Planning Commission reviews sketch plan for Mitsubishi Chemical warehouse addition in Reading

The City of Reading Planning Commission on April 22 reviewed a sketch plan for a 13,368‑square‑foot addition to the Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials plant at 2120 Fairmont Avenue. Jerome Skrinkowski, the commission’s planning consultant, said the submission was a sketch plan — an informal review meant to identify issues before a preliminary/final application.

“This is an informal review, which does not require any action, just to provide guidance and direction to the applicant,” Skrinkowski said. He told commissioners the site is in the Manufacturing Commercial zoning district and listed items that will be required with the preliminary submission, including landscaping, street trees, exterior lighting, solid waste management, a sewer narrative and a full stormwater and erosion‑control plan.

An applicant representative said the addition is primarily warehouse space and that the company does not expect an increase in employees. “We don't anticipate an increase in employees as part of that,” the representative said, and confirmed the team will complete infiltration testing and coordinate stormwater and sewer evaluations with city staff. Skrinkowski and staff said the fire marshal’s review was outstanding and might produce additional comments.

Staff and the applicant agreed on a timeline aiming for a preliminary plan submission for the June planning commission meeting. The commission did not take formal action on the sketch plan because sketch reviews are advisory; staff will return a list of required materials and outstanding reviews for the next phase.