MAIDENCREEK TWP., Pa. – The Maidencreek Township Board of Supervisors conducted the fourth session of an ongoing public hearing Wednesday night for an application for a warehouse near Route 222 and Evansville Road.
The hearing on Monday night focused on redirect examination and cross-examination of Christopher Williams, a traffic study engineer.
The hearings — which began in late November — will most likely continue for several months as there are 20 members of the public who have registered as parties to the proceedings, meaning each of those individuals will have an opportunity to present their own cases with witnesses after the applicant completes his testimony.
The fifth and sixth hearings are scheduled for March 27 and April 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Maidencreek Associate LP, Plymouth Meeting, is seeking a conditional use to allow the construction of a 930,000-square-foot building for wholesale business, storage and warehousing.
Within the C-2 regional commercial zoning district, the use is permitted by conditional-use approval from the township supervisors. The applicant needs to demonstrate that qualifications are being met to receive conditional use.
The facility is being proposed on an 80.76-acre tract on Route 222 near the Schaeffer Road roundabout.
Similar to last month, the parties who questioned Williams Monday night continued to challenge his testimony that the proposed warehouse will not cause undue congestion or hazardous conditions on the roads within the township.
The warehouse is expected to generate 1,686 trips per day, or 843 vehicles over a 24-hour period.
Williams said a shopping center, which is a permitted use at the site, would generate 19,777 trips per week.
“Or said differently, a warehouse generates 91% less new trips daily than a shopping center,” Williams said.
A shopping center had previously been proposed at the site.
Williams testified that an applicant pursuing a shopping center at the site would not be required to go through the conditional-use process.
Residents and township officials have also challenged Williams on the impact of traffic on Evansville Road.
Williams said a traffic analysis found the traffic generated from the warehouse would have little impact on Evansville Road.
The March 27 hearing is expected to involve questions aimed at an engineer who previously testified on the geology of the site.