Bucks County · Richland Township · #12981
Car wash and storage building, Route 309 lot line change
Western side of Route 309, about 900 feet south of Cherry Road, Richland Township, PA · 22,202 sq ft non-residential, warehouse & storage · 6.4 acres
About this project
Relocate the lot line between two commercial parcels totaling about 6.4 acres. Build a 6,202 square foot car wash with three stacking lanes on the 3.73-acre lot and a 16,000 square foot storage building on the 2.67-acre lot. All existing structures would be removed, with on-lot water and sewer.
County recommendation: Supports, with comments
Issues raised: Conditional use approval needed before plan approval, Access points may be within 500 ft of each other, Water recycling facility not shown for car wash, Warehouse parking seven spaces short, Proposed plantings not in ordinance lists
- Applicant
- Richland Associates LLC
- Plan type
- Preliminary land development
- Land use
- other
- Zoning
- PC Planned Commercial, Arterial Corridor Overlay
Filing history
- 2025-08-25 · #12981 · Preliminary land development · 22,202 sq ft
County review packet (meeting materials) →
Map pin is approximate.
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
Richland Associates LLC proposes to move the shared lot line between two commercial properties on the west side of Route 309, about 900 feet south of Cherry Road. County records put the combined area at about 6.4 acres. One lot, about 3.73 acres, would get a 6,202-square-foot car wash with three stacking lanes. The other, about 2.67 acres, would get a 16,000-square-foot storage building. All existing structures would come down, and the site would use on-lot water and sewer.
Township minutes from early 2026 describe what appears to be the same proposal. They list a car wash and a warehouse-type building on two adjoining parcels along North West End Boulevard, with existing buildings demolished, outdoor storage removed and new buffering planted. They give somewhat smaller lot sizes than the county. The township treats the car wash as allowed by right in this zone, but the storage building needs a conditional use approval. No news coverage, opposition or named tenant was found.
What it could mean nearby
- Traffic: the car wash's three stacking lanes are meant to hold waiting cars on-site. Township minutes from 2024 on an earlier, larger warehouse plan for these parcels noted that no access to Route 309 was proposed.
- Site appearance: old buildings and outdoor storage would be removed and replaced with new buildings, with buffering and plantings noted in township minutes.
- Utilities: on-lot water and sewer means the site would not connect to public water or sewer lines, per county records.
Where it stands
The county filing is dated August 2025, and the township supervisors took up a conditional use application for the car wash and storage building at meetings in January and February 2026. No final decision was found. Next steps usually include the conditional use decision, any waiver rulings, and then final land development plan approval and building permits.
- Feb 2026 Township supervisors discussed the conditional use application for the car wash and storage building, along with waiver requests
- Jan 2026 The application first appeared in township supervisors' meeting minutes
- Aug 25, 2025 Latest county planning filing
- Apr 2024 Township minutes record an earlier plan for these parcels: one combined 12.29-acre site with a 173,600-square-foot warehouse
Want to weigh in? The Richland Township Board of Supervisors decides the conditional use and land development, and residents can comment at its public meetings.
Who's behind it
Richland Associates LLC
Around the web
- Richland Township Board of Supervisors minutes, February 2026Richland Township · Feb 9, 2026Describes the Richland Associates conditional use application for the 6,202-square-foot car wash and a warehouse-type building, with demolition and buffering, and notes waiver requests.
- Richland Township Board of Supervisors minutes, January 2026Richland Township · Jan 5, 2026Shows the same conditional use application first on the supervisors' agenda.
- Richland Township minutes, April 2024Richland Township · Apr 8, 2024Records an earlier, larger warehouse proposal for the same parcels with no Route 309 access.
Planning terms explained
- Lot line change
- Moving the boundary between two neighboring properties without creating extra lots.
- Conditional use
- A use the zoning code allows only after the supervisors hold a hearing and may attach conditions.
- By right
- Allowed under the zoning without needing special approval.
- Land development plan
- A detailed site plan showing buildings, parking, drainage and utilities, reviewed by the township.
- Waiver
- Permission to skip or modify a specific township design requirement.
Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.
Scope estimate for contractors
Estimated construction value: $4.4M
- ~222 roofing squares (assumes 1 story)
- ~55 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)