W.Cornwall Twp. ends riding club development conditional use hearing

VaselineMay 24, 2024

0 3 minutes read

W.Cornwall Twp. ends riding club development conditional use hearing

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our civic impact reporting project.

Planned improvements to address traffic impacts from the proposed development of the former Quentin Riding Club dominated Monday’s conditional use hearing, which continued from May 7.

Read more:

Two traffic engineers, one representing developer Quentin Associates LLC and the other representing West Cornwall Township, testified that the planned improvements would alleviate traffic congestion along state Routes 72 and 419 associated with the development.

Improvements include a new right turn lane on Route 72 from East Main Street, lane changes in the proposed development for northbound and southbound traffic on Route 72, aligned lanes and traffic signal changes to optimize traffic flow.

Quentin Associates is proposing a mix of residential and commercial development for the 46-acre property zoned R-1, with a mixed-use low-density residential overlay. The township’s zoning ordinance requires supervisors to approve a conditional use permit for mixed-use overlay developments.

Nine lots were proposed for the property. The zoning hearing board approved special exceptions for three uses: 120 age-restricted apartments, a Wawa gas station and convenience store, and an equestrian therapy facility for veterans. Single-family residential lots are permitted by right, six of which are on Maple Lane in West Cornwall Township.

John Schick, senior project manager at Rettew Associates and representing Quentin Assocates, said the proposed development would generate 462 “new” trips during the weekday morning peak (6-9am) and 502 “new” trips during the afternoon rush hour (3 to 6 p.m.). A trip includes a vehicle entering and exiting a site.

Those numbers were determined by industry standards, PennDOT criteria and traffic counts over a week in September, Schick said. Vehicle volume, truck classification, speed data and gap data or distance between cars were taken into account.

“We’re on PennDOT’s third review of the traffic impact study,” Schick said, adding that the full study is 800 pages long.

Schick said most traffic to the site will be off Route 72. Drivers on Route 72 headed to Wawa or the apartments will turn into a new driveway aligned with a relocated driveway across from the site and into Quentin United Church of Christ.

Drivers exiting onto 72nd or Quentin Road should turn right and go north. If heading south, drivers will exit onto a new driveway aligned with Riders Way onto Route 419 and then turn south onto Route 72 at the traffic light.

Supervisor Russ Gibble was skeptical that the planned improvements will address congestion, noting the tie-ups that now occur at the intersection of Routes 72 and 419.

“When you come from Cornwall, there can be tractor trailers backed up to Maple Lane,” Gibble said.

During the public comment period, several residents expressed concern about increased traffic on both Route 419 and Maple Lane.

Supervisors also heard from Jason Kline of Wolf & Kline Realty, the property management company for the age-restricted apartments. He testified that at least one resident of each unit must be 55 or older, and no one under 18 can live in the apartment. He also said tenants can have no more than two cars per unit.

Supervisors closed the hearing at the end of public comment. They have 45 days to issue a written decision on whether to approve a conditional use permit.

West Cornwall Township Supervisors meet at 73 S. Zinns Mill Road on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held on June 10. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.

Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach out to our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.

Free news isn’t cheap. If you value the journalism that LebTown provides to the community, then help us make it sustainable by becoming a champion of local news. You can unlock additional community coverage by supporting our work with a unique contributionor joining as a monthly or annual membership. You can cancel at any time.

In connection with

VaselineMay 24, 2024

0 3 minutes read

Vaseline

Related Articles

Hollywood is lining up behind Kamala Harris

J&J unit files for bankruptcy to advance $10 billion talc settlement

Rob Burrow: Leeds Rhinos honor ‘little warrior’ with tributes and 18-10 win over Leigh Leopards | Rugby League News

USD/INR weakens on improving risk appetite