Credit: Dan Sokil/MediaNews Group
Developer promises ‘no ugly’ at visible corner
One of the most visible intersections in Towamencin could see new development soon with a new Wawa on the corner.
Township officials heard an update in mid-April on a planned Wawa at the corner of Sumneytown Pike and Forty Foot Road, including a new timeline.
“There was a lot of time lost due to the easement litigation, and we believe we now have it back on track to break ground soon,” said Bill Dudack, COO of developer The Verrichia Company.
Plans were first presented in 2017 for a project combining two lots, a current Wawa store and the adjacent former Lukoil station on the corner, into one larger lot that would have a Wawa fuel station and store in front and a separate retail building behind.
A 2018 revision of that plan removed the rear building due to concerns from the supervisors about too many uses on the site, then a 2020 update changed the existing driveway configuration and went over the waivers requested by the applicant from the board.
New renderings were shown in late 2022, with the building featuring a brick façade and pyramid roof meant to match the nearby buildings, and an approval in early 2023 included an updated lighting plan for the parking spaces surrounding the planned building.
During the township supervisors meeting on April 10, Dudack gave an update, noting that the current Wawa parcel is now under agreement with the developer, and the former Lukoil site has been acquired. All outstanding invoices with the township have been paid off, which means the developer can now file a zoning application and update sign variances granted with earlier approvals.
“Two out of the five sign variances that were granted, unfortunately expired, because they were good for one year, and that (time) expired in September of 2023,” Dudack said.
An updated application for those variances will be submitted imminently, and “that’s really the only outstanding landlord-slash-developer approval, other than some post-closing recordation of some plans,” he said.
Tentative plans are for the developer and Wawa to finalize their agreements on or around May 1, and once that happens the project team could file for building permits with the township, and demolition of the existing Wawa could happen as soon as 30 days afterwards, “so that’s relatively quickly,” and by late summer the site could be turned over for construction.
“So we’re hoping for an opening in the spring of next year,” he said.
Supervisors chairman Chuck Wilson asked if any architecture had changed from the plans previously approved by the board, and the developer said no changes had been made. Supervisor Laura Smith made one request: “Just make sure it’s the best-looking Wawa you can build. We don’t want ugly, no ugly,” she said, and the developer agreed.
“I think it’s going to be a really good project, and certainly many levels above what was there, and what’s there now,” he said.
Towamencin’s supervisors next meet at 7 p.m. on April 24 at the township administration building, 1090 Troxel Road. For more information visit www.Towamencin.org.
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