PALMER TWP., Pa. — Approval for a plan for a new Rutter’s gas station and convenience store was tabled Tuesday by Palmer Township Planning Commission, which said more detail is needed.
Representatives for the convenience store, which is set to be constructed at 1280 Main St., conceded the need for the board to hold off on a decision.
But they presented an updated look at what could be a competitor for Wawa and Sheetz in the Lehigh Valley.
Langan Engineering’s Shaun Haas and Annmarie Vigilante, alongside applicant M&G Realty’s Damon Hall, gave several site plans and renderings and fielded questions from the members.
“At this time, given all the outstanding comments that we would have, we would recommend tabling the project to be resubmitted pending a waiver to act on."Palmer Township Assistant Planning Director Craig Beavers
Rutter’s, a convenience store and gas station chain offering fresh and prepared food — and in some cases, alcoholic beverages — has a storied history in the commonwealth.
But the Palmer location would be the Lehigh Valley's first. The closest is near Kutztown in Berks County.
The Rutter family business started in 1747 in York, where the family farm remains in operation today. In 1921, George and Bud Rutter started the Rutter Bros. Dairy.
By 1968, the company had launched the first Rutter’s Farm Store, a name shorted to just Rutter’s in 2018.
Rutter’s now has 87 convenience stores spread throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, with plans to expand into Delaware and Virginia.
One of the biggest drivers of business for the operation is its rewards program, which offers per-gallon discounts on gas purchases via online registration and in-store purchases and specials.
Outstanding issues
The current plan for the land includes a 13,467-square-foot convenience store; a six-pump, 12-fueling-station gas section; four diesel fueling stations; 93 tractor-trailer parking spots; and 45-50 car parking spots.
Palmer Assistant Planning Director Craig Beavers said the developer previously secured several variances for the project, though “there are a few items in general that we are still working on with the applicant.”
Those include zoning issues with pedestrian walkways, street lighting and landscaping.
“At this time, given all the outstanding comments that we would have, we would recommend tabling the project to be resubmitted pending a waiver to act on,” Beavers said.
Zoning also pointed to a few items that would require additional review, including the developer seeking a waiver for a safety fence, as well as a preference for a controlled release setup as opposed to an infiltration system for stormwater.
A fresh look at the plans
Haas provided a review of the site plan for the commission, which included several updates since they first presented sketches in March 2024.
The sizable number of tractor-trailer spots raised eyebrows, but Haas had a justification for the plan.
“We know that there's has been concerns with truck queuing and local streets and that sort of thing," he said. "And this is a perfect project for Palmer Township to help alleviate some of those concerns."
Because of the size of the site, planners also were slightly concerned over internal traffic, but Haas reassured them that internal directions would be in place.
“It'll be internal signage, and that's shown on the plan right now," he said. "It'll say, ‘Trucks must go straight’ and then once they get to the southern tip of the access drive, trucks can go left or right.
“So there's a lot of work to be done, [but] the design, generally, it works as is."Langan Engineering’s Shaun Haas
"There's additional signage near the diesel fueling pumps that direct vehicles away from the areas north of the building."
Vigilante provided additional information after submitting a transportation impact study the state Transportation Department, detailing what the community could expect if the project goes forward.
“We have roughly 137 new weekday morning peak hour trips associated with the site," she said. "There's 120 evening peak hour trips and 188 Saturday peak hour trips.”
Vigilante later said the bulk of traffic would come and go off Route 33 or Main Street, leaving minimal impact on the township’s roads.
While the developer will have to address those issues cited by township officials and await stormwater comments from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Haas and his colleagues appeared pleased with the results of the meeting despite the tabling.
“So there's a lot of work to be done, [but] the design, generally, it works as is,” Haas said.
