Most everyone loves Wawa around here, and for good reason. The coffee’s great, the sandwiches tasty, and the prices right. But does that mean the building that serves all this has to be such a destructive presence on downtown Glenside’s walkability?

Offered above is just an idea of how we think this corner might look if more properly planned. We’ve imposed a recent image of a brand new three-story mixed-use condo building recently completed in Wyndmoor on Willow Grove Avenue — residences above, retail below, and parking in the back. Two of these buildings could fit in the space Bruce Goodman wants to build his Wawa at Easton and Waverly.

Why not a Wawa on the first floor? Why not put the gas pumps away from the corner? Why not a second or third story with offices or condos? Why doesn’t Cheltenham’s zoning not just allow for this, but demand it?

Why not something better?