Wawa Zoning Hearing To Continue Wednesday In Newtown Township

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — A Philadelphia-area developer will be back in Newtown Township on Wednesday to continue pushing for approval to build a Wawa gas station and convenience store in the township.

After hearing from Villanova-based Provco Pineville Acquisitions over the past few months, the Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board is expected to hear testimony from the township against the developer’s requests for zoning relief.

Provco is seeking approval to build more gas pumps than permitted under current zoning laws at the proposed location, at the southwest corner of Newtown Bypass and Silver Lake Road. The developer wants to build eight pumps, but only six are allowed at the 4.95-acre property.

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Michael Hammond, a licensed civil engineer, testified during a nearly three-hour meeting July 8 that the additional pumps would improve traffic flow and safety around the location, especially during peak hours. Provco is also requesting zoning approval to place signage closer to the bypass than currently permitted.

Provco is seeking to build a 5,585-square-foot Wawa on 4.95 acres of land at the southwest corner of Newtown Bypass and Silver Lake Road. Its plans include eight fueling stations, one electric-vehicle charging station, two air pump stations and 60 parking spaces, according to a report by Bucks Local News.

The developer’s plans, which were first submitted in May 2018, have faced strong opposition from community members and various committees tasked with approving building projects in the township.

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The Newtown Township Planning Commission declined to recommend the project for approval at its April 20 meeting. A week later, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors directed its solicitor to oppose the developer’s requests for zoning relief.

If the Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board does not grant zoning relief for the project, Provco can appeal that decision to the Bucks County Court of Appeals or move forward with plans to build six fueling stations under current zoning laws, Bucks Local News reports.

The township can also appeal if the zoning board approves the developer’s request for relief, the report states.

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Provco has also faced resistance to its plans to build a Wawa in Northampton Township, where planners voted against approving the developer's project, Bucks Local News reports.

However, a "Super Wawa" in Doylestown was "embraced" by planners and faced little opposition prior to its opening in March, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports.