South Whitehall warehouse size reduced due to wetlands concerns

Environmental concerns regarding nearby wetlands have necessitated a reduction in the size of a warehouse along Chapmans Road in South Whitehall Township.

The Planning Commission on Thursday recommended preliminary/final approval to a resubmission by Griffin Industrial Realty to construct a singlestory, 102,250-square-foot flex warehouse. The future tenant is not yet known.

Planners attached 24 conditions for approval. They also rescinded a previously granted waiver from sidewalk requirements along the property frontage and granted a waiver from the requirement that stormwater facilities not be installed within 50 feet of sensitive geologic features.

Planners made their recommendation contingent upon further review by the township engineer.

Griffin’s proposal is planned for a 13.8-acre tract at 4741 Chapmans Road, west of Route 309, south of Grammes Road and west of Church Road in a zoning district where warehousing and distribution is permitted by conditional use.

The new plan calls for 86 parking spaces, 24 trailer spaces and nine oversized spaces, along with 24 loading docks.

The original plan called for a 156,000-square-foot building with 166 parking spaces, plus 27 spaces for trailers, 32 oversized spaces and 23 loading docks.

Calculations estimate 207 total vehicle trips on weekdays, including 41 truck trips and 166 trips by other vehicles.

Calculations for both a.m. and p.m. peak hours amount to eight truck trips in and out.

The Board of Commissioners had granted preliminary/final plan approval in May, but the Department of Environmental Protection negated the approval because the wetlands on the tract were sensitive and must not be disturbed. Griffin proposed a different building design and lot layout.

An above-ground stormwater management facility replaces the sub-surface detention basin in order to satisfy the DEP, said Kevin Horvath of Keystone Consulting Engineers, representing Griffin.

The plan shrinks the size of the building, shifts it closer to Chapmans Road, and allows for an access driveway solely for trucks at the northern end of the property.

Griffin will work with a residential property owner directly across from that access point to ensure that glare from truck headlights is not an issue, said Michael Gamzon, president and chief executive officer.

Hours of operation are yet to be determined because the tenant is not yet known, said Gamzon.

An entry gate has not been included in the plan, he said, adding that the reconfiguration provides “more space for trucks to wait.”

Planner Brian Hite expressed concern over sight lines resulting from the new truck access.

“I wasn’t a big fan of the previous plan and I’m not a big fan of this,” he said.

Kevin Duffy is a freelance writer for The Morning Call.