October 17, 2025
The following information was released by Silver Spring Township:
Update on Trindle Spring Trade Center Warehouse Lawsuit
SUMMARY OF STATUS OF DEVELOPER PDC NORTHEAST LPIV JH/IM, LLC’S LAND USE APPEAL
OF SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP’S DENIAL OF ITS PROPOSAL
TO BUILD A WAREHOUSE IN THE TOWNSHIP
(Trindle Spring Trade Center)
On October 17, 2025, Judge Matthew P. Smith of the Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland County held oral argument on the attempt by PDC to overturn the decision of the Silver Spring Township’s Board of Supervisors to deny PDC’s Land Development Plan. After argument, Judge Smith took the matter under advisement and will render a decision at some point in the future. We anticipate that his decision should come within about a month.
BACKGROUND
PDC has indicated that it is the equitable owner of approximately 122 acres of land in the Township with addresses of 401 Mulberry Drive and 107 Texaco Road. On February 5, 2024, PDC submitted an application with the Township for approval of construction of a 1,205,280 square foot warehouse, which it claimed would be used for the storage, transfer, and distribution of consumer goods. PDC indicated throughout the process that no end user had been identified.
Silver Spring Township in its land development ordinance requires that the developer provides a traffic impact report for a new development which contains an estimate of the vehicular impact of the use of the property. The developer is directed to utilize the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Report in making this estimate. During the application process, PDC utilized the code for a nonfulfillment warehouse. However, at a hearing on the application, PDC’s engineer admitted that this could be an improper code, since the user of the property may be a fulfillment warehouse, which would generate considerably more trips than PDC estimated. The result of which is that the road improvements and traffic impact fees of the project would be inadequate and not protect the people of Silver Spring. The Silver Spring Township Board of Supervisors denied the application, and PDC appealed.
THE PROCEEDING
As a result of the appeal, both parties have filed briefs, and the proceeding with Judge Smith gave the parties an opportunity to present their arguments to the judge. It also gave the Judge an opportunity to ask questions.
During the argument, the judge, while not giving away how he would rule, did indicate that code was an objective standard, and it seemed that he believed it was at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors to determine if the correct code, and therefore the estimate of traffic was correct.
The parties now await the court's decision, which will be posted here when issued.
