New Drive-Thru Rite Aid for Downtown Ardmore One Step Closer to Reality

A hearing concerning a proposal for the pharmacy chain Rite Aid to build a large pharmacy at Lancaster and Ardmore avenues in Ardmore came to a close on Thursday night with Rite Aid’s attorney announcing that changes to the plans have reduced the number of variances being sought.

The Lower Merion Township Zoning Hearing Board will announce on Sept. 1 its decision on whether to approve or deny the application. 

The proposal for 104 West Lancaster Ave—is across the street from an existing Rite Aid in a strip mall—calls for the demolition of a carwash building, consolidation of the parcels and construction of a pharmacy with a drive-through window. 

Rite Aid was originally seeking five requests for zoning relief: four variances and a request for additional zoning relief that the Board deems necessary to redevelop the property as proposed.

However, at the continuation of Thursday night’s hearing, Rite Aid Pennsylvania’s attorney Mark Damico said changes have reduced the number of variances to three.

Rite Aid originally sought a variance so it would not be required to build an entrance to the store at the corner of Lancaster and Ardmore avenues, but the developer has dropped that request, Damico said.

Peter Stamphl, an architect testifying on behalf of Rite Aid, said his firm, Stampfl Hartke Associates, has worked on 242 Rite Aids and “this is the first store with two entrances.” The addition of the corner entrance necessitated other changes. 

An overhead loading door (originally to be located where the new corner would be) would be relocated to the south side of the building, closer to the loading area and the drive-through, said Ron Klos, an engineer with Bohler Engineering, also testifying for Rite Aid.

Other Changes

Also withdrawn: A request for a zoning variance not to provide the required spacing distance between street trees. The zoning ordinance requires a certain number of street trees, but it is the landscaping ordinance which requires trees to be spaced 30 feet apart.

Rite Aid has increased the number of planned trees to six along Lancaster Avenue and four along Ardmore Avenue in order to comply with the ordinance, Damico said.

However, in order to fit the required number of trees in the space, the trees will be spaced 20 feet apart, Damico said, so there is a need to obtain a waiver.

There are other changes to the proposal:

• The store’s floor area has been decreased slightly from 14,246 square feet to 14,226 square feet, Klos said.
• The building elevations have been revised and the building now has a flat roof, set at a 28-foot height (and compliant with the zoning ordinance), Stampfl said.

During a January continuation of the hearing, Stampfl had said that at its highest point, the building would be 30 feet, but the rest of the building would be 28 feet high.

After testimony concluded, the Zoning Board gave anyone who was opposed to the proposal the opportunity to speak.

Maryam Phillips, a member of the Ardmore Progressive Civic Association, was the only person to offer comment. Phillips said her civic group was pleased to see changes to the proposal but still have “great concerns about access in and out of Lancaster Avenue.”

Phillips said members of the civic are concerned about cars turning left from Lancaster Avenue into the proposed Rite Aid property and cars making left hand turns out of the property onto Lancaster Avenue.

Phillips said Ardmore Progressive is still opposed to the proposal for less parking than required. Rite Aid is seeking a variance to permit 30 parking spaces rather than the required 57 spaces.