Clifton Heights OKs plans for Wawa that may never be built
CLIFTON HEIGHTS >> Borough officials approved the preliminary and final land-development application for a new Wawa in the borough that may never be built.
At its regular meeting on Wednesday, borough council gave Hunt Real Estate the green light for final approval for its plans for a new Wawa store at Baltimore Pike and Jackson Street - despite reported plans that Wawa may be building the store instead a few blocks away in Upper Darby.
Borough Solicitor Francis Catania informed council that Hunt’s attorney, Mark Damico, asked the borough to proceed as planned.
“No final decisions have been made,” Catania said. “We don’t have any control when they develop the property. We only have control on how they develop the property.”
Borough Manager Anthony Tartaglia announced final plans were submitted last Thursday along with an estimate of public improvements that were reviewed and approved by borough Engineer James P. Kelly.
Last October the county and borough’s planning departments had reviewed and approved the project.
Upper Darby Mayor Thomas Micozzie was contacted last week by a Wawa real estate officer and informed of its apparent decision to develop a new convenience store at Baltimore and Oak avenues, in Upper Darby, instead of Clifton Heights, citing its “better location, visibility, accessibility and property assets.”
According to Micozzie, Wawa was negotiating a lease agreement for its new proposed location, the site where the shuttered Pizza Hut and Burlington Coat Factory buildings currently stand.
“We heard the rumors but they have not signed a termination agreement,” Tartaglia said, also noting the possibility of a Royal Farms food store leasing the Clifton site instead.
Mayor Joseph Kelly, who asked to defer voting until a decision is firm, asked what would happen if Wawa signed a three-year lease with Hunt to prevent development by another food store.
“Then we would have a park on the corner of town,” Tartaglia said, noting it would have to be leveled and maintained.
“Right now we have to continue this process on what’s actually there,” Catania said. “The tenant has the right to change their mind.”
Council voted unanimously to approve the resolution allowing for final approval of the plans.
Wawa officials have not returned numerous calls to its corporate offices.
Caught in the middle of Wawa’s sudden apparent flip of its preferred location to Upper Darby instead of Clifton Heights is Hillside Nursery, which has to vacate the land where Wawa said it wanted to build.
“We have not received a design for the new commercial space at the Hillside Nursery’s new facility,” Tartaglia told council. Hillside is planning to move to a location on Jackson Avenue, behind the car wash, but nursery employees say they are having trouble cutting through the borough’s red tape.
“They received a permit to erect a pole barn that eventually will have to be finished properly for the public to use as the mercantile space,” Tartaglia said. “Meanwhile earth work continues” at the site on Jackson Avenue, he said.
Tartaglia says he awaits contact by a professional designer regarding code requirements for the building.