Last night Conshohocken’s Borough Council voted 4-3 to approve an amendment to its zoning code. The amended code will permit a 24-hour Wawa with gas pumps to be built at the Moore property on Fayette Street on the eastern side between 11th and just past 12th Avenue.
Borough Council limited presentation times by the developer’s attorney and the attorney representing the opposition to 15 minutes each. After that the floor was opened for public comment. By our count, 22 spoke against, three in favor and one voiced concerns.
The vote broke down this way:
- Against – Karen Tutino (D, Ward 1)
- Against – Ike Griffin (D, Ward 2)
- For – Tina Sokolowski (D, Ward 3)
- Against – Anita Barton (D, Ward 4)
- For – Jane Flanagan (D, Ward 5)
- For – Robert Stokley (R, Ward 6)
- For – Colleen Leonard (D, Ward 7)
The crowd was too large for the room and flowed into the lobby. It got boisterous at times. 6ABC Action News (watch the video), the Times Herald and PhillyVoice.com also covered the hearing.
After the hearing involving the amendment, Borough Council voted 4-3 to approve the land development. The attorney for the opposition encouraged Borough Council to take the time to thoroughly vet the redevelopment of the property. Based on what was said during the evening, expect a lawsuit from the opposition involving the amendment and procedural matters.
Here is the video from the final part of the hearing when members of Borough Council expressed their opinions and then voted.