Aldi, Inc. will convert a vacant Rite Aid pharmacy on West Landis Avenue into a supermarket. This will be ALDI’s second Vineland location. A preliminary/final major site plan was approved recently by the Vineland Planning Board. As part of the project, ALDI plans to add 2,700 square feet to the building. The addition will increase the total size to 21,421 square feet.
The proposed site improvements include removal of the existing drive-through lane, which will be converted into landscaped green space, as well as an expansion to the rear of the building to accommodate additional floor area and a new dock loading facility.
There are two variances associated with the application. The applicant proposes 85 parking spaces, whereas 107 spaces are required under ordinance standards. The second variance concerns impervious (asphalt) lot coverage, with the site proposed at 58.8 percent where 50 percent is permitted.
There are also waiver requests relating to parking space dimensions, aisle widths, landscape buffering, and street shade trees. Planning Board staff explained that an existing front buffer area along Delsea Drive had previously been approved and that the current proposal generally maintains the existing buffering conditions, with only minor modifications.
ALDI will address the issues of shade trees and pedestrian connectivity. “Overall, the application was relatively straightforward aside from the requested variances and design waivers,” the meeting minutes reported.
