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Quentin Associates, LLC, presented township supervisors Tuesday with its development plan for the entire tract of the former Quentin Riding Club at state routes 72 and 419.
Quentin Associates is requesting a conditional use permit in order to develop the 46.2-acre tract with a mix of uses such as residential and commercial. The township zoning ordinance requires supervisors approve a conditional use permit when mixed-use developments are proposed. The mixed-use overlay district was created to ‘encourage creative development and extend the mix of uses and development patterns found in the village of Quentin,’ according to the zoning ordinance.
After testimony by several witnesses, the hearing was continued to Tuesday, May 21, at 6 p.m. in the township building.
As presented, the site is divided into nine lots, four of which have confirmed uses. Those are age-restricted apartments (Lot A), a Wawa gas station and convenience store (Lot E), an equine therapy facility (Lot H) and single-family dwellings (Lot I). Six of the residential lots are in the township while the other three are in Cornwall Borough.
Possible uses for lots B, C, D, F and G that are permitted for the mixed-use district were identified in order to project traffic impacts, but they are speculative, said Mark Hackenberg, RGS Associates, project engineer. Among those uses were medical office/professional buildings, a car wash and fast food drive thru.
Three of the proposed uses were approved for special exceptions by the township zoning hearing board as required by the zoning ordinance. Those were the age-restricted apartments, Wawa gas station and equine therapy facility.
Representatives from each of those provided testimony about the proposed uses. Michael Stiegel, real estate project engineer with Wawa, said the store will have between 30-40 full- and part-time employees. He confirmed that overnight parking would not be permitted and that gasoline pumps have safety features to prevent spillage and leaks.
Supervisor Dennis Tulli sought assurances from Landmark Homes that the age-restricted apartments would not be rented to individuals younger than the stipulated 55 years and older. Questions also were asked about number of occupants allowed in the two-bedroom apartments and number of vehicles renters would be permitted to have.
Annual audits to ensure compliance with the age requirement will be performed by the management company Wolf & Kline, said Tyler Eshelman, Landmark Homes.
Quentin Associates’ owner Louie Hurst said the equine therapy facility will be a nonprofit corporation providing services to veterans. Five to six horses will be at the facility with four to six therapy sessions occurring Monday through Friday. A caretaker will live on site in an apartment in the indoor facility.
Hurst told supervisors he intends to restrict the use of the property so that it always operates as an equine therapy facility.
“This is something I want to see continue, and I will do whatever it takes to do that,” Hurst said.
At the May 21 hearing, the developer’s traffic engineer John Schick with Rettew Associates will present testimony about accesses into and out of the site and proposed improvements to deal with traffic impacts.
The West Cornwall Township Building is located at 73 S. Zinns Mill Road, Quentin.
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