Lake Wallenpaupack region: Urgent care could be coming, if sewage issue is resolved

Palmyra Township officials in Pike County are weighing an application for a multi-use commercial complex on Route 6 near Route 507, in the heart of the Lake Wallenpaupack region. An urgent care facility as well as various shops are proposed, but a question that must be settled is whether the complex can use adjacent Tanglwood Resort land for its reserve sewage system.

A conditional use hearing was held before the supervisors July 11. The matter needs to be heard at the township planning commission meeting Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. where, potentially, conditions will be recommended. The supervisors then intend to render a decision at their regular meeting Aug. 15 at 4 p.m. Meetings are held at the township offices on Buehler Lane, off Gumbletown Road.

The project is proposed on the south side of Route 6, across from Wallenpaupack Realty and next to the former beverage business just east of Route 507. The site is a former stone quarry.

What is planned

The plan presents two commercial buildings of pole-barn construction, 9,800 square feet each, 28 feet apart. As proposed, each structure will be 70 by 140 feet. Parking for 99 vehicles will be in the back. Pending PennDOT approval, access would be off an easement, Crest Drive. This driveway leads into Tanglwood Resorts, a timeshare development facing Route 507.

Jospeh Regenski, co-partner of LW Developers, LLC, said, "There are a number of tenants waiting for this to be built." He said these include a higher-end home goods store, a couple "coffee places," potentially an urgent care facility, and others. A drive-through is planned for a coffee shop.

The Pike County commissioners announced last winter that Northwell Health, based in New York City, will be opening an urgent care facility on Route 739, Delaware Township, in Pike County, and has been interested in locating another urgent care in the vicinity of Routes 6 and 507 near Lake Wallenpaupack. The commissioners have made a high priority of attracting healthcare services to Pike County, which presently has no urgent care or a hospital.

Regenski said that Northwell Health has shown interest in locating the facility in a portion of this project. He said he has been unable to give Northwell a projected construction time frame due to the need to resolve the dispute over locating a reserve sewer system.

Needs ample sewage capacity

Most of the discussion at the hearing centered on the sewage issue. The applicant's attorney, Jeffrey Treat, said that they have approval from an adjoining landowner to the east, Lords Valley Associates, to place the main sewage system. LW Developers is under contract to buy the parcel for this purpose.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) requires that the project have a backup or reserve sewage system as well, LW Developers' engineer, Emmett Mancinelli, explained.

Attorney Christopher Farrell, counsel for Tanglwood Resorts, said that his client does not agree that the applicant has the right to use the resort land as a reserve sewage disposal area. He said this could only be done by agreement by the parties, or through a court order.

He brought on a witness, Virginia Weniger, director of resources for Tanglwood Resorts, who explained that their board is concerned that should the sewage system fail, this would negatively impact the company's 48 timeshare condominiums and rentals. She said that they would have to shut down the resort in that instance, until a new sewage disposal system was supplied.

Farrell said that Tanglwood Resports and the applicant stipulate that Tanglwood Resorts is unaware at this time whether there is sufficient capacity in their sewage system to allow the applicant to reserve capacity. They also stipulate that while Tanglwood Resorts disagrees that the applicant has the legal right to utilize the resort's property for a reserve sewer system, they agree to a condition that there would have to be sufficient capacity for this to happen.

Tanglwood Resorts, Farrell said, does not otherwise object to the project.

Regenski said he had permission from Tanglwood to walk their property and have a perc test done and did so with someone representing Tanglwood. He told Farrell that he had the right to have the reserve sewage system on Tanglwood's property due to the chain of title and is having a corrective deed prepared.

Farrell said the language of the chain of title speaks of tying into Tanglwood's existing sewer system rather than reserving property for future sewage needs. Regenski said he did not necessarily agree; rather it speaks about supplying sewage.

Asked if there was any alternate site for a reserve sewage system, Mancinelli said that would require additional perc tests; they have not reached that phase of the project yet. He affirmed the building lot has a lot of stone. There are diverse types of sewage systems based on the site, such as a sand mound or spray irrigation, he told Farrell.

The engineer said he does not know yet if the project cannot go forward without using the Tanglwood site for the reserve sewer. The necessary sewer flows depend on the tenants identified.

Mancinelli said that the planned use of the property is appropriate for the area and zoning district. He said the buildings comply with setbacks and do not interfere with the right-of-way of Route 6. They are just over the required number of parking spaces for retail.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Urgent care, home goods store proposed in northern Poconos