Home Care In Buckingham Township, PA

Cliff Lebowitz

Posted Tuesday, August 1, 2023 5:25 pm

Cliff Lebowitz

The representative for a new warehouse plan in Buckingham has withdrawn its preliminary proposal and scrapped this week’s scheduled appearance before the planning commission.

Explaining the move, a Friday letter cited a same-day “extensive review” by the township engineer, and comprehensive public comment from a township supervisor at a packed July 26 board meeting that questioned “whether or not the plans were in a shape ready for more formal review.”

The letter to the township manager added the decision was made “in order to enable the applicant and its consultants to evaluate, review, and potentially revise the presently pending plans,” and that they would “advise if and when the plans would be ready for resubmission and reconsideration.”

Buckingham Township residents had attended the July 26 supervisors meeting to express their deep concern, and often outrage, regarding social media posts that were noted as having “inaccurately depicted” the “very preliminary” application.

The proposal, often referred to as only a “sketch plan” during discussion with officials, was designated as for the township’s planned industrial (PI) zoning district (PI-2). Eleven residents spoke on the matter during the public comment session, sometimes to sustained applause.

In an official post on its website, the township had noted “no, an Amazon warehouse is not coming to Buckingham Township!” It further noted that the social media “post makes it sound like it is a done deal and that the only way to stop it is to come to the (Aug. 2) planning commission meeting. This is also not true. The process to review a proposed development is much more involved and much longer than that.”

During the public comment discussion, grateful residents, their supervisors, and the township engineer and solicitor noted a variety of examples of development projects in the township over the years that were significantly altered in the common interest, and often abandoned altogether.

They also noted extensive, successful efforts to establish agricultural and conservation easements that prohibited any development, with rare minor exceptions, such as allowing development in part of a preserved forest by adding more forest to the original preserved tract.

The withdrawn application was submitted to the township last May for an auto parts storage warehouse on a 68-acre property on Cold Spring Creamery Road. That followed preliminary discussion of a sketch plan at a public work session last February. The township’s official website posting had summarized that “this is not a done deal and nothing is approved. There is no agreement with anyone from the township to approve the project. None. The only signed ‘agreement’ is between the property owner and the private individual interested in building on the site.”

Further information remains available in that official posting in the news section on the township website.

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BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — The Buckingham Township Planning Commission on Wednesday night voted to table action on preliminary land development plans for a proposed 150,000-square-foot warehouse in the township.

The planners did not say when they would be resuming the discussion and taking a vote, but encouraged residents to watch the township's website for information. The next scheduled meeting of the planning commission is March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

A standing-room-only crowd greeted the commissioners as they considered plans for the 30-dock facility, which is proposed to be built on the DiGirolamo Tract bordered by Cold Spring Creamery Road, Burnt House Hill Road and Progress Meadow Drive.

The warehouse would be located on 25 acres on the east side of the property on Progress Meadow Drive. The remaining part of the property fronting on Cold Spring Creamery Road would be placed in a conservation easement and will continue to be farmed.

At times during the meeting, the discussion got emotional as residents spoke out against the land development plan, raising concern over traffic and noise from the 18-wheelers that would be rolling down their streets.

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A warehouse is a permitted use in the P1-2 Planned Industrial Zoning District. The applicant, however, is asking the township for a number of waivers including from the installation of bicycle and pedestrian paths on Cold Spring Creamery Road and from widening or reconstructing streets that are an inadequate width or condition to meet township requirements.

If the waivers are granted, the money the developer would have paid for the required improvements would be directed to another off site improvement agreed upon by the township and the developer.

The project is being proposed by J.G. Petrucci Company of Asbury Park, New Jersey, which was represented at the meeting by land development attorney Ed Murphy, engineer Greg Glitzer from Gilmore and Associates and Matt Hammond, a consultant with Traffic Planning and Design.

According to Glitzer the building would set back 1,095 feet from Cold Spring Creamery Road and would include two parking areas - one for trucks on the west side of the building and one for employees and visitors on the east side.

