Note: The following is not a verbatim transcript of the Zoning Hearing Board meeting; it is simply one person’s summary of the major points made by those involved in the hearing process.  For that reason, quotation marks are not used unless a direct quote was recorded.  For information about obtaining an official ZHB transcript, contact the New Hanover Township office.

What is GR 2?

Mr. Steven Harris, attorney for Gibraltar Rock presented his next witness in GR 2, Mr. David Horner of Horner and Canter, whose firm conducted traffic studies. Harris entered exhibits GR30 Horner’s resume and GR31 Horner’s traffic study.

The traffic study in GR31 is quite a bit more extensive than the one he conducted in 2001 and presented at the June 2001 and July 2001 GR 1 zoning meetings.

After Harris presented Horner’s resume, Mr. Francis Recchuiti (representing the Connolly estate), spent some time trying to establish that Horner’s resume was inaccurate and thus Horner could not be considered an expert witness. Because Horner had been accepted as a witness in GR 1, the zoning board accepted him in GR 2.

Horner’s testimony was similar to that of his first appearance. He did say that upon looking at PennDot regulations and the township’s regulations, he believed that the amount of traffic to be generated by the quarry was less than that required by those bodies to conduct traffic studies---however, Gibraltar Rock did undertake the studies anyway.

Horner said that for GR 2 he conducted six traffic studies, unlike the two he did for GR 1.  He studied the following (see map below as well).

·         #1 – The intersections of Rt. 73, New Hanover Square Rd., Hoffmansville Rd. and Renninger Rd.

·         #2 – Rt. 73 and Church Rd.

·         #3 – Hoffmansville Rd. and Rt. 663

·         #4 – Rt. 663 and 73 (at S-Berry and Hickory Park Diner)

·         #5 – Rt. 663 and 73 (at Car Corner)

·         #6 – Rt. 663 and Swamp Pike (at National Penn Bank, CVS, and WaWa)

Horner mentioned that he used both mechanical counters and human counters.

Horner also mentioned that he did studies at Silvi’s ready-mix concrete plant in Limerick and at Miller Quarry (includes a quarry and asphalt plant) to get comparisons in traffic counts for similar types of plants.

Based on his studies, Horner projected that the proposed quarry, asphalt plant, and concrete plant would generate only 330 trips per day.

Horner then went on to explain that intersections are rated. They are given an “A” rating when they are the best and an “F” rating is the worst. Most of the intersections in the study were in the C, D, and F range. Only Rt. 73 and Church Rd. was in the A and B range. The intersection at Rt. 663 and Swamp Pike received an "F" rating.

Horner’s final conclusions (based on his studies) were that:

·         The roads will be safe with the additional truck traffic from the quarry

·         The traffic from the plant is very low.

·         The studies done and the plans presented meet the appropriate standards.

·         Gibraltar Rock will construct additional left and right turning lanes at the quarry entrance on Rt. 73

·         Generally the intersections will grow worse with the increase in development in the area, but the quarry, asphalt plant, and ready-mix plant will not make the problem worse.

·         There are no specific road improvements that the quarry owners need to make.

Horner’s final comment was that the traffic from the quarry is so low that it will have no negative or deleterious impact to school busses (from Perkiomen Valley Academy, New Hanover Elementary School, and Boyertown Jr. High East).

The hearing was adjourned.

See Also:
Summary of the previous Gibraltar 2 meeting (September 8, 2003)