Wawa is ready for the shovels to hit the ground this year to start the renovation and redevelopment of the Kulpsville Wawa on Forty Foot Road near Sumneytown Pike into a “Super Wawa,” following Towamencin Township supervisors’ unanimous approval Wednesday night of lighting design changes.
Once complete, it will be the second Super Wawa location in the township; a second Super Wawa is located further up Forty Foot Road at Welsh Road on the border with Hatfield Township. It will be the sixth Super Wawa in the North Penn area and tenth Wawa overall, including the one currently under construction at Broad Street and Cowpath Road in Hatfield Township.
“I know they want to get a shovel in the ground as soon as possible,” said attorney Julie Von Spreckelsen, of Eastburn and Gray P.C. in Blue Bell, the firm representing the applicant.
Back in November, Bohler Engineering presented architectural design plans and proposed site amenities to supervisors, who authorized the solicitor to draft an approval resolution contingent on lighting fixture changes. At that meeting, Supervisors Chairman Chuck Wilson referred to Sumneytown Pike and Forty Foot Roads as Towamencin’s “Main and Broad streets.”
Thus, supervisors requested fancier streetlights along Forty Foot Road and in the front parking area of the site.
Wilson said that, on May 20, 2020, applicant and property owner Towamencin Sumneytown LLC received land development approval for their proposed redevelopment of the Wawa and Lukoil properties at the intersection of Forty Foot Road and Sumneytown Pike.
“The approval resolution was conditional upon the applicant’s return to the board to provide supplemental architectural design, site amenities and proposed structures,” Wilson said. “The applicant presented plans … at our Nov. 22 meeting, where we authorized staff to prepare an approval resolution outlining conditions and design plans and requested staff to work with the applicant on the discussed parking lot light fixture change.”
Plans to renovate the Wawa and the intersection have been going on for at least five years, which included at least two years of litigation between Wawa and another party that is not Towamencin Township. According to The Reporter, in 2017, the initial design showed the combining of the Wawa and Lukoil parcels into one large lot, with gas pumps and the store in front and a retail building behind. A new draft in 2018 removed the retail building behind the Wawa due to supervisors’ concerns of too many uses on the site, per the report.
The newest plans show a 5,000-square-foot store on the site of the current brick building, which would be demolished. There are 56 parking spaces surrounding the convenience store. The old Lukoil parcel would have gas pumps under a canopy, according to the report.
Von Spreckelsen said it was at the November meeting where Wilson asked if the applicant would consider decorative light fixtures within the parking areas of the Wawa.
“It only took us three months to figure it out, but we were able to figure it out, and we reached a really good resolution that we think is satisfactory to township consultants and staff, as well as the applicant,” Von Spreckelsen said.
Project engineer Sean Munce, of Bohler Engineering, told supervisors that the applicant decided to switch from the standard black Wawa lighting on the Forty Foot Road and Sumneytown Pike sides of the Wawa to newer and fancier LED lights. There will be eight fancier light fixtures along the Forty Foot Road frontage and eight within the front parking area, as well as 10 standard Cree Edge series-brand light fixtures on the rear of the property.
“So, as you’re traversing down Sumneytown and Forty Foot Road, you would be able to see those fancier type lights,” Munce said, “And in agreement with the township staff, as Julie spoke to, we are keeping the standard Wawa LED lights more toward the back of the lot where we have a lot of service parking, the trash enclosure, and the main drive aisle.”
Wilson called the changes a “good compromise.”
“We appreciate it,” added Supervisor Rich Marino. “We know it wasn’t in your budget.”
Supervisor Joyce Snyder asked if there will be electric chargers for Teslas and the like.
“A competitor that is very close by (implying Royal Farms) doesn’t have any,” Snyder said. “This would be an opportunity to bring people to the store.”
“I don’t know if they’ve quite decided at this time,” Munce said. “Usually a company, like Tesla, will come in after the fact, post approval, with their own representatives.”
“So, Wawa is not opposed?” asked Marino.
“Typically, newer Wawas are not opposed,” Munce said.
Marino asked again if Wawa plans to start construction this year, and Munce reiterated it will start as quickly as possible.
“My kids will be very happy once it’s open,” said Supervisor Kristin Warner.
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