Johanna Chervak, representing the Rockefeller Group, and her project team participated in a teleconference with Allen Township Board of Supervisors April 28.

The company talked with several interested tenants for the warehouse on Lot 5 on Willowbrook Road across from the FedEx Ground entrance.

Of all the tenants, Rockefeller wants to award the contract to GEODIS, an electronics logistics center.

Paris-based GEODIS is an international company with distribution in multiple countries. The company has 50 million square feet of space in its U.S.-based warehouses.

Rockefeller likes the tenant because it is stable and a proven entity. A side benefit is the number of trucks entering the facility is drastically lower than original estimates.

The original plan for Lot 5 called for an average 195 trucks and 525 cars per day at the site. GEODIS reduces the number of trucks to 35 per day but doubles the number of cars to 1,175.

The representative from GEODIS explained the size and configuration of the warehouse works well for the company.

“While you might question why we need a facility with 250 dock spaces, we do a lot of value-add assembly for our client. Once the items are assembled, we can set them at a dock waiting for transport while we work preparing the next load,” he said.

GEODIS has a working relationship with FedEx, and there are at least two trucks a day that will bring product over to the FedEx Ground facility for shipping.

Because there are small, expensive electronic parts involved, security is critical. GEODIS uses Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) procedures to maintain security over its product.

TAPA requires a separate, secured parking lot for employees, so Rockefeller designated a parking area on the north side of the property for employees. The secure lot changes the configuration for internal traffic flow. There is a requirement for a single employee entry. Rockefeller will change the existing entry so employees will move from the secure parking area to the monitored entrance/exit.

TAPA requires trucks to be separated from cars. Trucks must also check into a gate before they are allowed on site. FedEx has a similar arrangement.

Separating cars and trucks under TAPA guidelines would not permit cars and trucks to use the same access point. GEODIS proposes having trucks enter the south entrance. There is an adequate left-hand turning lane on Willowbrook Road to allow stacking. The board of supervisors frowned on the change.

The board was further antagonized over a plan for the two daily trucks traveling to FedEx Ground.

The south entrance of Lot 5 aligns with the south entrance to FedEx Ground. Rockefeller wants permission for the trucks to travel across the highway to deliver goods for FedEx Ground shipment.

Chairman Dale Haskins was adamant about the potential dangers this traffic condition would create. Rockefeller’s traffic engineer assured the board the appropriate Pennsylvania Department of Transportation clearances would be met.

Haskins recommended a traffic signal at the south entrance. He contends drivers would not be expecting a truck traveling perpendicular to traffic to cross the road, particularly at night.

Rockefeller noted its frustrations dealing with PennDOT and doubts it would receive approval for a light at the south entrance.

The alternate is for Rockefeller to go to the next potential tenant, but that would entail more trucks coming to the site.

As Solicitor Lincoln Treadwell pointed out, the meeting was not a voting session. Rockefeller agreed to go back and review other options.