NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., Aug. 29, 2024 — As a Newtown Square business with 30 years of history in sustainability and being a good community neighbor, the leading homeopathic medicine company Boiron USA proposed a new logistics center off Alice Grim Boulevard at the Newtown Township Planning Commission on Aug. 22, 2024. Boiron wants the community to know that concerns — mostly stemming from an inaccurate media segment — have been acknowledged. Here are some facts to help clarify details about the proposed building:

• Traffic: The new logistics center will consolidate Boiron’s two existing local warehouses, shifting existing traffic from residential neighborhoods on secondary roads to West Chester Pike. Deliveries will be limited to 7 a.m.–8 p.m. weekdays only. A mix of box trucks and freight trucks will make an estimated 7 deliveries (or 14 roundtrips) per day — a slight increase from the deliveries collectively made at both Boiron’s current facilities in Newtown Township. (Deliveries will vary due to seasonal sales.) Approximately 28 staff (roughly 18 current positions and potentially 10 new positions) will work from the new facility — creating a slight addition and shift in weekday commuter traffic.

• Size: The facility has a proposed footprint of 78,898 square feet, a size considered well-below average for a logistics center. It will be roughly half the size of a club retail store, and more comparable to a Whole Foods Market, such as the grocer’s 51,000-square-foot location in Newtown Square.

A local TV news outlet initially misstated the facility’s size as 77,000 square “acres” and inaccurately described it as a “mega warehouse” — a term typically used for facilities of more than several hundred thousand square feet. The media outlet agreed to correct its posted article.

• Noise: Boiron committed to adhere to Newtown Square’s Noise Control Ordinance, which bans noise disturbance between 11 p.m.–7 a.m. from loading and unloading material (among other noise sources). Deliveries will be limited to 7 a.m.–8 p.m. — weekdays only. Boiron estimated 7 deliveries per day by a mix of box trucks and freight trucks. Freight trucks are not equipped with reverse warnings. Although the decibel standard for reverse warning alarms on box trucks is not defined, it is estimated to commonly be around 90 decibels. The closest residential buildings to the proposed building site are 965 feet, followed by 1,033 feet, then 1,432 feet. At 1,000 feet, 90 decibels will be attenuated to 39.4 decibels, which is the equivalent to average room noise according to the Hearing Health Foundation and an average suburban area at night. Furthermore, any sound created within the building, including the audible waring for forklifts in reverse, is not expected to be heard outside the building.

• Light: Lighting impacts on the neighborhood will be minimized; light poles will be 20 feet high and will have buffers to minimize glare. There will be no upward lighting.

• Stormwater: No wetlands or streams on or adjunct to the building site are expected to be affected. As part of the official development process, the township will be reviewing and approving the design of the rainwater management system.

A 50-foot-wide riparian environmental buffer was suggested rather than the proposed 40-foot buffer. Boiron redesigned the facility to meet this request.

• Zoning: Per existing code, the logistics center is a permitted use as part of a “lifestyle village” when authorized as a “conditional use.” A conditional use is a form of permitted use meeting certain requirements. Other uses, such as retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and more, are permitted on the remaining 50 acres of the nearly 56-acre tract.

• Long-term Use: Residents voiced concern about future abandonment of the logistics center, which is designed to look like an office building. Boiron USA is a stable business that established its presence in Newtown Square 30 years ago. As the U.S. subsidiary of a 92-year-old French company, it has been operating in Delaware County since 1983.

• Location: One of several factors Boiron considered for the proposed logistics center’s location was the commuting convenience of its current employees, many of whom have an impressively long employment history with the company. Of the 101 employees currently at the Newtown Square office, approximately 18 workspaces may be relocated to the proposed new facility. A few other staff members will need to routinely visit the new facility.

• Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association (DCVMA): Set-back approximately 800 feet from West Chester Pike, the logistics center is expected to have no impact on the view, traffic, or parking associated with the memorial that sits directly off that main road. Only the rooftop will be seen from West Chester Pike. The DCVMA was fully aware of future developments when it accepted a 99-year land lease donation of prime developable four-acres. This land lease donation was provided by the same family who is leasing the land for the logistics center. The family has a strong interest in preserving the reverence of the memorial, with plans underway to establish a meeting hall dedicated to veterans.

Boiron’s Community and Global Activities

Employing 101 people locally who support the community’s shops and restaurants, Boiron USA also supports the Newtown Square Business Association and frequently sponsors the Family Fun Festival. Its new logistics center will increase the township’s tax base that funds public projects. Most significantly, Boiron USA is recognized as a Newtown Township “Green Business Leader” for its efforts in sustainability. The company has planted 50 trees on Route 252 to reduce stormwater runoff; installed a community walking path around its campus; and has a robust recycling program. Boiron is deeply committed to environmental stewardship on a global scale with its French headquarters employing many initiatives to preserve water resources, reduce energy consumption, recycle, and harvest responsibly.

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About Boiron: Since 1932, Boiron has been sharing its passion for homeopathy with a holistic and ecological approach to medicine. Its vision of health care puts people at its center and seeks to improve the quality of their everyday lives. With a long history of unmatched quality and innovation, Boiron remains dedicated to producing the purest of medicines that respect human health and the environment.