Supervisors Hold Off Plan Approval for Rite Aid

NEWTOWN SQUARE–A proposal to construct a Rite Aid Pharmacy at the old Videon Chevrolet car dealership off of Route 3/West Chester Pike and St. Albans Avenue in Newtown Square was submitted to Planning Commission and now sits at the helm of the Board of Supervisors' approval.

The preliminary/final land development plan approval for the proposed Rite Aid went before the supervisors on Monday night, in which it was decided that the presentation of the plan be continued to the next meeting due to a few concerns made by the board.

One of the major concerns a couple of the supervisors had were simply the aesthetics of the model building that Rite Aid had proposed for the Newtown Square location.

"The Planning Commission had asked us what Rite Aid could do with alternative facade," said Gregg Adelman of Kaplin Stewart, representing Rite Aid Pharmacy. "We don't have control, obviously, over the architectural facade of this building. Rite Aid has requested that we stay with their prototypes because they're all priced out, ready to go. I know they have uglier prototypes than this."

Supervisor George Wood vocalized that the building will just be added to the township's architectural "hodgepodge" of buildings.

But Adelman said that the "hodgepodge" of different styles of buildings in town were "market-driven" and, unfortunately, the township "does not have control over the laws of what the buildings look like."

The prototype of the Newtown Square Rite Aid that Adelman showed to the supervisors will also have a white space at the front of the building, which has been designated for a marquee. Adelman said sometimes there is a marquee and sometimes there isn't, depending on the township's ordinance.

"We'll have to look at the sign ordinance but we're not looking for any additional approvals for that at this point," added Adelman.

Supervisors Vice Chairman Dr. Ross Lambert noted that the blank, white space on the building, designated for a marquee, will most likely remain blank, referring to the township's issue of large signs ().

Adelman said that what they had told to the Planning Commission was to show the supervisors all the different type of Rite Aid prototypes in order to "work together to see which one of them works best for the township."

, which were prompted by the Planning Commission in August. Rite Aid seeks six waivers, including a sign discouraging left-hand turns from the parking lot to St. Albans from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and buffers on the property to help with stormwater management.

"I think we're entitled to those waivers under the law," stated Adelman before the supervisors. "I believe the majority we're entitled to or we don't need them. When I stood up here two or three years ago for , I told you what I could do and we delivered. So I'm not going to stand up here and tell you something different, if I can't deliver it."

Adelman said the proposed model that Rite Aid is presenting is a brick building, but not made with the traditional red brick and split-face concrete masonry units.

Wood said Rite Aid was asking for "considerable waivers, but Adelman believed if the township were to force Rite Aid to redesign their architectural buildings, Adelman said that to be "unfair."

"I mean, they're coming in here to redevelop a site and spending considerable dollars to do this site and to do it right," said Adelman.

Lambert also shared the same sentiments as Wood.

"I don't really care what's 'fair' to Rite Aid," said Lambert. "I'm really more concerned about what the building looks like to the resident that live in town. It may be acceptable by the ordinance but it's not acceptable to me."

Newtown Square resident Nathan Glazer spoke up about the application during public comment and asked the supervisors to consider bringing in the new business, despite the 'hodgepodge' that it may add to the town's architecture.

"Normally I would prefer to see other developments here," said Glazer. "But Rite Aid is coming in lawfully and redeveloping a site that right now is pretty depressing, pretty bland, and probably is deteriorating as it sits there. Architecture is a wonderful thing but this town has been a hodgpodge since probably creation, and it's not going to be fixed. This development proves to bring in fee dollars, ratable dollars. It helps solve a problem."

Rite Aid's application for approval will be continued at the next supervisors meeting on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.