Sonic gains OK from planners

HOWELL- Sonic, the largest chain of drive-in restaurants in the United States, is coming to Route 9.

W&W II filed an application with the Planning Board seeking preliminary and final site plan approval for a fast food restaurant at Route 9 south and New Friendship Road. Approval for the Sonic restaurant was granted by the board on March 6. The chain has a menu that is centered around hamburgers.

According to information presented at the meeting, the applicant initially received preliminary and final site plan approval to construct a Wendy's fast-food restaurant at Route 9 south and New Friendship Road. Last week the applicant sought an amended preliminary and final site plan approval to construct a Sonic restaurant instead of a Wendy's.

The Sonic will sit on a 7-acre site and have 320 feet of frontage on Route 9. The building will be red brick, one story, with a drive-up lane. It is next to a retail shopping center. The applicant's representatives said the applicant would install sidewalks in the area.

Traffic engineer John Rea said the Sonic restaurant would generate the same impact from a traffic point of view that the Wendy's restaurant would have produced.

The Sonic restaurant will have car hops who will deliver customers' orders and maintain the lot in regard to trash.

Board members Paul Schneider, Paul Sayah, Christopher Estevez, Alicia Iammatteo, Robert Nicastro and Vincent Tantillo voted to approve the application.

- Toynett Hall