Planning commission recommends site-plan review for Rook Road expansion after debate over use and stormwater

The East Allen Township Planning Commission on Dec. 4 recommended that Delco Capital’s proposed 7,200-square-foot building addition at 6583 Rook Road proceed under the township’s site-plan review procedures rather than a full land-development submission.

Counsel Dave Wallace Savage told the commission the addition sits where a 1997 land-development plan had anticipated future expansion and that a 2021 change-of-use approval had allowed a motor freight-terminal/office use in part of the building. Savage said the new construction would occupy a footprint that had been used for van parking, and that the recent tenant (Blue Logistics/Amazon operations) would be removed from the site as part of the project.

Commissioners debated whether the property’s use should be classified as a warehouse, a distribution center, or an office with accessory storage — a distinction that affects parking calculations, conditional-use requirements and whether additional zoning approvals are necessary. Township staff emphasized the site-plan requirements of Section 250‑35 and listed 18 elements that a site plan must contain.

Members also pressed the applicant on stormwater and impervious-surface issues. The applicant said the proposed addition would cover a gravel area previously used for parking; staff noted gravel is generally considered impervious unless the applicant demonstrates infiltration. Commissioners and the township engineer requested updated stormwater information and a parking tabulation reflecting the project’s final use and occupancy.

After discussion, the commission voted 3–2 to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that Delco Capital be handled via site-plan review, with the site plan required to meet the ordinance’s Section 250‑35 elements and any additional zoning approvals determined by the zoning officer.

What happens next: The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors; the zoning officer will make determinations about specific use classifications and whether conditional-use hearings are required before any permit is issued.

Votes and procedure: The recommendation carried on a 3–2 vote; commissioners recorded specific concerns about parking, stormwater and whether the use should be treated as a distribution/warehouse use or as office/warehouse accessory storage. The commission recorded that, in the applicant’s view, the addition would remove on-site van parking that had generated neighborhood noise and traffic concerns.