Hatboro Council To Vote On Appealing Court's Wawa Ruling

HATBORO, PA — Borough council in Hatboro will vote in two weeks on whether to appeal a judge's decision that would allow a "super-Wawa" to be built at Horsham and York roads.

Meeting as a committee, council voted without objection Monday evening to hold that vote on May 20.

Before the vote, Borough Manager Diane Hegele read a letter from Mayor Nancy Guenst, who was unable to attend the meeting. The letter said Guenst "wanted to express her vehement opposition to the judge's ruling and hopes that council will consider a vote two weeks from now to further appeal this decision."

Last week, the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County ruled in favor of developers hoping to build a "super-Wawa" at the corner of York and Horsham roads.

In a ruling handed down on Thursday, the court said that the borough's zoning hearing board "unconstitutionally excluded a legitimate land use" by denying developers the right to build a Wawa, with gas tanks, on the property.

The proposal has met with stiff opposition in the community, including from neighbors and elected officials. Complaints have centered around traffic, potential dangers involving the sinking of gas tanks and the fact that there already are other Wawa stores in the area.

At Monday's committee meeting, council President George Bollenford urged residents to debate the issue with each other respectflly.

"We have to be civil to each other ... ," Bollenford said, saying he'd seen online discussions, in particular, grow heated. "Some people have to realize that some of these issues impact other people's lives."

He encouraged Hatboro residents to email council members with their opinions in advance of the May 20 vote.