Borough Redevelopment—

Church Hill & Queen St. Project Concerns Aired

By Andrew Gorosko

At an April 14 public hearing, area residents raised some concerns about a proposal to redevelop the prominent corner of Church Hill Road and Queen Street in the borough with a mixed-use, three-building commercial complex, including retail and office space.

The Borough Zoning Commission conducted the hearing on the Church Hill & Queen, LLC, proposal to build 17,154 square feet of commercial space.

A one-story 6,338-square-foot building would be built at 14 Church Hill Road, in the area where Village Texaco formerly stood.

Two two-story buildings, each of which would contain 5,408 square feet of space, would flank the southwest corner of Church Hill Road and Queen Street, in the area where The White Birch Inn formerly was located.

Each of the two two-story buildings would have only a partial second story. Overall, the complex would contain 13,986 square feet of retail space and 3,168 square feet of office space. The ground-level spaces would have a general retail use. The second stories would be reserved for offices. The yellow ochre structures would be built in a modern version of the Georgian style.

The project would be served by a common parking lot located behind the three buildings, which would have space for 86 vehicles.

Krishnalal Nanavaty of 25 Church Hill Road asked the developer what type of retail businesses would locate in the proposed complex.

Developer Peter Wiehl responded that he is seeking to create an “upscale retail situation.” There are currently no specific business tenants planned for the complex, he added. Mr Wiehl said the property would have security service.

William Colbert of 13 Church Hill Road expressed concerns about the potential for turning traffic causing traffic-flow problems in the area. “I sense there’s a problem coming,” Mr Colbert said.

Mr Nanavaty voiced similar views.

Paul Morris of 15 Glover Avenue observed that the town’s population is growing and motor vehicle speeding has become a problem. Mr Morris suggested the town consider placing some controls on growth and speeding.

 Sherrie Bermingham of Main Street pointed out that crosswalks near the Church Hill/Queen intersection are hazardous places to cross the street, adding that pedestrians use those crosswalks.

Attorney Charles Campbell, representing the developer, said Church Hill & Queen, LLC, is seeking state approval for “exclusive pedestrian phasing” at the traffic signal at the Church Hill and Queen intersection. Under such an arrangement, after a pedestrian presses a traffic control switch at the intersection, all traffic signals would turn red to allow for safe pedestrian crossings.

The developer also has plans to install a walkway through a traffic island on Queen Street at that intersection to improve pedestrian movement there.

Ms Bermingham told the borough zoners that not all of the features that were proposed for Newtown Shopping Village on Queen Street in the mid 1990s were actually built. Ms Bermingham asked what guarantee the public would have that Church Hill & Queen, LLC, would build all of the features that it proposes.

Commission Chairman Linda Shepard responded the Church Hill & Queen proposal is not planned as a phased project, and consequently the borough zoners would have stricter controls over the developer than were in place over the Newtown Shopping Village project.

 Mr Morris suggested that the Newtown Shopping Village and Church Hill & Queen projects be interconnected to improve area traffic flow.

Traffic engineer David Sullivan, representing Church Hill & Queen, said the developer reviewed many possible traffic interconnections between the two properties, but found that any interconnection would make for worse traffic conditions than what has been proposed.

Mr Campbell turned aside a Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) recommendation that the proposed complex be linked to Newtown Shopping Village via an internal sidewalk.

Such a sidewalk interconnection would create liability problems, the lawyer said. Also, such a link would interfere with parking on the Church Hill & Queen site, he said. Also, an internal sidewalk connection would result in Church Hill & Queen’s 86-space parking area functioning as a parking lot for customers at the nearby Dunkin’ Donuts, he said.

Of the Church Hill & Queen proposal, Mr Campbell said, “This facility stands on its own. It’s well designed. It will work.” He urged the commission to approve the project.

Commission members are expected to discuss the development proposal when they meet on May 12.

Church Hill & Queen’s application for the complex is one of the first projects to be subject to the new Village District zoning regulations, which seek to have new commercial construction in the borough be in “aesthetic harmony” with existing architecture.