WTRA RECAP

Board of Supervisors Meeting of May 24, 2001
Regarding Quarry Sketch Plan Submission of November 2000

The May 24 Board of Supervisors meeting marked a major victory for the Whitemarsh community when the Township Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a proposal by the DePaul Group to develop an office-apartment complex on Hole #1 of the former Corson's Quarry, located between Joshua and Flourtown Roads on Stenton Avenue.

Citing the plan as too dense, impactful and without sufficient green space or passive recreation areas, the Supervisors told DePaul he would have to come up with something more appropriate for the site, which is located in a quiet section of the township, among acres of farmland and single-family homes.

The Supervisors made their decision after listening for an hour to comments from Whitemarsh residents who showed up in force to display their disfavor with the plan, nearly filling the 780-seat auditorium at the Colonial Elementary School.

Kim Sheppard, vice president of the WTRA, presented a statement on behalf of the organization's 1,100 members, which outlined their primary concerns. She stressed that "in scale, scope and use, this project is completely inappropriate for the location where it is being proposed" and added that it would "permanently alter [the area's] distinctive character and erode the quality of life throughout our community." She also noted the WTRA's concern about the developer's observance of process. Although he was within his rights to present the plan before the Board of Supervisors, she said, "We hope that -- if there is to be any further discussion of this project -- it will take place in the venue established for such deliberations, the Township Planning Commission, where the public will have an opportunity to give it their full consideration."

Many in the audience that evening expressed concern about traffic congestion and public safety. Several speakers worried about the increased risk to the area's children, citing the elementary school that lies on what would be one of the development's primary access routes. Others spoke about the poor traffic conditions that already exist in the township and how the development would make matters worse. One frustrated resident, whose commute of 2 ½ miles has increased from 8 to 30 minutes in recent years, said that when he moved here "it was Lafayette Hill, but when I woke up today it was Long Island."

Steve Brown, who chairs the Environmental Committee of the WTRA, commented on the extent of the proposed development's impervious surfaces and its potential impact on run-off and groundwater recharge in the area. He also reminded the Supervisors of the state's recently launched initiative to restore the local Wissahickon watershed and said it would be a shame if a decision by the Township undermined these efforts.

Mark Kaplin, a lawyer representing a local property owner on Stenton Avenue, bluntly questioned the developer's intentions in proposing an office-apartment complex, telling him not to "come in here and scare us with something that will never be built." His comment alludes to what many in the community believe is a tactic to threaten them with an office-apartment megacomplex so that they will accept something less impactful, like apartments, which would still be inappropriate for the area.

Kaplin also recommended that the Supervisors rezone the Quarry property so that it will be in keeping with the zoning of the land around it. Why, he questioned, should the community have to live with an outdated zoning ordinance, created to accommodate a now-filled Quarry, that allows a developer to put a heavy industrial use, like a slaughterhouse, on the site?

The development's impact on schools and other public services was also a focus of concern. William Peters, Montgomery County's Director of Public Safety, said that the "quality of life is teetering in this township," and that we should not rush into decisions we will regret later.

After hearing from the developer and the community, Bill Kramer, chair of the Board of Supervisors, led off the board's response saying he opposed the plan and that he did not appreciate what appeared to be the developer's veiled threats. He also said that any further consideration of the Quarry's development should take place before the Planning Commission. The other Supervisors followed suit, each expressing opposition to the plan as proposed. Some on the board noted that, while they were not adverse to a mixed-use project for the property per se (which would require a change in the current zoning of the property), it needed to be on a much smaller scale. Supervisor Elizabeth Graf even suggested a "walking village," comprising residences and shops, as the kind of design that might be more in character with the surrounding environment.

In an Inquirer article reporting the outcome of the meeting, attorney Jim Garrity, who represents the DePaul Group, said that they would, "to the extent possible," take into consideration the views expressed by residents and officials but that they did have "certain rights under existing ordinances," referring to their ability to build office buildings on the site under the current zoning.

In the same article, Bill Kramer indicated that the Supervisors were considering rezoning certain districts, including the DePaul property, as part of their efforts to update the Township's Comprehensive Plan, but he didn't know if it could be changed before the land is developed.