A developer is fighting a Lower Southampton zoning hearing board rejection that would have cleared the way for a controversial super Wawa off Brownsville Road near east Bristol Road.
The Lower Southampton supervisors confirmed the appeal filed by Provco Pineville Acquisitions LLC during their meeting Wednesday (June 10, 2020), where they voted unanimously to defend the board's decision, which was made earlier this year.
The board voted 5-0 to hire conflict attorney Nate Fox of the Obermayer law firm in Doylestown at a rate of $325 an hour for the appeal, which was filed in Bucks County Common Pleas Court in March. A separate petition including Neshaminy School District was filed in April.
The zoning hearing board unanimously turned down Provco Pineville's variance requests for the superstore in February, following five meetings on the proposal that started in October.
The proposed store would include 16-gas pumps on the 5-acre property.
Nearby residents heavily opposed the project expressing concern about increases in traffic to an already-congested intersection as well as safety concerns for children in the neighborhood and those attending the nearby Tawanka Elementary School.
Provco Pineville had sought approval for a series of zoning variances including a special exception to allow a motor vehicle fueling station in a C-2 commercial zone.
At the June 15, 2020, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, the Board reviewed the details of latest draft of the E30 "Curative Amendment" to the Newtown Area Zoning ordinance. This amendment creates a new use for a combination gas station/convenience store (i.e., Wawa) in each township of the "Jointure" of Newtown, Wrightstown and Upper Makefield. Supervisor Mack asked how this amendment differed from the original "sketch plan" submitted to the BOS by Provco Pineville Acquisitions LLC, which is the Wawa developer.
Listen to the discussion: https://bit.ly/NTBOSwawa
Here are some related stories as background: