U-Haul Plans Expansion In Bristol Twp.

U-Haul representatives presented plans to Bristol Township Council for an expansion of their facility that will include construction of two additional storage buildings.

The sketch plan was presented at last Thursday’s council meeting and representatives outlined the company’s vision for enhancing their existing location in the Bristol Plaza shopping center at Durham Road, Bath Road, and Veterans Highway (Route 413). The shopping center houses a U-Haul storage center and Bristol Graphics and Printing, which prints graphics for the company.

“This is an application that’s been pending for a number of years,” said Gussie O’Neill, an attorney representing U-Haul. “The application has taken a couple years and a couple different turns.”

The proposal includes an 18,000-square-foot mini warehouse for U-Haul’s U-Box storage pods and a 1,000-square-foot “Miller building” behind it. The plan also features significant landscaping improvements and the addition of 10,000 square feet of green space.

Township officials previously requested that U-Haul find retail users for the shopping center, which is almost entirely used by U-Haul as most stores closed.

The company has secured Iffy’s Hot Chicken as a tenant for an existing pad site that formerly was home to a KFC, O’Neill said.

“We had suggested and worked with them … they’ve done an awful lot to try to come back with something that looks presentable,” noted Township Engineer Kurt Schroeder.

The presentation included detailed showing enhanced landscaping along the Durham Road frontage, where U-Haul plans to park six trucks for advertising purposes.

A rendering of the proposed changes from Durham Road.

“U-Haul’s advertisement is their vehicles. You’re never going to see a U-Haul commercial advertising that you can rent a truck,” O’Neill explained. “Everything that they do as far as advertising… it’s extremely important to them that they get as many trucks on Durham Road as possible so that customers can see what’s available for rent.”

The plan includes a permanent canopy structure to replace a temporary tent currently used to protect customers from the elements when returning vehicles.

A row of arborvitae trees will screen the area where U-Haul trucks are stored from view of the roadways.

Township Manager Randee Mazur acknowledged the company’s efforts to address aesthetic worries raised by officials.

“We had asked several times to just give the space more curb appeal,” Mazur said. “That’s why the impervious coverage and the asphalt is being greened up with landscaping and trees.”

“Thank you for trying to make it look more appealing,” Mazur said.

The project requires zoning relief before it can proceed to formal land development review.

The sketch plan presentation allows council to provide feedback before the company seeks variances from the Zoning Hearing Board.

“This is a little unorthodox for us to bring a sketch plan like this and go through this big exercise,” Schroeder said.

“Right now, none of this proposed really meets zoning. This is going to require another trip to the Zoning Hearing Board,” he told U-Haul officials.

Council members responded positively to the presentation.

Council President Craig Bowen encouraged the applicants to move forward with the zoning process.

The presentation was one of several development-related items on the council’s agenda.

In other business, the council approved a minor subdivision at 818 Third Avenue in the Croydon section. The approval will divide a single lot with two existing homes into two separate parcels.

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