Board approves Lymphocare land development but denies sidewalk waiver

The Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors on May 26 approved preliminary and final land development for Lymphocare at 101 Commerce Drive, allowing expanded parking and site modifications but denying the company’s request to waive a sidewalk along Commerce Drive.

Kristen Pianzio, the applicant’s attorney, told the board the company has grown from two employees in 2000 to about 75 and is consolidating operations onto the Commerce Drive parcel. Pianzio outlined multiple waiver requests — including reduced pipe size, parking‑space dimensions to match existing 9 by 18 spaces, relief from a traffic‑impact study and adjustments to tree quantity and spacing — and proposed paying a fee‑in‑lieu for two street trees that could not fit due to utility conflicts.

The project team’s engineer, introduced in the meeting as A.D. Renzinger of Shoemaker Engineers, explained that a portion of the site includes an unvacated strip from an earlier Stump Road realignment and that the applicant seeks a formal vacation of that piece. Renzinger said the proposed 15‑inch outlet pipe functions as part of the site’s flow‑control system and that the stormwater calculations — reviewed by the township engineer — had been supplied for township review. “So the rain garden isn’t inundated with water all at the same time,” Renzinger said, describing how the design slows and detains flow.

Township staff and board members pressed the applicant about sidewalks and trees. Chair Tanya Bamford said she preferred to see a sidewalk installed to connect employees to the community and recreation center; the applicant offered a fee in lieu of construction for a missing segment. Landscape architect Rachel Vahey said larger (2½‑inch) caliper trees would partially offset a quantity deficiency but acknowledged the township code typically triggers more trees at 1½‑inch caliper; she said the applicant was willing to follow the board’s preference.

After discussion the board adopted Resolution 2026 granting preliminary/final land development approval for Lymphocare with the exceptions noted and explicitly denying the waiver for the sidewalk along Commerce Drive. Chair Bamford offered the motion to approve; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. Staff reminded the board the Stump Road vacation is a separate action that must come back before the board as an ordinance.

Next steps include final checklist items and any conditions spelled out in the planning and engineering review letters; the applicant acknowledged that utility easements and the formal vacation will need to be handled before final acceptance.