UPS has released more specifications about the distribution center coming to 1 Red Lion Road in lieu of a public meeting that had to be canceled.
The released PowerPoint is sparse on new information but does provide a glimpse at the traffic study being conducted by the Department of Streets and PennDOT. The study is examining traffic volumes and movements at seven intersections along Red Lion Road: Pine Road, Country Club Drive, Global Road, Sandmeyer Lane, Verree Road, Bustleton Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.
Tractor-trailers will be entering and leaving the back of the property via a Sandmeyer Lane cul-de-sac. The study will not examine how it will impact the lane outside of its Red Lion Road intersection.
“Based on this scoping coordination with PennDOT and the streets department, only intersections along the Red Lion Road corridor are included in the traffic study,” a spokesman told the Times.
Plans show that employees and package cars will enter and exit the property at the Country Club Drive and Global Road intersections along Red Lion Road. Package cars will also exit east onto Sandmeyer Lane.
Early traffic study recommendations include upgrading traffic signal equipment and optimizing traffic signal timings along Red Lion Road. Other recommendations include extending the southbound left turn lane on Sandmeyer Lane and upgrading the sidewalk along Red Lion and lighting around the site.
A million cubic yards of soil will be imported to the site to create a clean soil cap, 700,000 of which are already on the site. UPS said the soil cap, new building and parking lots will “safeguard public health” from contaminated soil on the property.
The exact size of the center will be 1,004,000 square feet. Construction is still expected to begin in 2021 and be occupied by 2022.
A spokesperson reiterated there are no plans to establish an air hub at Northeast Philadelphia Airport, pointing out the company has an air gateway at Philadelphia International Airport.
The information was distributed to the Greater Bustleton and Somerton civic leagues after a public meeting planned for March 31 had to be canceled due to the spread of coronavirus. A UPS spokesperson told the Times the meeting will be rescheduled when it is safe to hold large group gatherings again.
In the midst of the virus, work on the planning phase of the project has continued, and it is still too early to determine if the virus will have impact on the overall schedule of the project.
Chris Bordelon, president of the Somerton Civic Association, said the presentation leaves many questions unanswered.
“The companies are now proposing a method of sharing information that seems deficient, and are initiating it at a moment when, for reasons that are easy to understand, many people whose interests will be affected in the long term by the project have immediate and unexpected short-term concerns that are overriding,” he said.
Jack O’Hara, president of the Greater Bustleton Civic League, said the information hasn’t changed his negative view of the project.
“While we’re grateful to finally be receiving some details after two years of our city and state elected officials pleading ignorance of the project, I haven’t seen anything yet that changes my mind that a 24/7, massive package-delivery distribution warehouse, operating out of a residential neighborhood is anything but a colossal mistake,” he said.
“It would be unimaginably deceitful if UPS, CDC and our elected officials were to take advantage of the coronavirus hardship to advance their project while area residents and businesses are worried and distracted,” he added.
GBCL is collecting questions from the public to present to UPS for future updates. Bordelon encourages those with questions to contact the company directly or elected officials.••
