A proposal to build three warehouse buildings on roughly 14 acres at 47 Penn Road is moving through Limerick Township’s zoning process, with the applicant seeking relief from setback and truck-loading standards where the site borders a residential-zoned property that is currently used as a golf course.
On March 25, the Limerick Township Zoning Hearing Board heard testimony on the plan to consolidate three parcels and construct one 30,000-square-foot building and two 72,000-square-foot buildings for storage, warehousing, and distribution. The buildings were described as “flex” warehouse space intended for smaller local users rather than a large regional distribution center.
Setback and Loading Relief Tied to Residential Boundary
According to the application summary and testimony presented at the hearing, the variances requested include permission for part of a proposed building to sit closer than the ordinance’s 100-foot setback from a residential district boundary that abuts the Raven’s Claw Golf Club property, with the closest point at 50 feet. The applicant also sought relief from the ordinance’s 200-foot separation requirement for truck-loading-related areas near that same boundary, an issue raised and discussed during board questioning.
The board heard from engineer Thomas Ludgate, who described the property as an open field with some trees, located just beyond an existing industrial park along Penn Road. The surrounding zoning and land uses were described as a patchwork that includes industrial zoning, nearby homes, and a concrete plant, with the Raven’s Claw Golf Club property to the north, as well as a creek and a tree line that help separate portions of the site from the golf course.
Board members questioned the applicant’s team about the parcel history and whether a compliant warehouse layout could be achieved without variances. Testimony indicated the owner’s intent since purchasing an earlier portion of the site in 2016 was to build warehouse space and that the later purchase of additional land made the current layout possible.
Access, Hours, and Neighbor Concerns Discussed
Neighbors raised practical concerns during public comment, including truck access and the condition of Penn Road. Ludgate said vehicles would access the site by aligning the driveway with an existing industrial park entrance road, and he provided an estimated distance of about 125 feet from Penn Road’s centerline to the first proposed building.
A nearby resident also asked whether home values in the area could be affected. The applicant’s attorney stated that property value and tax questions are not typically issues the zoning board considers in deciding variance requests.
Board members asked about anticipated hours and lighting. Owner of the property John Maddonni, Jr. said he expects operations to generally follow daytime business hours, citing around 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but indicated that exact hours could vary depending on future tenants. On lighting, Ludgate described plans for downward-shielded fixtures intended to limit spillover beyond property lines.
Second Case Proposes Storage Yard at Penn and Ridge
The board also heard a second case involving a vacant, approximately one-acre property at the intersection of Penn Road and Ridge Pike. The applicant, Kenneth Sperring, is proposing a fenced commercial storage yard for outdoor storage of vehicles, equipment, and materials, along with a gravel parking area. The request includes several use variances tied to outdoor storage activity, placement of storage areas, screening, setbacks, and limits on storage coverage.
During board questioning, members focused on fencing and visibility from Ridge Pike, whether tires would be stored (the applicant said no), and how the proposed use relates to the township’s junkyard definition. The applicant’s team described plans for chain-link fencing around the property, with privacy slats along the Ridge Pike side, and discussed how dust and debris from the adjacent concrete plant affects vegetation and potential buffering.
For both applications, no one sought formal party status to participate as a litigant in the hearings. After testimony and public comment, the board closed the record on each matter. Under the procedure described at the hearing, the Zoning Hearing Board will issue written decisions within 45 days.
