New Stanton council holds off vote on 1 million-square-foot warehouse

Following a closed-door session, New Stanton council on Tuesday held off voting on preliminary plans for a warehouse of more than 1 million square feet proposed for Glenn Fox Road.

Council members will revisit plans for the proposed distribution center and warehouse during their Sept. 7 meeting.

“Considering all the comments we received this evening, the information as presented to us both on borough engineers’ perspective and engineers of the developer, at this time I think it would be best for us to consider this matter further … and perhaps our engineers can submit further comment to the developer,” said Councilman Alex Brown.

The decision to table the vote happened about two hours into the meeting where plans for the 145-acre site near the UPS warehouse and terminal were presented. They were pitched by representatives of Cambria County-based HF Lenz Co. and SunCap Property Group, a Charlotte, N.C., company that originally proposed the project.

SunCap representatives did not reveal what trucking or delivery company might occupy the building, but the company has developed 35 warehouses across the country for FedEx Corp., according to its website. FedEx officials last month said they have a policy of not commenting on specifics of projects until all aspects have been finalized.

“This building will be fully occupied by a Fortune 500 company,” said Matthew Virgin, senior vice president of SunCap. “That’s all I can say at this point in time.”

While a company was not named, representatives laid out details for the proposed warehouse, which would cater to about 180 trucks per day, officials said. The site of the warehouse is located south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and bounded by Westinghouse Drive and Glenn Fox Road.

Keith Gindlesperger, vice president of HF Lenz Co., noted that about 560 parking spots are included in the plans, as well as additional spots for tractor trailers, box trucks and vans.

He said that landscaping plans include planting 1,050 new trees. Stormwater management plans include seven stormwater retention ponds. They were submitted to the Westmoreland County Conservation District.

In addition, Gindlesperger said Glenn Fox Road will undergo total reconstruction from the bridge over the Turnpike to the Hempfield municipal line.

Council spent about 40 minutes in executive session after hearing those details before they publicly voted to table the vote.

The decision also came weeks after planning commission recommended approval of the land development plans.

Residents’ concerns

However, concerns were expressed by several Hempfield residents who live on Glenn Fox Road in regard to stormwater and traffic.

Hempfield resident Gerald Smith noted that property values might be impacted by the development. He also expressed concerns over truck traffic going through Hempfield instead of New Stanton.

Hempfield resident Rich Wagner expressed similar sentiments, telling council members, “Think about a million-square-foot warehouse in your backyard.”

“Why are you doing this to a nice rural community that we have,” Wagner asked. “I know we’re going to see traffic from shift changes seven days a week, three times a day. That’s a big concern. … My big concern is going to be the 200-plus employees every day going in and out.

“Right now I can sit in my front yard, I might see five or 10 vehicles.”

Council members will revisit the topic during the next meeting, which is scheduled for Sept. 7.