ShopRite Plans in Wyckoff Advance With Favorable Court Ruling

WYCKOFF, NJ–Construction of a new ShopRite in Wyckoff, NJ, moved closer to reality as a Bergen County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the Inserra family's efforts to expand its Inserra Supermarkets chain.

In his decision, Judge William Meehan dismissed the final three counts of Stop & Shop's latest legal appeal. Judge Meehan previously dismissed 11 of the appeal's 14 counts by summary judgment.

“All 14 counts of Stop & Shop's appeal have now been disposed of by the Bergen County Superior Court, bringing us another step closer to developing a state-of-the-art ShopRite for the Township of Wyckoff,” says Larry Inserra, Jr., chairman and CEO of the family-owned Inserra Supermarkets, which opened a new 60,000-square-foot store in Wallington on May 20. “We thank the residents of Wyckoff for their continued patience, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to make this store a reality.”

Stop & Shop initially appealed to the Board of Chosen Freeholders regarding the Bergen County Planning Board's unanimous approval of the store. When the Freeholders also unanimously approved the project, Stop & Shop then filed this latest court appeal.

Among other allegations, Stop & Shop claimed that Inserra should have been required to install a new traffic light at the intersection of Wyckoff Avenue and Greenwood Avenue before development of the new supermarket. The Freeholders and Planning Board have already taken measures to continue to monitor the intersection and examine safety issues once ShopRite of Wyckoff is complete.

“If the county decides after additional study that a light is warranted, Inserra Supermarkets is happy to pay the reasonable share of that cost,” says Inserra. “Safety is our top concern, and we have no doubt that the Freeholders and CPB will make the right decision.”

Mahwah-based Inserra Supermarkets earned the unanimous approval of the Township of Wyckoff's Planning Board in February 2013, following 38 public meetings over a three-year period. However, the litigation has stalled construction and breaking ground.

Building designs and heights of the proposed ShopRite of Wyckoff reflect the historic character and architecture of surrounding commercial and residential buildings. The property's existing structure has been vacant for more than 13 years, leaving the building and current 431 parking spaces in a state of disrepair. In addition to invoking traditional architecture, installation of almost an acre of new landscaping will significantly enhance the site and exceed the township's green space requirements.

Established in 1954 by Patsy Inserra as a privately held family business, Inserra Supermarkets today owns and operates 22 ShopRite supermarkets in Bayonne, Emerson, Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Hillsdale, Hoboken, Jersey City, Lodi, Lyndhurst, New Milford, Northvale, North Bergen, Palisades Park, Ramsey, Wallington, Wayne and West Milford in New Jersey and in Rockland County, NY, and a PriceRite store in Garfield.