The commercial real estate listing website LoopNet has a listing for 701 Fayette Street, which is currently the home of an Exxon station. The station services cars, but has not sold gas for a couple years. Here is what the listing states:
Rare Opportunity To Purchase A Corner Commercial Property In Sought After Conshohocken. This Property Would Cater To One User For Large Chain Store, Office Building Or A Small Strip Of Retail Stores With Apartment/Condo’s On Top. There Is No Other Opportunity In Conshohocken Like It. Across The Street Is CVS & Large Office Building. Conshohocken Is The Most Convenient Town For Any Business. Borough Is In Favor Of Retail Growing The Town. Large Corner Lot With Various Commercial Industry Nearby. Property Was Previously A Gas Station, No Longer Serving Gas, Just Auto Repair. Seller Will Remove Tanks and Pumps Prior To Sale. DEP Inspections Annually. Zoning Allows For A 40Ft High Building With 85% Allowable Impervious Coverage. Do Not Allow Buyers To Approach Or Contact Employees. Do Not Walk Site Without Listing Agent.
As the paragraph above states, the property is in the commercial zoning district. If a Wawa wanted to come to this location, zoning wise, they could do so because a convenience store and gas station are allowed as a conditional use. It is probably too small for the type of stores and filling stations Wawa is now building, but we wanted to point out the difference. The Moore Chevrolet property sits outside of the commercial zoning district and in an area zoned for homes and low intensity offices.
What else is allowed in the commercial zoning district? Here is the list of permitted uses:
1. Business offices including, but not limited to, security and commodity brokerage, real estate sales, travel agency, employment counseling, insurance sales, advertising, mailing and stenographic services.
2. Professional office for the practice of medicine, law, engineering, architecture or design, real estate, insurance, or financial institution.
3. Bank or financial institutions.
A. If a drive-in window is provided, a minimum of eight cars stacking area shall be provided, including the space at the window.
B. These spaces shall not interfere with other parking spaces or internal circulation on the site.
4. Retail establishment for the sale of dry goods, variety merchandise, clothing, food, baked goods, beverages, flowers, plants, drugs, hardware, books, and furnishings.
5. Sale and repair of watches, clocks, optical goods, musical, professional or scientific instruments.
6. Personal service shop: barber or beauty shop custom tailoring, shoe repair, or dry cleaning (provided that no cleaning operations are performed on the premises).
7. Liquor store.
8. Video rental store.
9. Restaurants and cafeterias not to include drive-in restaurants.
10. Municipal or government office, public utility office.
11. Studio for dance, fitness, music, art, or photography.
12. Undertaking or funeral establishments.
13. Clubs, lodges, fraternal organizations.
14. Educational, religious (including parsonage and church) or philanthropic uses.
15. Public library.
16. Laundromat, that is designed to serve local needs.
17. Residential uses, provided that they are not located on the street or ground levels and are above a nonresidential use.
18. Bed-and-breakfast in compliance with Part 8, § 27-813, of this Chapter.
19. Accessory uses, pursuant to Part 8, § 27-811, of this Chapter.
20. Any use of the same general character as the permitted uses above.
As we also mentioned, there are also several conditional uses possible. They are:
1. Gasoline service station meeting the following standards:
A. All activities except those performed at fuel or air pumps shall be performed within an enclosed building.
B. Fuel pumps shall be set back at least 15 feet from any ultimate right-of-way.
C. No paint spraying or bodywork shall be permitted.
2. Drive-in convenience store meeting the following standards:
A. Fuel pumps, if provided, shall be set back at least 15 feet from any ultimate right-of-way.
3. Parking lots or garages provided that they are secondary to the primary use.
4. Restaurants, taverns or bars that sell alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption, provided that there are 350 feet between such establishments.
If you read through the permitted and condition uses there are a lot of possibilities. This is actually a good opportunity to enhance the main street feel of Fayette Street if a developer chooses to develop a mixed use retail (ground floor) and residential (upstairs) project. If this becomes a big chain, it may be the final nail in the coffin for Fayette being developed as a walkable main street.
Stay tuned. It should be interesting no matter what happens.
H/t to ConshyStuff.com.