BARNEGAT – A new health care practice coming to town may be just what the doctor ordered.
Locals who either don’t have regular doctors or can’t get in to see them will soon have a new option. AtlantiCare plans to open a new Urgent Care facility in Barnegat within the next few months.
The new center will operate seven days a week as its Barnegat Village Square location, commonly referred to as the Acme shopping center. Look for signs to be added to the marquee outside on 912 West Bay Avenue.
Plans are to merge the two end units on the western end of the shopping center to create the new facility. Previously, a small circuit gym and sub shop sat in the space that has been vacant for a number of years.
Albert “Al” Bille, a Barnegat Township committeeman and planning board member said he was pleased yet another major medical provider had decided to offer more local services in the community.
“This is the first urgent care facility in Barnegat,” reminded Bille. “Our residents will no longer need to travel to Manahawkin or Lacey for on-demand treatment of non-life threatening illnesses and injuries.”
Manahawkin attorney Eric Leboeuf recently appeared before the planning board on behalf of AtlantiCare to respond to questions pertaining to the project.
One of the issues reviewed by the board was if there are enough parking spaces once the facility is up and running. Medical offices face specific requirements regarding parking availability based on the square footage of their offices.
Leboeuf said he personally visited the shopping center on a weekday at 2 o’clock and stayed for an hour. He noted there were approximately 150 empty parking spots, with about 100 overall spaces located on the side where the facility plans to open.
“The benefit on that end of the development is you have a separate exit lane adjacent to the service lane to the Burger King,” added Fred Rubenstein, a planning board member. “That will do a lot to alleviate traffic concerns. We don’t have that in Barnegat 67 – this is a good thing for the town.”
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