Thursday
September 19, 2024 
Upper Makefield-based Heritage Pharmacy is keen for a new home, but it doesn’t want to move far.
The independent pharmacy, which has operated in the Washington Crossing section of the township for more than 25 years, wants to relocate from its current spot on the 1,000 block of General Knox Road to another nearby location where there’s an Edward Jones office in operation, also on the 1,000 block of General Knox.
At a recent Board of Supervisors meeting, Newtown-based attorney Edward F. Murphy, representing Heritage, said pharmacy operator Manoj Parikh and his family own the building where Edward Jones is but lease a neighboring spot where the pharmacy currently operates.
Parikh would like to have the pharmacy move to his family-owned building, where he’d aim to make a small addition. The Parikh-owned building would then house the pharmacy and the Edward Jones office.
If the move were to occur as envisioned, Heritage would have slightly less retail space, but would be able to take advantage of a second floor for storage and office area. The changing nature of the pharmacy business – with more orders happening online and prescriptions being delivered – means less retail space is needed, Murphy noted.
No formal plan has been submitted to the township yet. Murphy and Parikh were in to discuss the general idea of the project with supervisors. The project could require variances – township-granted exceptions to local zoning rules – to proceed. Those variances could pertain to the number of parking spaces provided and impervious surface coverage.
Murphy said the pharmacy only receives about five in-person visitors per hour, while the Edward Jones office gets about two a day, making the need for parking minimal. As a matter of practicality, he estimated that eight or nine spots would suffice. Murphy said a next step in the process could be making a formal application to the zoning hearing board for variance relief.
Among other things, supervisors had some positive comments related to the fact that Heritage is an independent operation that has long-served Upper Makefield. “Pharmacies are really important,” said Supervisor Tim Thomas. “Your service to the community is recognized.”
In other news, supervisors appointed Andrew Nagle as a part-time police officer. Nagle is a recent police academy graduate, officials said. The Upper Makefield Police Department has 16 officers, plus the chief and one part-timer. Supervisors also approved the hiring of a new public works laborer, Jamie Noon.
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