Wawa wants beer restrictions changed

Concord Township supervisors, in a 4-0 vote, denied a request by Wawa to reduce restrictions on beer sales that were granted following a conditional use hearing. (Supervisors’ Chairman Dominic Pileggi was absent.)

Supervisors in August granted approval for beer sales at the convenience store on Route 202 at Naaman’s Creek Road, but imposed 21 conditions. Among those conditions were limits to on-site consumption and time constraints on beer sales, which had to stop at 10 p.m. for most of the week.

Those two points were the major focus of the requested changes. Patrons may buy up to 192 ounces, or two six-packs of 16-ounce cans, per sale, but consumption of beer at the Wawa was to be limited to one beer per day per customer and only in the designated café area.

Also as part of the approval, beer sale hours were limited to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

When approval — with conditions — was granted last month, attorney John Jaros, representing Wawa, said he would take the resolution to his client. He said he had received a draft of the resolution the afternoon of the decision and had not had the chance to review it fully.

“We had no opportunity to fully respond,” he said.

Wawa had 30 days to review the document and decide whether or not to accept the conditions. Wawa chose to request that those conditions be amended.

Wawa wants hours to be 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days per week. Jaros said that the nature of the state-required liquor license, a restaurant license, would allow the store to sell beer from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m., but that Wawa would accept the township-imposed time limit of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Jaros also said Wawa would limit store consumption to one beer per customer per day, but doesn’t want that as part of the agreement with the township. He explained that Wawa was the party who suggested the limit as a self-imposed measure, but wants the flexibility of possibly changing that sometime in the future without the need to return to the township for permission.

Jaros said that Acme, Whole Foods, and Wegmans have no limit on consumption and that Wawa would be willing to go to court.

“If you choose not to amend the resolution, the only other opportunity available to us is to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas. We are ready to do that, [but] we are trying to save time, effort and expense on the township’s part and on Wawa’s part,” Jaros said prior to the vote.

Residents balked at the changes. Most reacted to the change in the consumption limit.

Anne Mueller said she was “appalled” at the request for removing the one-beer limit, saying she doesn’t like the possibility of the convenience store’s turning into a bar.

Kate Brown said allowing the extra hours was akin to “giving extra consideration to developers.”

Township solicitor Hugh Donaghue said Whole Foods sells beer until closing time, even when hours are extended seasonally to allow for more shopping time.

There was no immediate reaction from Jaros or Wawa executives as to what their next step would be.

As for the residents, many applauded and said “thank you” to the supervisors for their decision.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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