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Politics & Government

Wawa Construction Stalled

The Upper Moreland Township Commissioners on Monday night declined to allow backers of the new Wawa project to proceed with some elements of construction until the effort is reviewed by the full board.

The Wawa will be located the routes 611 and 263, at the site of the former Bally's gym.

Jenkintown developer Bruce Goodman appealed to the community development committee of the commissioners to allow workers to begin grading the site, or leveling the ground for construction, without waiting for PennDOT to issue the Highway Occupancy Permit, as per part of the township agreement. Goodman said he expects the permit to be issued shortly, as the project is in its third round of review with PennDOT.

And, Goodman argued, building projects in the township often proceed without the permit.

Solicitor Kate Harper noted that backers of the project would be taking a "risk" by proceeding without the permit, but opposed allowing grading to begin instead because other documents and permits required as part of the agreement, such as the deed of dedication, had not yet been submitted. Goodman said developers would have those papers in a "couple of weeks" but repeatedly urged the committee to authorize grading immediately.

However, Commission Vice President Joseph Lavalle said the committee had "no voting authority" to amend the site agreement without full board review. The committee scheduled Sept. 9 for the commissioners to examine the issue, and said the township could, in the meantime, issue a permit for workers to import the soil to the site for grading, but not yet begin the grading process. 

Also at the meeting, Goodman presented a plan by Thompson Lexus to install a dealership at Maryland and Easton roads, near the Turnpike entrance, on a parcel owned by Abington Memorial Hospital. The 62,000 square-foot property would be home to the dealership as well as an adjacent "unnamed business" that Goodman said would ideally be a second car dealership. Backers of the project are in talks with the Turnpike Commission to also purchase an adjoining plot owned by that entity.

The Lexus building would be 55-feet tall, and there would be five 22-foot Pylon signs in the area advertising the company. The entrance to the property would be on Maryland Road, not Easton.

There was a lengthy back-and-forth by the commissioners and project representatives about whether the area should be zoned as C2 or if the current Unified Development Commercial District zone could be amended; Goodman said the latter would more readily allow for developers to launch a business such as a hotel or restaurant on the site if the plans for a second dealership on the parcel do not come to fruition.

The committee scheduled Sept. 9 for the full commission to consider whether to set a hearing for a zoning change to the UDCD.

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