Wal-Mart has amended its proposal for a store in Moon, scrapping plans for sharing a road into the proposed development with an apartment complex and placing a new traffic signal along busy Brodhead Road.
Wal-Mart recently submitted a revised traffic plan for the store to PennDOT, which must sign off on the plan before the retail giant can seek permission from Moon to move forward.
Moon supervisors approved the development plans last November after months of contentious debate, but that was before a tentative agreement Wal-Mart had reached with Colony West Apartments collapsed. Under that agreement, Wal-Mart and the apartment complex would have shared an access road off Brodhead Road and a new traffic signal would have been installed at the intersection.
A community group called Moon First sued the township over the supervisors' approval of the plans, arguing the access road would have left only a 10-foot buffer between the development and apartment complex, shorter than required under Moon's zoning ordinance. Adam McGurk, the township planning director, said that case remains active, but "it could be moot" under Wal-Mart's revised plans.
Under the new plans, Wal-Mart would have its own access road, and no new traffic lights would be installed along Brodhead. The new road would be located farther east than the one initially planned, meeting Moon's buffer requirement. The design and placement of the 148,000-square-foot store remain as they were in the plans approved last year.
Wal-Mart spokesman Jason N. Klipa said the new access road would "provide greater distance between the access for our store and the residents of Colony West. The new plan retains the (Colony West) residents' current access drive so they don't have to share with our customers."
But the new access road would be closer to University Boulevard, Moon's busiest thoroughfare.
McGurk said the new plan would allow motorists to make only right turns out of the retail development, but they would be able to turn left or right into it.
A left turn-in would require motorists to travel across oncoming traffic, potentially backing up traffic to University Boulevard, said Supervisor Marv Eicher.
"I don't know how they plan to handle that," Eicher said.
Supervisors Chairman Tim McLaughlin expressed concern about increased traffic, particularly on side roads around the proposed development.
"Naturally, we have to be concerned about residents' safety and quality of life first," McLaughlin said. "I don't know how it's all going to work, but we'll have a better idea when (Wal-Mart officials) come in and do a presentation. We're definitely going to have some input."
Neither McGurk nor PennDOT spokesman Jim Struzzi could say how long it would take the state agency to review Wal-Mart's revised traffic plan.
