Church Hill & Queen—

Borough Zoners Approve Commercial Complex

By Andrew Gorosko

Following a detailed review of specifics on the construction project, Borough Zoning Commission members May 12 approved plans 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

Church Hill & Queen, LLC, plans to build 17,154 square feet of commercial space on the 2.1-acre site.

The borough zoners gave the development firm three approvals for the project. They endorsed the site development plan, a special exception to the borough zoning regulations, and a Village District zoning approval. Zoning Commission members also found that the project conforms with the Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

Following the project’s approval, developer Peter Wiehl said the firm would like to start construction in the spring of 2005, and would like to complete the project by the spring of 2006. The project might be completed somewhat sooner, he added. The project would be built in one construction phase.

Church Hill & Queen, LLC, is marketing the project and seeking financing for the construction work, Mr Wiehl said. He did not provide information on the cost of the project.

 The borough zoners approved the developer’s request to dual-faced sign on the southwest corner of Church Hill Road and Queen Street advertising that a commercial complex would be built there. 

 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.

Mr Wiehl has said the firm is seeking to create an “upscale retail situation” on the property. He has said that no specific tenants have yet been confirmed for the project. The complex is planned to have security service.

Attorney Charles Campbell, representing Church Hill & Queen, LLC, has said the firm is seeking state approval for “exclusive pedestrian phasing” at the traffic signal at the Church Hill Road and Queen Street 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 is seeking approval to install a walkway through a traffic island on Queen Street at that intersection to improve pedestrian movement there.

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