SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — A planned shopping center at the former Nichols Village Hotel & Spa plaza could move forward if the developer meets certain conditions set by township supervisors.
Nichols Village, 1101 Northern Blvd., closed Nov. 1. The property owner, Ankim Shah, attended Monday’s township meeting, where Supervisors Giles Stanton, Joseph H. Sproul III and Mark Dougherty gave preliminary approval for proposed Shoppes at South Abington.
Their approval is dependent, however, on how the South Abington Twp. Zoning Board votes on variances requested by Shah.
The supervisors set certain conditions regarding:
• The on-site stormwater developer’s agreement.
• The operations and maintenance agreement.
• An amendment to the Weis traffic signal agreement and the assignment of the “Sheetz agreement,” which has to do with the road connecting the gas station and the Nichols Village property.
• The highway occupancy permit, which is issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Shah, who also brought a new landscaping plan to the supervisors, will ask the zoning board today for variances regarding the number of required parking spots. The planned parking lot includes 192 spots instead of the required 239 for the number of businesses.
The project is short on spaces, assuming three locations turn into actual restaurants with seating, said Shah.
“If not, we’re short by five or seven,” he said.
He said the Shoppes have a “shared parking concept.” Some of the more retail businesses will see the majority of their shoppers between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., while potential restaurants will get the majority of crowds after 5 p.m., he said.
The project also needs a variance for its signage.
If the zoning board approves the variances today, demolition on the former hotel could begin Wednesday, Shah told supervisors.
The project has deals in place with national retailers, including Wendy’s, a convenience store and Autozone, according to an online brochure from Bennett Williams Commercial, a South Central Pennsylvania company marketing the project.
In other business, the supervisors approved police contracts with both Ransom Twp. and Newton Twp. South Abington Twp. Police Department has provided police services to both townships for around 10 years, said David O’Neill, township manager.
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