Borough Council to Vote on Wawa Project Oct. 17

Media Real Estate presented its plan for a proposed Wawa for the 14th time Thursday night and received Media Borough Council and the public's feedback.

The proposed Wawa store and gas station would be constructed on the former Media Inn vacant 1.7 acre lot on Providence Road, State Street and Baltimore Avenue. The new Wawa design mimics a train or trolley station-type look, which Wawa has never done before. The design is a two-story, brick concept and includes hanging red, train-station-like lights, pedestrian walkways, LED lighting, outdoor seating areas and brick street walls. A 3D design of project can be viewed here. The second story would be vacant space. 

Media Borough Council is expected to vote on the preliminary land development plan at its Oct. 17 meeting. 

In July, Media Planning Commission voted 4-1 in support of preliminary plan approval and recommended that Media Borough Council approve the preliminary plan with several conditions, including five waiver requests and three variances.

Borough Council President Brian Hall said Thursday that the preliminary land development vote would be the first of three separate votes that need to take place in order for the project to move forward. 

If council approved a preliminary land development plan, Media Real Estate would than seek a zoning request change (as a portion of the property is currently zoned Residential) and also ask the borough to vacate Baker Street, which currently cuts through the development plan. If council denied the preliminary land development plan, Media Real Estate could than appeal that decision, Hall explained.

At Thursday's meeting, the public and borough council continued to voice concerns about an increase in traffic at the already congested intersections.

About 40 residents attended Thursday's meeting, half of which were from the Bowling Green neighborhood, which borders the project, and had the most concerns with traffic. 

A traffic study was conducted by the applicant's traffic engineers and concluded that if a Wawa were built on the property the traffic grade would either stay the same or get better, depending on each intersection, Matt Hammond, the applicant's traffic engineer, said. 

Hammond explained that 76 percent of the Wawa traffic, during peak hours, already exists on the road today and there would be a 24 percent increase in traffic during peak hours.

Residents disagreed with this traffic study saying a Wawa would clearly bring more traffic to the area. 

The addition of a right-turn lane on State Street, turning onto Providence Road is included in the Wawa proposal (costing Wawa $150,000 due to the need to move major utility poles and wires) and would increase the grade at that intersection from its now D level to a C level, Hammond said. The current D grade level at the intersection of Balitmore Avenue and Providence Road would remain the same.

Councilman Paul Robinson said Media Real Estate is the applicant and asked what was the borough's insurance that a Wawa would be built on the property. 

He said if the plan were approved and Wawa were to back out, the developer would still be approved to be build there. 

Media Real Estate's Jeff Cadorette said Media Real Estate is contractual bound to build a Wawa and has every intention of building a Wawa at that location. He said Wawa will have a ground lease of the property and said he will have it put in writing that Wawa is committed to building at that location. 

Wawa has stated previously that they have no intention of closing the two nearby Wawa stores on Baltimore Avenue and Providence Road in Upper Providence Township. However, residents were concerned that years down the line Wawa could decide to close those stores. Wawa owns the property on Baltimore Avenue across from the post office. 

Several Media Borough residents and business owners showed their support for the project saying it will bring more business to the downtown area. 

Wawa has also said it will include an "information center" within the store to advertise Media events and provide information for people passing through Wawa to draw them to State Street.

Cadorette said they don't know how that looks just yet but Wawa is committed to providing that service.