Cumru officials review plans for 2 warehouses on Route 222

Dec. 5—Cumru Township officials are reviewing a project that would place two warehouses at the intersection of Grings Hill Road and Route 222.

Developers and equitable owners C&B Development LLC., Wyomissing, propose building a 543,000-square foot warehouse and a 237,000-square foot warehouse on a 57-acre plot southwest of the intersection.

The township planning commission declined to vote on recommending plan approval after township engineers reviewed the plans and found compliance issues with township rules.

The commission went over the proposed warehouses during a meeting Monday. It was attended by several dozen residents of Grings Hill Road, Kenny Road, and other nearby areas.

Residents oppose plans

Residents spoke in opposition to the plans, questioning the possible effect of a large industrial park on noise and light pollution levels.

Resident Joe Roland said he was worried about how the warehouse might impact traffic along Old Lancaster Pike during emergencies.

"We're going to have a huge traffic issue ... when we have accidents and fires on 222, what do they do? They divert traffic to Old Lancaster Pike," Roland said.

Roland also voiced concerns over the possibility of fluid runoff from trucks and other pollution infiltrating the Wyomissing Creek.

"That's very good water, we have native trout in that creek," Roland said.

Other concerns dealt with potential tax breaks to developers as well as the impact of truck traffic and accompanying noise.

What developers say

Developers noted that the project site is within a commercial zoning district that allows warehouse development.

They said the site would have its own dedicated access to Route 222, meaning traffic from the site wouldn't have to use township roads.

The warehouses would bring in $15.9 million in tax revenue between the township, the Governor Mifflin School District, and the county over 10 years, according to developers.

The facilities would generate an estimated 16 truck trips per hour during peak morning hours and eight per hour during peak evening hours, developers said.

Township engineer Steve Hoffman presented a list of compliance issues that put the plans at odds with township standards.

Those issues ranged from minor aspects of the plan's layout to the size of parking spaces and the grading of roads that would be used by emergency vehicles.

"There is a lot of work that has to be done before we'll deem them (the plans) approvable," planning commission member Terry Hand said.

Current site owner Tod Auman said the plans came about after 24 years of ongoing attempts to develop the land.

He said development faced challenges such as the Great Recession and a shifting retail environment that made previous plans unsuitable.

"Highly developable parcels with strong access to major corridors are in demand for warehouse development," said Matt Close of C&B Development. "The reason is very simple: Major retailers are not building new shopping facilities; they're building new warehouses because people now order goods online."

Close said developers unsuccessfully attempted to get a local grocer to build a store on the lot.

"Their answer was 'we're not building new facilities, we're spending capital expanding our infrastructure and logistics platform,'": Close said. "I think that really speaks to where the economy and the world are today ... as developers, we can only pursue developments that the market and economy allow."

He said townships also must adapt to the realities of market demands.

"There are two available options for municipalities ... significantly raising residents' tax rates, or promoting responsible industrial development," Close said.

Project engineers Paul Susak said the proposed facilities' size and highway access would make them highly desirable to tenants.

He said the warehouses would provide parking for more than 500 employees and could host up to three to four tenants.

He said the warehouse is over 1,000 feet from the residential development on the other side of the highway, and that the noise and light from the warehouse would be negligible compared to what the highway already produces.

"These properties are designed where everything happens inside, so other than an occasional truck backing up with beepers, there's nothing going on outside," Susak said.

He said the plans would preserve wetlands on the site.

Residents said developers were underplaying the project's potential negative impacts. They voiced concerns over the issues raised by Hoffman's review as well as developers' requests to waive traffic and environmental impact studies.

Resident and Cumru commissioner-elect Greg Miller asked what developers would do if they failed to attract a tenant and the warehouses remained vacant.

Developers said that was highly unlikely given current demand for warehouse space.

Another warehouse

C&B Development also has proposed a 709,000-square-foot warehouse next to Kutztown University, at a former airport site in Maxatawny Township.

Those plans have been contested by Kutztown students and area residents. The developer seeks to demolish a mobile home park on the land, which has been largely abandoned by residents who were asked to vacate.

The Airport Diner and a nearby medical helicopter pad are also located on the site and slated for demolition.