A heavy civil contracting firm is looking to establish a new base of operations on Lightcap Road in Limerick Township.
On Thursday evening, the Limerick Township Planning Commission reviewed preliminary plans from Road-Con for a proposed operations facility at 76 Lightcap Road, a five-acre property located along Route 422.
Representatives for the project said the facility would include a 24,000-square-foot building with office space for employees and vehicle maintenance areas, as well as outdoor storage for equipment and materials associated with the company’s operations.
Road-Con representatives described the company as a heavy civil contractor that works on projects for PennDOT, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, bridge commissions, airports, and municipalities. Recent projects mentioned during the meeting include work on the Route 30 bypass in West Whiteland Township and the intersection of Routes 926 and 202 in the West Chester area.
Five Waiver Requests Presented
The proposal came before the commission with five waiver requests tied to the site layout and surrounding road conditions.
The requests included:
- waiving a separate existing resources and site analysis map,
- not installing sidewalk and curb improvements along Lightcap Road,
- allowing the existing driveway to remain closer than normally permitted to a neighboring driveway,
- permitting parking islands without curbing or raised planting areas,
- and reducing required landscape buffer widths along portions of the northern and western property lines.
Regarding the sidewalk waiver, project engineer Chuck Dobson of InLand Design said the township’s anticipated Lightcap Road realignment project made immediate sidewalk installation impractical. Township staff noted that the corridor is expected to undergo future capital improvements and road realignment work.
Road Conditions Draw Attention
Much of the discussion focused on Lightcap Road itself and concerns about the impact of heavy equipment traffic on a roadway officials said is already in poor condition.
Planning Commissioner Greg Richardson raised that portions of Lightcap Road contain potholes and questioned whether increased heavy truck traffic could accelerate deterioration.
Township staff responded that the planned capital improvement project for the corridor would include a pavement analysis accounting for heavy truck traffic.
Al Hoffman of Road-Con emphasized that the site is expected to generate limited heavy equipment movement, estimating a maximum of one to two lowboy equipment hauls per day, along with several straight truck trips and regular employee traffic. He added that much of the company’s heavy equipment typically moves directly between job sites rather than returning to the facility regularly.
Dobson also mentioned that Road-Con is willing to relinquish a portion of right-of-way to help accommodate the township's future road realignment project.
Revisiting an Already Approved Site
Dobson noted that the property had previously received land development approvals for another user, though that project was never constructed.
He described the new proposal as “a bit of a redo” of the previously approved concept and characterized Road-Con as an experienced operator that would maintain the property responsibly and efficiently.
A large-scale data center has been proposed west of the Road-Con site near the intersection of Lightcap Road and Possum Hollow Road. During public comment, a Limerick resident asked whether Road-Con had any affiliation with other businesses involved in projects in the area. Road-Con representatives confirmed they do not.
Commissioners raised few objections to the Road-Con proposal during the discussion, and the project is expected to return for continued review as township officials continue evaluating the plans.
This article was generated with AI assistance. All content was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by John McGuire.
