Board approves Hawthorne Square final plan with conditions after lengthy resident Q&A

Limmerick Township supervisors approved the final plan for the Hawthorne Square subdivision at their June 16 meeting, authorizing the developer to submit the required planning module and proceed toward construction once permits and escrow requirements are satisfied.

Developer Chris (Mr. Can/Mr. Canavan) presented the final plan for the 319 Westridge Pike site: retention of several commercial frontages, consolidation of driveways and entrances, and roughly 51 residential units including townhomes and a small number of rental units. The developer said the project has satisfied township engineering comments and received a planning commission recommendation; Pendot and NPDES permits were pending or expected imminently.

Board members and residents focused questions on access and traffic (a shared full-service entrance and a second emergency-only entrance), parking and on-site overflow parking, dumpster/trash arrangements for units without garages, pedestrian connectivity between parking and units, snow removal logistics, landscaping and buffering (including added evergreens behind lots 50 and 51), and use of grinder pumps and a low-pressure sanitary sewer system for the site. Developer representatives agreed to provide pedestrian service walks from the parking lot to front units, add additional evergreens for privacy at lots 50 and 51, and memorialize pedestrian connectivity as a condition in the resolution.

After discussion and proposed amendments, the board moved to approve the final plan as amended. The meeting included a roll-call vote; one supervisor (Mr. Moroni) recorded a "no" vote citing the project felt "crowded" and preferring fewer townhomes. The board also approved Resolution 2026-12 to submit the planning module for the Hawthorne Square project to the Department of Environmental Protection to finalize sewer-flow and permitting steps.

Resident public comments reiterated concerns about parking, traffic, and whether subdivision density aligns with the township's longer-term comprehensive-plan goals; the board invited residents to participate in upcoming RFP/committee work on the comprehensive plan.

Next procedural steps: developer will submit the planning module, finalize NPDES and other permits, and work with township staff to secure escrow and financial guarantees before issuing any building permits. The developer indicated potential ground-breaking as early as late July pending approvals.