New Wawa Coming to Town Near Turnpike Slip Ramp

Residents of Upper Dublin, or perhaps mainly westbound travelers of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, will likely have a new option to gas up after a Wawa is built on Virginia Drive in the coming year.

A lease for the property at 1155 Virginia Drive was signed this week, after developer BET Investments received approval from the township late last winter. Michael Markman, president of BET Investments, told Patch the company hopes to begin construction by June of this year.

Representatives of BET and attorney Michael Yanoff for approval of the property, with the idea that most of the station's business would come from westbound travelers on the turnpike. Originally, BET hoped to have direct access to the slip ramp, but was not approved for such access.

Instead, vehicles exiting the slip ramp will make a left onto Virginia Drive and then a left into the station, reversing those steps to get back to the turnpike. Speaking at Tuesday's Board of Commissioners meeting, manager Paul Leonard said that BET would still be required to ensure certain conditions are met.

"The land development has a lot of other conditions for improvement and making sure that traffic [flows] well for that facility," said Leonard.

According to Markman, the location will accommodate a "typical Wawa store with gas pumps." Markman did not specify the number of pumps, but called for 6 gas islands.

According to an Ambler Gazette article from April, the Board of Commissioners adjusted a text amendment to the zoning code to allow up to 16 gas pumps and a maximum 40-foot advertising sign within 20 feet of the highway-side property line.