UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — A truck stop in Upper Macungie Township soon may get a makeover.
The township Planning Commission on Wednesday reviewed a sketch plan for renovations and expansions to Trexler Travel Center at 5829 Tilghman St.
A sketch plan is made early in the development process to let municipalities ask questions and give feedback ahead of a formal submission.
The truck stop has food, showers, gas pumps and overnight parking for trucks. It also is home to Trexler Indian Curries.
The owner is proposing to expand the existing buildings, install new gas pumps and build new truck repair and wash buildings.
According to the website, the owner proposes adding a Pizza Hut.
“Everybody that comes in, the Sunoco, this property, says, ‘Oh, we don’t allow that.’ Well, it’s happening.”Planning commission member Chris Walls
Planning Commission member Chris Walls asked the representative with the developer to do more to make sure trucks are not parking on adjacent streets.
“I went by there tonight, and there’s a tractor-trailer sitting there,” Smalls said. “Everybody that comes in, the Sunoco, this property, says, ‘Oh, we don’t allow that.’ Well, it’s happening.”
A representative with the applicant said they would need to go before the township Zoning Hearing Board for approval because the use is allowed by “special exception” under township land use laws.
When something is allowed by special exception, that means it is an allowed use as long as the property owner proves it will not harm the township any more than another plan of the same use, Assistant Township Manager Kal Sostarecz said previously.
Americold expansion
The commission tabled a preliminary land development plan for a 60-foot-tall, 326,859-square-foot building expansion to Americold Logistics’ cold storage warehouse at 7150 Ambassador Drive.
The township Zoning Hearing Board recently approved the use as a special exception.
The expansion would be attached to the existing, 45-foot-tall, 268,521-square-foot building. Plans also include a new detached 3,774-square-foot office/welfare building.
The expansion would double the number of truck trips per day to 490, representatives with the applicant said.
