Lowhill warehouse on Route 100 tabled by township supervisors

LOWHILL TWP., Pa. — After denying two warehouse plans, Lowhill Township supervisors decided to give a third plan more time to meet conditions.

The township Board of Supervisors voted Thursday to table the final plan for a warehouse at 2766 Route 100.

The developer now will have more time to meet township conditions. The plan will go before the Board of Commissioners again at its July meeting.The developer originally was Trammell Crow Co., but the land recently was sold to Core5 Industrial Partners. The current owner is in litigation with the township for its denying a preliminary plan for a different warehouse.

Supervisor Curtis Dietrich said he thought tabling the plan was the best way for the township to avoid another lawsuit with Core5 Industrial Partners.

"It's more responsible for our board as a community as a township here to avoid the unnecessary costs," Dietrich said.

Dietrich said there will be a hearing in Core5 Industrial Partners' case against Lowhill on Monday.

The decision follows two other warehouse plan denials late last year, after fierce opposition to the warehouse plans from township residents.

Lowhill supervisors denied a preliminary warehouse plan from developer CRG Services Management LLC's plan at their Oct. 6 meeting and another from developer Core5 Industrial Partners at a special Nov. 28 meeting.

The township now is in litigation with both Core5 Industrial Partners and CRG Services Management over the plan denials.

But former township Zoning Officer Brian Carl said the warehouses met township zoning ordinances, and developments can be very difficult to stop if they do.

The smallest of the three proposed warehouses would be 100,569 square feet on 21 acres at 7503 Kernsville Road, across from the Creative Kids School Age Center. The developer for that property also is Core5 Industrial Partners.

CRG Service Management LLC's warehouse would be at 2951 Betz Court, just off of Kernsville Road, and take up 299,800 square feet on 51 acres.

The second Core5 Industrial Partners warehouse would be 100,569 square feet on 21 acres at 7503 Kernsville Road, across from the Creative Kids School Age Center.