Orange-tagged stakes mark where soil tests were conducted in December on vacant land at 3049 E. High St., Sanatoga, just west of the Turkey Hill convenience store

SANATOGA PA – During the economic downturn of recent years, the Planning Commission in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township has had only a few major projects – the construction of an office building or two – into which its members could sink their collective teeth. That may change later this month.

Tornetta Realty Corp., which owns and is marketing the vacant and once heavily wooded 14-acre property at 3049 E. High St., Pottstown PA, apparently is considering development there, township Assistant Manager Alyson Elliott recently confirmed. The land is located just west of the Turkey Hill convenience store on the north side of the Sanatoga interchange of U.S. Route 422.

The Tornetta firm, of Norristown, has preliminarily indicated its intentions to the township, she said. It might be ready to make a presentation to planning commissioners, on what is tentatively named “Sanatoga Marketplace,” when they meet Feb. 27 (2012; Monday).

It’s been about 18 months since the property was last in the news. At the time, Tornetta was completing work on leveling ground, installing drainage, and negotiating potential right-of-way use with owners of an underground gas pipeline that crosses the land. Since then, the huge Costco retail warehouse has opened on the south side of the interchange, in Limerck Township, and developers of property there have been actively seeking new tenants for future construction.

With the economy slowly gaining momentum, with loan interest rates still at historic lows, with increased shopping traffic in the area, and with its ground ready, there’s plenty of public speculation about what Sanatoga Marketplace might contain. Tornetta hasn’t tipped its hand; as of late last month, no drawings or renderings had been submitted to the township, Elliott said.

Tornetta has been active nonetheless. In late December (2011), its representatives conducted water infiltration tests at 10 separate sites on the property, according to Keith Place, Lower Pottsgrove zoning officer and director of codes. Small plastic orange streamers tied to stakes that dot the ground mark where testing was done to gain information for what could be required in a land development plan.

In some ways, the seemingly leisurely pace at which Sanatoga Marketplace is unfolding has been a benefit to the Planning Commission. The usually five-member board has lacked one commissioner since the resignation in July (2011) of Nicholas Hiriak; his successor, Brian Brentzel, was appointed only last month by the Board of Commissioners.

The board did not meet as scheduled on Jan. 23, Elliott acknowledged, because it lacked a quorum. Besides Hiriak’s vacancy, the board also had one member out of town on business, and another was ill. In addition, the board still has not named a vice chairman to fill in as its leader if Chairman Frank Cebular is absent.

Related:

• Notebook Worthy (of July 19, 2010)
• Grinding Stumps At Sanatoga’s Interchange
• Grading Permit Change Comes With Limits
• Grading Plan May Leave Gap In Sanatoga Land
• Talks Delay Take-Down Of Sanatoga Mound
• Huge Fill Mound On East High To Come Down
• Earthen Mound Could Grow Higher
• Still Piling It Up At The Interchange
• Sanatoga Soil Mound Concerns Its Neighbors
• Grading Gets Started Near Interchange
• Fill Piles At Sanatoga Exit