All truck traffic would enter and exit the site from Stony Lane and a new 2,000-foot roadway that would be built between the warehouse and Stony Lane. Employees and visitors would enter the warehouse site from a separate entrance at Progress Meadow Drive.

Hammond said the truck traffic would enter and exit the site by using a right-hand-only turning movement onto Stony Lane and a left hand turning movement into the site. To access Route 611, the trucks would use Stony Lane, Landisville Road, Old Easton Road, and Research Way.

"We would be looking to force all the truck traffic out to that route, out to 611 providing signage and requiring the drivers accessing the facility to take that route back out to 611," said Hammond. "We feel that's the most appropriate and shortest route to get to 611 and not impact the larger residential areas."

Residents at the meeting weren't buying it. They said the truckers would use GPS, which they said will direct them down Cold Spring Creamery Road from Swamp Road (Route 313).

"They are going to come down Swamp, make a turn onto Cold Spring Creamery and then come down Stony," yelled out one woman. "Don't tell me their GPS is going to take them down by the Wawa. You tell me how that's going to work," she said.

"All of us - Church School Road, Cold Spring Creamery. We're all going to have to live with trucks all day long and all night long," another woman yelled out.

"There is no truck that is going to follow that route," said another resident.

At several points during the meeting, the shouts from the crowd overwhelmed the meeting. Township engineer Dan Gray managed to bring some order back, encouraging residents to wait until the formal part of the presentation was over to make their comments.

When public comment began, resident Bob Eberle was the first to speak.

"We're talking about 30 bays. That's got me concerned for these old roads," said Eberle, who lives on Old Easton Road several doors down from Stony Lane. "These are little roads that are designed for horse and buggies not 18-wheelers," he said. "If we get all these 18-wheelers we won't be able to live here."

One resident asked, "Don't we have the ability to say no trucks allowed on certain roads?"

Larry Woodson of Landisville Road in neighboring Plumstead Township which will feel the impact of the project said he is concerned that trucks will overwhelm the local roads, including the one he lives on. "My concern is the amount of traffic and the size of the road."

As part of the project, the developer is planning to improve the intersection of Old Easton Road and Landisville Road. The intersection would be improved and realigned to provide improved site distance and safety, said Hammond.

At one point during the meeting, Gray pointed out to residents that the township is "obligated to provide for industrial uses. We selected this area many, many years ago before anyone up here was on the commission, before any of the houses along Creamery Road were built ... We have to provide for it just like we have to provide for mobile home parks - everything. We selected this. It has been on the books and tweaked over the years. This has always been our industrial zone in the township."

"Yes, the land is zoned industrial," responded one resident. "But the local road infrastructure has not been constructed for the size of operation that this would bring in ... this warehouse is way to big for where it is proposed. The in and out access is absolutely ridiculous."

Gray pointed out that under the law, Buckingham can't require a developer to widen all the roads. It can only require them to improve roads along the frontage of its property.

"So what is our recourse?" asked a resident. "Do we have to go to Harrisburg and say, 'Our roads are too small for 18-wheelers?"

Another resident took aim at the developer's list of requested waivers, asking, "Should Buckingham compromise public safety for developer cost saving? We must insist that this developer fully complies with all safety ordinances without any exceptions," he said.

BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — Democrat Mike Bateman has announced his summer and fall campaign for an open six year seat on the board of supervisors in Buckingham Township.

"Being born and raised about 45 minutes from Buckingham, when an opportunity presented itself for my family to return to Pennsylvania from Southern California I knew this would be the ideal environment to raise my family and put down roots. I was familiar with the area, still have family here, and understand what makes our community special," he wrote in a press release to Patch officially announcing his campaign.

"I'm new to politics," said Bateman. "There's no hiding that and no shame to it either. I will bring an open and curious mind to all local issues, and I think that’s exactly what Buckingham needs - someone who isn't tied to the local partisan political game for decades, someone who's energetic and has ideas. The ideas may not always work out, but I want to bring fresh thoughts to the Board of Supervisors for this township to make our community better for everyone."

