and offered to install a host of pedestrian safety devices. 

Under the proposal, drive-through customers would travel to the rear of the store and exit onto Cedar Lane across the sidewalk on a driveway between the pharmacy's eastern end and the next-door property, according to plans filed with the township. Motorists would only be allowed to make a right turn from that exit. 

The property would have a one-way entrance on Cedar Lane and a two-way driveway on Alma Terrace. 

At a public hearing Thursday, Zoning Board member Edward Mulligan questioned the safety of having the drive-through exit a short distance from a crosswalk on Cedar Lane, near the vacant movie theater. 

"We have had pedestrians killed already on Cedar Lane in the crosswalk," Mulligan said, adding he worried the plans were "creating a recipe for disaster." 

Mulligan said he was concerned drivers would try to use the drive-through lane to cut around traffic. 

Bahman Izadmehr, a traffic engineer for Win Development, said sensors, a video camera and warning lights could be installed to alert exiting customers and nearby pedestrians. 

Speed bumps and a crossing gate could also be used to prevent cars from speeding in the drive-through lane, Izadmehr said. 

"We have tried to use all the measures available to us to make this driveway safe," he told the town's zoning board. 

Customers not using the drive-through would likely avoid exiting by that driveway because the move would be "cumbersome," he said. Signs could be installed to prohibit others from exiting via the drive-through.

Projections showed a maximum of five cars per hour would patronize the drive-through window, according the traffic engineer. Eight to nine vehicles could wait in the drive-through lane.

Izadmehr also proposed improving safety of the current Cedar Lane crosswalk, near the shuttered movie theater, by installing brighter-colored signs and pedestrian-activated flashing lights. The crosswalk is a safe distance from the proposed drug store's eastern end, about 25 feet, he said. 

Herlinsky said the developer was aware of the public safety concerns raised by zoning board members and explored various configurations for the site. 

The developer considered nixing the Cedar Lane exit and creating a cul-de-sac with an exit to Alma Terrace, but was limited by size of the property, according to Victor Herlinsky, an attorney for Win Development. 

Lt. John Fagello, of the Teaneck Police Department's traffic unit, said he was aware Win Development had taken steps to make the area safe but traffic laws were often ignored. 

"My concern is that regardless of what you put there people disobey signs all the time," Fagello said. "If people aren't paying attention, say they're texting, the pedestrian is not going to be safe."

"Is having a little flashing light really going to protect us?" resident Paula Rogovin asked. 

Walter Morris, a neighborhood resident for 35 years, said the area has seen an increase in traffic and worried about congestion on Cedar Lane and nearby residential streets. 

The developer was reviewing moving the drive-through window to the eastern side of the building, in place of a loading dock, Herlinsky said. The loading area could be moved behind the building, allowing trucks to exit on Alma Terrace. 

"We can totally eliminate truck movement coming onto Cedar Lane," said Win Development's Owen Ewing.  

Herlinsky said a drive-through was a key competent of the project. 

"Two thirds of Walgreens in New Jersey have drive-throughs and all the new Walgreens have them," he said. 

The zoning board will continue hearing testimony at an April 18 meeting planned at the municipal building. 

Related Coverage: 

• Residents Question Cedar Lane Walgreens Plan
• Pharmacy Could Replace Louie’s in Teaneck
• Louie’s in Teaneck Closed ‘Indefinitely’
• Landlord Hopes to Keep Theater on Cedar Lane
• POLL: What Do You Want to See on Cedar Lane?

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