New Britain Township. Photo by James Short.
New Britain Township supervisors heard a detailed presentation on Sept. 15 on a proposed three-warehouse complex along Walnut Street, a project that could reshape 85 acres of industrially zoned land but also raise new questions about traffic, flooding, and environmental impacts.
Greg Adelman, representing the Hanover Company, outlined a conceptual plan for three lots totaling roughly 85 acres in the township’s Industrial Office Park district.
“The proposal from Hanover is to develop these properties into three separate warehouse facilities,” Adelman said
The plan calls for:
Environmental impacts and zoning relief
The site includes tributaries of the West Branch of the Neshaminy Creek. Adelman emphasized that building and impervious coverage would remain far below township limits.
“We’re not even looking at half of these properties being covered by buildings,” he said, citing building coverage ratios of 8.2% to 19.5% and impervious coverage from 22.6% to 42%, well below the 65% permitted
Two key zoning issues will require relief: warehouse heights and floodplain development.
The township caps warehouse height at 35 feet, but Adelman said modern racking systems demand higher ceilings.
“We’re looking at a building that’s approximately 49 and a half feet, which allows us to have a clear height inside the building below the racking of 42 feet,” he said.
A portion of Lot 2 lies in a floodplain. The developer intends to raise the site with fill and seek FEMA approval through a Conditional Letter of Map Amendment.
“The ground will have to be brought up first before that building foundation goes in,” Adelman said, stressing that no wetlands would be disturbed.
Stormwater and runoff concerns
Stormwater management quickly emerged as a central concern.
Engineer Lindsey Breylinger of Bohler Engineering said infiltration and detention basins are planned.
“We are required to follow your township code, DEP, [and] conservation district… Your township code does require us to reduce significantly the rates and volume before anything goes towards the creek,” she said.
Supervisors noted the township’s ordinances are stricter than county standards, requiring post-development runoff reductions to below pre-development levels for major storm events.
Still, residents voiced fears about flooding.
Carol Weston Young of Ferry Road warned that “mud is better than concrete as far as absorbing all this water,” cautioning that runoff could impact nearby homes and parks.
Supervisors said the developer has agreed to major frontage improvements, including widening Walnut Street, installing curbing and sidewalks, and upgrading a culvert. Trucks would be routed to County Line Road, with no access permitted to Schoolhouse Road.
Still, concerns remained.
“This would only be increasing that truck traffic,” Supervisor Bridge Kunakorn said, describing dangerous turning movements at County Line Road and Route 309.
Adelman assured the board that a PennDOT-mandated traffic study would guide final designs.
Habitat and recreation
The eastern corner of the property, along Schoolhouse Road, is habitat for the endangered, red-bellied turtle. Adelman said that area would remain undisturbed.
Recreation requirements also drew discussion. Adelman said the company may request a fee in lieu of land, but noted the site has open space near Stewart Lane that could accommodate recreation if required.
“My experience with industrial development and parks and rec is that they don’t go well together,” Adelman said, while stressing his team is “open to discussion
Supervisors thanked the applicant for the presentation and urged them to reduce requests for variances and waivers.
“The best advice I can give you… is to listen to our engineer,” Vice Chair MaryBeth McCabe told the development team.
The board expects a formal sketch plan submission in the coming months, with staff and the township engineer to scrutinize stormwater, traffic, and environmental impacts before any approvals.
