24-unit condominium project approved by Norristown council

NORRISTOWN — The final site plans for a proposed 24-unit condominium project at 1202 DeKalb Street was approved by Norristown council Tuesday night in a 6-to-1 vote.

The Norristown Planning Commission recommended adoption of the final site plans in a 4-0 vote at a Feb. 11 review.

The council approval included a provision that $30,000 from the 2013 Community Development Block Grant can be used for first-time home buyers assistance. A waiver was granted from the requirement that street trees should be located between five and 10 feet from the right-of-way.

Developer Sarah Peck, the president of Progressive Housing Ventures LLC, plans to build three, three-story townhouse buildings bounded by DeKalb, Wood, Green and East Basin streets. The plans call for 30 garage parking spaces and nine overflow surface parking spaces with a 26-foot wide, one-way internal driveway.

Council member Linda Christian questioned why the first-time home buyers program would be tied to this project.

Municipal administrator Crandall Jones said Montgomery County officials had required Norristown to provide some financial support for the residential construction. He said using the 2013 funding satisfied the county requirement.

Councilman Gary Simpson said the $30,000 allocation would leave $15,000 for other Norristown home buyers.

“I can’t support this project,” Christian said. “It is too much for me. I hear what the residents are saying. Twenty four townhomes in that lot is overwhelming.”

Christian cast the lone vote against the final site plans.

Council President William Caldwell asked how many homeowners had used the subsidy program at nearby Arbor Heights. Peck said that five homeowners at Arbor Heights had used the program.

Betty Ann McPherson said she and other nearby residents had protested the site plans.

“We want to know why council will allow anyone who has a plan can fill a vacant lot,” McPherson said. “We have rights and everyone sitting here behaves as if we don’t. That lot is too small for 24 townhouses. We talked about 18 units but that was denied. It is wrong for anyone to suggest those 24 units should go there.”

Peck said that construction would begin in June.

On Oct. 23, 2012, the Norristown Zoning Hearing Board granted variances allowing the 24 units and three-story buildings to a maximum height of 40 feet.

During the zoning hearings and planning commission hearings, several Norristown neighbors strenuously objected to the proposed number of units and the density of the project. Other residents questioned whether the number of parking spaces would be sufficient.

The preliminary site plans for the townhouse project were recommended by the Norristown Planning Commission in September 2013 in a 2-1 vote with one abstention.

In other business, council agreed to hire Kevin Hagan as a Norristown police officer.

Norristown Police Chief Mark Talbot Sr. said that one of the four police candidates had withdrawn and Hagan would replace that candidate. Talbot said the four new hires would bring the police force to 67 police officers.

Source: Times Herald