A proposed mixed-use development at 3373 and 3387 Ridge Pike drew pointed questions from Limerick Township supervisors during a first-discussion review Tuesday night, with board members raising concerns about narrow internal roads, parking conflicts, and whether commercial delivery trucks could end up traveling through the same road network serving future townhomes.
The discussion, which lasted more than an hour, marked the first review of the project before the board of supervisors and did not involve any votes. It centered largely on requested waivers from the township’s subdivision and land development ordinance, which governs technical design standards such as roadway widths, parking layouts, stormwater infrastructure, and site access. Waivers allow applicants to request modifications from those standards when an alternative design is proposed.
In this case, the developer originally submitted 28 waiver requests, though one was withdrawn after the applicant confirmed it could comply with the township's five-foot sidewalk requirement along Fruitville Road.
That leaves 27 waiver requests currently pending, subject to future revisions as the plan evolves. The applicant is expected to return with revised plans and updated waiver requests following feedback received from township officials and consultants.
The Scope of the Proposal
Fruitville Crossing, as the project is known, would bring 70 townhomes, six single-family detached homes, and 92,000 square feet of commercial space along Ridge Pike.
The proposal also includes realigning Fruitville Road to create a new four-way signalized intersection with Airport Road — a configuration township officials said has long been identified as a planning priority by both Limerick Township and PennDOT because of the difficulties drivers currently face making left turns from the offset intersection onto Ridge Pike.
The applicant's attorney, Ari Christakis of Buckley Brion McGuire & Morris LLP, appearing alongside the applicant’s project engineer and traffic engineer, said the road realignment drives many of the requested waivers because the new roadway must connect to fixed points at both Airport Road and Montella Circle.
The applicant’s team also confirmed that four townhome units located across from Montella Circle will be removed from the plan after wetlands were identified in the northwest portion of the site during due diligence work.
The existing commercial structures on the property, including a used car business and a longstanding vacant building that has previously held restaurants and bars, would be razed as part of the new development.
Supervisors Push Back on Cartway Width, Parking
Supervisor Patrick Morroney raised concerns about a requested waiver to reduce internal road widths from the township's required 30-foot cartway to 24 feet along Roads A and B within the development, where on-street parking would not be permitted in the current plan.
Morroney argued that residents could ignore the parking rules and the homeowners association may not enforce those rules, which could cause issues for snow removal and emergency vehicles. He added that the township has been asked to assume responsibility for roads in other developments with similar stipulations.
"We have many places that come back and the HOA wants us to take over," Morroney said. “This is going to happen, whether it’s 15 years from now or 20.”
Supervisor Linda Irwin echoed those concerns, citing her own experience living in a townhouse community with roads that were never dedicated to the township because they failed to meet required standards.
In response, Christakis noted that while the roads are currently proposed as private, the applicant would “not object to offering them for dedication” to the township.
Irwin also challenged the applicant's argument that maintaining portions of Fruitville Road at 28 feet wide represented a hardship warranting a waiver.
Christakis responded that the applicant viewed the hardship as the additional widening work required to expand the existing 28-foot roadway along Fruitville Road to the township’s 30-foot standard, arguing that maintaining the current width would provide consistency.
"That's not a hardship, that's a preference," Irwin said.
Commercial Access and Delivery Trucks Draw Scrutiny
Board Chair Connie Lawson raised concerns about how delivery vehicles would access the proposed commercial portion of the development.
As currently designed, the project does not include direct commercial access from Ridge Pike, leading supervisors to question whether delivery trucks — including possible tractor-trailers — could end up using the same internal roads serving the residential section of the development.
"I get tractor trailers every week," Lawson said of her own retail business, Sweet Ashely’s Chocolates, adding that it’s not possible to know whether future commercial tenants will require tractor-trailer deliveries.
Morroney was more direct.
"Why are we taking a commercial vehicle into a residential area to make a delivery at a commercial property?" he asked.
Christakis acknowledged that concern and said future tenancy restrictions could potentially prohibit businesses requiring tractor-trailer deliveries if adequate truck access cannot be accommodated.
Township consultants and supervisors also discussed possible alternatives, including shifting the commercial layout to allow for a dedicated access drive farther west along Ridge Pike.
The applicant’s team agreed to study potential redesign options before returning with revised plans.
Parking Stall Size and Overflow Concerns
Supervisors also discussed a waiver request seeking permission for nine-foot-wide parking stalls instead of the township's standard nine-and-a-half-foot commercial spaces.
Morroney expressed concern that narrower spaces create difficulties for larger vehicles, particularly SUVs.
The township's traffic consultant suggested a compromise approach that would maintain wider stalls in high-turnover retail areas while allowing narrower stalls in lower-demand sections of the parking lot.
Christakis also noted that the removal of four townhome units from the plan could create additional flexibility in the parking layout.
Lawson separately raised concerns about potential future conflicts between residential overflow parking and commercial tenants paying common area maintenance fees to maintain retail parking lots.
"Why are we even putting that point of friction in there?" Lawson asked.
In response, the applicant suggested that designated overflow spaces and shared parking arrangements could eventually be addressed through HOA documents.
Stormwater Waivers Reviewed
The board also reviewed two stormwater-related waiver requests concerning pipe flow velocity and pipe burial depth.
Township Engineer Khaled Hassan clarified that reduced pipe velocity can be acceptable under industry best management practices when the infrastructure remains on private property and does not carry public runoff. Hassan also explained that shallower pipe depths are sometimes permitted in private areas with lighter vehicle loads, provided the pipe material and design meet engineering standards.
Officials noted that the developer would be required to enter into a recorded operation and maintenance agreement requiring the future homeowners association to inspect and maintain the stormwater infrastructure for the life of the project.
The board of supervisors took no action on the proposal Tuesday night. The applicant is expected to return with revised plans reflecting the wetland adjustments, updated parking and roadway discussions, and any modified waiver requests.
This article was generated with AI assistance. All content was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by John McGuire.
