Hilltown considers new TD Bank construction
The empty Blockbuster building in the County Line Plaza Shopping Center in Hilltown may turn into a new TD Bank branch.
Matt Chartrand, an engineer from Bohler Engineering, presented the bank design at the Hilltown Township Board of Supervisors meeting Monday, Nov. 26.
The proposed plan is to demolish the old Blockbuster building on Souderton Road and replace it with a 2,500-square-foot TD Bank with four drive-through lanes. There would be no changes to the driveways out to Souderton Road or any changes to the internal driveways.
The center median may be cut back at one driveway, however, to make left turns easier. There will also be some striping added from the rear driveway to the center meGLDQ WR IurWKHr GHfiQH WKH DrHD, DV suggested by the township’s planning commission, which reviewed the design previously.
Board Vice Chairman Jack McIlhinney said the design of the build- ing itself, however, was too boxy. He referred to two banks that were recently built in Hilltown that he VDLG fiW LQ wLWK WKH “RSHQQHVV” RI Hilltown. The TD Bank design, he said, looked like a prefabricated building.
“If you’re going to build something new, you should try to do something better than what was there and certainly than what’s around it,” McIlhinney said.
Chartrand said there were very VSHFLfiF rHDVRQV IRr WKH GHVLJQ HOHments of the building and that the EDQN wRuOG DWWDLQ /EED FHrWLfiFDtion.
“A lot of research and a lot of decision-making goes into it,” Chartrand said.
Supervisor Jim droff had no issue with the architecture and said it looked better than the Blockbuster, which he said looks like a bomb shelter.
“I’m glad the business will be coming,” droff said. “I don’t really see the need for that type of architecture design that you’re talking about. ... It beats a Blockbuster building that’s empty.”
7KH ERDrG JDvH SrHOLPLQDry final approval, with the understanding that some revisions be made, including that a written decision from the zoning hearing board be added to the record plan. The board also asked for revisions of the building’s architecture.
The board held a public hearing during Monday’s meeting to consider the adoption of a wastewater collection and treatment ordinance, which the board approved.
“We have an ordinance tonight that may be the most complex and convoluted ordinance that will ever be reviewed by Hilltown Township,” Francis drabowski, the township solicitor, said.
The 13-page ordinance revises GHfiQLWLRQV, SrRvLVLRQV DQG QRWLfications for wastewater treatment. It was requested by the Pennridge Wastewater Treatment Authority, a regional authority that treats a good portion of sanitary sewage in Hilltown.
drabowski said the sewage that goes to PWTA comes from homes, commercial establishments and industrial units. To fol- low EPA standards, the industrial sewage requires pretreatment before it goes into the collection system of the local municipalities, and this pretreatment is enforced through ordinances passed by local municipalities. drabowski said the ordinance has the most up-to-date EPA language regarding pretreatment.
“The only way they can enforce their [EPA’s] regulations is by having have an ordinance behind them that says, ‘Here’s the law,’” drabowski said.
droff said the ordinance would not cause any changes to how existing businesses or companies operate.
The board also discussed holding a public meeting in the future to discuss the proposed H&h Quarry agreement amendment, which is available on the township’s website. The Blooming dlen Quarry is asking that amendments be made to the agreement that was made in 2005.
One of these amendments is extending the duration of mining; the scheduled termination had been August 2020, but the quarry would like to extend this date to Dec. 31, 2045. Another amendment would be increasing the quarry’s fee to the township from 10 cents per ton of stone to 35 cents. Additionally, the township would receive a 10 percent discount on stone, sand, asphalt and concrete. Currently, the township receives a 5 percent discount.
drabowski said there was no language in the amendment that would allow deepening of the quarry.
“What’s being presented to the township is, you know, the carrot and the stick,” drabowski said.
He said one of the issues to discuss at the public meeting would EH wKHWKHr WKH EHQHfiWV WR WKH township in the agreement are suffiFLHQW Rr JRRG HQRuJK.
“I live here. I’m not going to let anything happen to the point of where they’re going to be able to pull the wool over the eyes of anybody,” drabowski said.
The township has not yet picked a date for the public meeting to discuss the amendments.