Should a Wawa featuring a gas station be allowed to open in Conshohocken?
That is the question that will be answered tonight when the borough council votes on a proposal to open a larger Wawa on a vacant car dealership lot in the heart of the borough.
At earlier meetings some members of the community voiced concern over a third Wawa store in the area.
"Is this the way we want to look at our town as Wawa, Wawa, Wawa?" asked one woman during the meeting.
"I don't think it's right for right here in Conshohocken," Mike Oraschewsky of the Conshohocken Cafe told NBC10's Rosemary Connors before the meeting. "We've got a Wawa on both ends of town."
"There's more passion from the opposing side. But, it's a divided issue. It's hard to be passionate about bringing a Wawa into Conshohocken," Brian Pieri, a resident and owner of The Stone Rose restaurant, said earlier in the day.
"They are a great company, but they belong on a pike," Pieri said.
Wawa is proposing a less-than-5,000-square-foot "neighborhood-designed" superstore on Fayette Street at the site of the old Moore Chevrolet car dealership.
"It's an eyesore right now, I think a Wawa would probably be a OK," said Natalie Adler, a Philadelphia resident who travels to Conshohocken every day for work.
"We believe that we are a community partner, a strong partner, not only to community causes but also to the local businesses and, of course, the residents in the area as well," said Wawa spokeswoman Lori Bruce.
The store wouldn't be a "Super Wawa" since it would be less than 5,000-square feet, according to Wawa.
Some opponents to the store believe the addition of gas pumps makes it a Super Wawa in any case.
Sam Marino lives right across the street from the proposed location.
"Personally, I don't want it. I don't want to see 600 to 700 cars going in and out all day. I may plant arborvitae (a tall shrub) in my front yard or even move," Marino said. He does admit, however, that if it does happen, he'd probably end up shopping there.
Marino's best friend Ed Schaffer is a supporter.
"I want it. I love Wawa. When I stop to visit my friend, I want convenience. He doesn't want the traffic."
"Our goal is to become community assets and compliment the communities we serve," said Bruce.
Wawa has been a part of the Conshohocken community for more than 40 years, according to Bruce. She says 1,200 people have signed a petition in support of the superstore. After opening, Wawa's plan includes adding 40 new jobs and making other contributions to the community, Bruce said.
The promise of jobs and potentially cheaper gas, though, doesn't do enough to match the vision some have for Conshy.
Realtor and developer Gary DeMedio of DeMedio Keystone Realty said that he's watched Conshohocken over the past 40 years go from a steel town to a blue-collar town and now then the conversion to the trendy, vibrant community it is today. He is concerned with keeping the borough unique.
"We'll lose the small town feel. Wawa's a great family-owned company but it's just not a fit here," he said. "It's not all about gas prices or the store's popularity."
About two dozen businesses formed an opposition group called Conshohocken Revitalization Alliance (CRA). One of their primary concerns is that the borough may change zoning ordinances for convenience stores and gas stations in order to appease Wawa.
At previous hearings about the Super Wawa, CRA members countered claims by a traffic engineer that the store would generate a 7.5 percent increase in traffic.
"The main overall point is the town put a lot of time and effort into making Conshohocken more walkable with nice restaurants. The Wawa facility doesn't match that plan. They will stifle mom-and-pops," said Pieri.
Last month, Abington Township approved a plan to open a Wawa. Weeks later, the Cherry Hill Planning Board approved opening a Wawa too.
The company, which is headquartered in Wawa, Delaware County, Pa., owns and runs some 600 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and recently expanded their business into the Florida market. About 200 of the stores sell gas.
On their company website, Wawa lists plans to open an additional 21 stores this spring and summer.
Photo Credit: lsiegert, Flickr