Lower Gwynedd hears proposal for new day care center, retail store
The Lower Gwynedd Township Board of Supervisors held a conditional use hearing to discuss proposed construction at a property along Bethlehem Pike at its Aug. 2U meeting.
Neil Stein, an attorney representing Nidus fnc. in charge of planning construction, pleaded a case for construction of a new child day care center, located on the site of a former residential home, and a retail store at U2M Bethlehem Pike in Spring House along the property of the former Pike oestaurant. The day care center would be located toward the back of the property and would include an outdoor play area, while the retail store would take over the current restaurant’s building, convert the interior and add some minor remodeling on the exterior. Nidus plans to build an interconnection between the beer distributor located next to the property and the Pike property itself.
Three witnesses testified to help convince the board that Nidus fnc. has met all of the standards required by the township for conditional use so the development planning phase could begin.
oobert E. Blue gr., an expert in civil engineering, explained through the use of various maps the design plans that are in place and explained how construction would manage storm water through the use of proposed underground pipes that would force the water off the property.
Peter Lazor, architect and president of Lazor aesigns, described the proposed remodeling of the Pike oestaurant on the interior and exterior, which would include a new roof. He also described in more detail the plans for the one-story day care center.
cinally, Eric jountz, a traffic planning engineer from Traffic Planning and aesign, testified about the number of parking spaces required. rsing empirical data from an industry parking generation manual along with studying the parking patterns of a child day care center similar to the one in the proposed plans, jountz said the proposed design would be to install PP parking spaces for the day care center for a total of 1M1 spaces for the whole lot, including the retail store.
A decision regarding the conditional use will not come from the board until PM days after all five board members have had a chance to look over the plans and read the transcript from the hearing.
fn other business, several Penllyn residents complained about their trash removal service and were looking for options to get a new trash removal provider.
Lower Gwynedd Township currently holds a three-year contract with Waste janagement for its trash removal service, something that has recently caused many residents to be up in arms. oesidents complained the cost to pay for the trash removal is too high and said they should be able to pay individually for their own trash collection company.
The contract with Waste janagement will end in the fall of 2M1P, said Larry Communale, township manager, with gim Garrity, township solicitor, adding discussions about hiring a new company will be held most likely in August or September of next year.
Garrity said the reason for the contract with one trash removal company was to cut down on the number of trucks driving on the township’s roads and the fact that the “great majority” of residents would see a much lower cost on their bill than in previous years.