Shopping Center Issue Goes to Supervisors

Six meetings since 2008, over 18 hours of hearings, thousands of words of often-contentious testimony, immeasurable time spent reviewing documents, and, on Tuesday night, with no clear prospect for a resident-happy ending, Northampton's data-weary planning  commission effectively made a non-decision.

In a roll call vote, three members voted to recommend and three members voted not to recommend the Addisville Commons proposal to the supervisors. With that, the conditional application to build a Giant food store in Richboro automatically moves to the supervisors.

Many of the more than 350 residents in the Richboro Middle School auditorium Tuesday evening appeared to oppose the application as they listened for more than  three hours to facts and opinions argued by lawyers, planners, engineers, traffic study experts and fellow citizens.

At times, the crowd became raucous, booing the applicant’s co-counsel Marc Kaplan, telling him to “get out” while they shouted and applauded Jeffrey Batoff, attorney for the Shop n Bag supermarket when he strongly refuted Kaplan’s statements one by one.

Batoff said, by code, no store may occupy more than 40% of the total square footage of the center.  The applicant’s plan would have a 53,000 Giant with an additional four 600 square foot stores.

“That does not meet the code for a shopping center,” he said.  “You have every right to deny this application.”

Residents voiced support for Glen Davis's right to develop his 11-acre property where he once operated a Pontiac dealership, but said they wanted something other than a big-box food store in that location.

Most complaints centered on traffic, but other arguments included potential financial impact on two nearby supermarkets, current commercial vacancy rates and proximity of other Giant stores.

Richboro resident and engineer James McCarron received applause after he methodically cited point-by-point Northampton Twp. codes which he said were not met by the plan.

Holland's Lenore Sherman took a less legalistic approach.

“I thought the Village Overlay district was intended to bring ambiance to Richboro,” said. “Does Giant equal ambiance?”

But near the end of the meeting, Holland resident Jame Kempner had heard enough.

“These meetings are relentless.  We are hearing versions of the same information over and over," he said. " When will it end?”   

Ten minutes later Kempner’s question was answered when the split vote sent the issue to the supervisor.