Don't Bet Your Bottom Dollar on Bottom Dollar

Travis McVickers threatened it was a "deal killer." He blustered that forty local jobs were at stake, as well as real estate tax revenue. But in the end, Bethlehem planners at their March 10 meeting thought safety concerns raised by Traffic Coordinator Tiffany Geklinsky mattered a little more than a Bottom Dollar grocery store on Stefko Boulevard.

Located on the 3.7 acre site of Pharmachem Specialties at the northwest intersection of Stefko Boulevard and East North Street, Bethlehem zoners unanimously approved the operation of this grocery store in a light industrial area in August, especially since a proposed new Zoning Ordinance will rezone this area to commercial. But when project manager McVickers insisted on two exits along Stefko Boulevard, located only 200' apart, planners threw up a roadblock.

According to McVickers and engineer Jason Engelhardt, one of those access points would be limited to truck traffic, but Bottom Dollar rejected a suggestion that signage be placed there. Planner Jim Fiorentino warned this would result in a "potentially dangerous situation where more than one car is trying to sneak out into a busy Stefko Boulevard."

Attorney James Preston, representing Bottom Dollar, claimed there was "so little trafic at this site that it hardly warrants one driveway." But Fiorentino called Preston's argument disingenuous, saying, "You know there is going to be more traffic."

Bethlehem resident Bob Pfenning reminded planners that Stefko Boulevard is a four-lane highway with a 40 mph speed limit. "I'm leaving this property to make a left, and I gotta' enter four lanes of traffic moving at 40 mph. And now, to add to that, I've got to watch a turning stacking lane coming in at me."

In addition to safety hazards at Stefko Boulevard, Traffic Coordinator Geklinsky warned that there was a blind spot for tractor trailers circling around the back of the grocery store that would be "very unsafe" for cars and pedestrians.

"We're talking about pedestrians now, we're talking about what Tiffany [Geklinsky] said, we're talking about cars going out, and the small amount of space between the two exits," complained Planner Katie Lynch. "This safety issue is increasing ... a lot ... as we continue this discussion."

Travis McVickers replied that Bottom Dollar insists on two access points at every one of its stores, is unwilling to budge from that position, and was prepared to walk away unless planners acquiesced.

Calling McVickers' bluff, planners unanimously approved the plan, but with only one exit onto Stefko.

Blogger's Note: The picture above depicts Traffic Coordinator Tiffany Geklinsky, pointing out the blind spot to Bottom Dollar engineer Jason Engelhardt.