His platform includes making permitting easier, improving community spaces, establishing a Buckingham Farmer's Market, budget transparency, mandatory requests for proposals for third party vendors, pay better attention to township roads, preserve history and improve community communications, providing timely minutes and meeting videos, no airport expansion and continued land preservation efforts.

As an entrepreneur and small business owner, Bateman said he first "fell in love with the green space and rolling fields" of Buckingham. "Then we began to discover the local produce, dairy and goods that we could find at farms and small businesses. As a small business owner myself, I know the value and importance of supporting local businesses and industries.

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"I take community participation very seriously as a value in my life, and having been here for several years and observing our elected leadership’s strengths and weaknesses, I knew that several challenges we are facing could only be solved with new faces and a different leadership style," he said.

"Since we want Buckingham to be our 'forever home' and our kids to grow up in a thriving community, I am committed to being a part of Buckingham’s leadership for a growing future generation.

"I love our community’s connectedness – we’re all invested in our shared success," he said. "With more and more people moving to Buckingham, we need to proactively plan for that growth while preserving the essence of what makes our township great.

"While our current leadership has stewarded our community to where we are today, it is time for a spirited contrast of visions and goals for our community," said Bateman. "I don’t expect anybody to do work that I’m not willing to do myself, and I’m at a point in my life, business and community engagement to put my name forward as a candidate for Buckingham Township Supervisor."

For additional information on Bateman's platform, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Any candidate running for political office is welcome to reach out to the Patch to announce their campaigns and platforms.

BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — The wait is almost over for those who "gottahava Wawa" and live and work on the north side of Doylestown.

Wawa will officially celebrate the opening of its newest Bucks County convenience store and gas station on Thursday, May 11 at 3659 North Easton Road, Doylestown (Buckingham Township) 18902.

Friends and neighbors are invited to the store at 7:45 a.m. on opening day to join the general manager and local notables who will help do the honors of counting down to the moment when the doors open at 8 a.m. for the very first time.

"The ceremonial start gives a nod to the power of positivity and kindness that naturally occurs when Wawa customers hold the door for one another, celebrating a gesture that happens thousands of times a day at Wawa stores and makes everyone feel welcomed and appreciated," said a Wawa spokesperson.

The first 100 customers through the door on opening day will receive a limited-edition “Wawa Coffee Hoagies Kindness” t-shirt while supplies last. All customers also will enjoy free coffee on opening day.

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“At Wawa, our core purpose is fulfilling lives every day, and since our first store opened, we’ve believed that we all have a role in making this world a better place,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s President and CEO. “Our associates deliver experiences and often create emotional connections with customers that go beyond what traditionally happens in a retail environment, and we look forward to welcoming old friends and making new ones in this wonderful community!”

Following the countdown, a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 8:30 a.m. with Wawa’s mascot, Wally Goose, oversized scissors, red ribbon, confetti and fanfare.

Wawa will also be recognizing local first responders with its signature "Hoagies for Heroes" hoagie-building competition. Local first responders will compete to see who can build the most hoagies in three minutes. Wawa will conclude the Hoagies for Heroes competitions by presenting checks for $1,000 to each department’s charity of choice.

Curtiss Stires will serve as general manager of the new Doylestown store leading a team of Wawa associates.

The new store is fully equipped with a built-to-order, fresh food kitchen featuring its signature hoagies (80 million hoagies sold annually) and newest food innovations such as the ever-popular burger; award-winning Wawa coffee (195 million cups sold annually); the Sizzlis, Wawa’s hot breakfast sandwich; Wawa’s new line of specialty beverages (hot, cold, iced and frozen); the Wawa Bakery; and Wawa’s beverage line of dairy products, juices and teas, plus packaged goods and fuel services, among other amenities.

In addition to the store-level experience, customers can access their Wawa favorites through mobile ordering, curbside pickup, delivery options and its newest catering online offer where customers can order favorite Wawa foods for their upcoming events at: www.wawacatering.com.

Wawa plans to open 76 new stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida in 2023. The grand opening of the new Doylestown will mark the 13th stores to open among the chain’s six-state operating area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The chain also announced its future expansion to Florida Panhandle, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, with more details on those new locations to be shared soon.