With long list of conditions, proposed Buckingham warehouse plan clears first hurdle
Plans for a 150,000-square-foot warehouse in Buckingham are moving forward.
On Wednesday night, more than 150 residents filled the township's meeting room and overflowed into the lobby, as a revised preliminary land development plan was reviewed by the planning commission, who voted 5-1 to give their recommendation, passing the proposal on to the board of supervisors with an extensive set of conditions.
The dissenting vote came from Louis Spadafora, who said during a discussion of the motion he was concerned about traffic. “I think we should continue the conversation and get to a point where it’s mutually an acceptable and productive development for Buckingham Township,” he said.
Developer J.G. Petrucci Company, of Asbury, New Jersey, outlined the redevelopment of the DiGirolamo Tract for a warehouse with 30 truck bays, two parking areas, an access drive for trucks at Stony Lane and another driveway for employees off Progress Meadow Drive.
What conditions were placed on the warehouse plan?
The approval for recommendation comes with several conditions, including commitments by the developer to:
Make improvements to Stony Lane by widening it to 24 feet with 2-foot shoulders;
Make off-site improvements at the intersection of Landisville and Old Easton roads;
Verify truck traffic will exit on a path onto Stony Lane towards Landisville Road and continuing onto Old Easton Road;
Prohibit a 24-hour operation
Commisson member Glenn Thomson described as the the list of conditions the “longest” and “most serious” the township has seen.
Buckingham warehouse opponents raise concerns
During public comment, members of Stop the Warehouse, a coalition of neighboring residents opposed to the project, gave a presentation outlining their group’s safety and environmental concerns and questioning whether application properly represented the warehouse’s intended use.
The development plan proposes a warehouse designated for wholesale, storage and warehousing — a use permitted in a PI-2 planned industrial district, where the property is located.
More on proposed Buckingham warehouse: Residents come out against warehouse proposed for DiGirolamo tract in Buckingham
But resident Jeff Glauber said the building layout shows loading docks evenly split between two sides of the building directly across from one another, a design he defined as cross-docking.
Glauber argued the use of cross-docking would imply the warehouse is intended for distribution use and therefore should be designated as a truck terminal, which he said based off township ordinance, must have access to an arterial highway when placed in a PI-2 zoning district.
Developer stands by plans for storage and warehouse in Buckingham
In an interview Thursday morning, Greg Rogerson with J.G. Petrucci said he would not categorize the facility as a cross-docking building due to its size, the distance between the docks opposite one another and the lack of designated truck parking areas.
“We believe that this building is at least 80% storage and warehouse, and the remainder would be for loading and offices in its current form,” he said.
Rogerson added Thursday he appreciates the concerns raised and will keep them in mind as the approval process develops.
“A number of the issues they brought up will be addressed by the board of supervisors and others will be addressed by outside agencies — including the Department of Environmental Protection and the Bucks County Conservation District — and we will comply with whatever requirements are presented by the municipality and all outside agencies having jurisdiction over this project.”
What is next for the Buckingham warehouse plan?
The proposal moves to the supervisors, who will ultimately decide on whether to approve or deny the plan. The board meets May 15 at 7:30 p.m., but it the warehouse plan is not yet on the agenda.
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Reporter Michele Haddon covers local news, small business, economic development, community revitalization, art and culture for The Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times at PhillyBurbs.com. Please considering supporting local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Buckingham planning commission votes to recommend warehouse proposal
