Doylestown Twp. Planners Recommend Approval Of LI Zoning Amendment

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — A proposal to permit a senior affordable housing use in the township’s limited industrial (LI) zoning district is headed back to the board of supervisors for final consideration on Tuesday night.

Arcadia Development and Pennrose Bricks and Mortar are seeking the ordinance change to redevelop 280 North Broad Street with townhomes, a multi-story affordable age-restricted apartment building marketed to veterans, and a new community park.

After reviewing a few tweaks to the ordinance, the township's planning commission on Monday night voted unanimously to recommend that the board of supervisors approve amending the ordinance to allow for the new use.

Those tweaks to the ordinance included the addition of new language that further defines the term "walking distance" as a measurement of a half mile from the center of Doylestown Borough.

"One of the fundamental principles of this ordinance is focused on the walkability of this area of the township. So what we have done is provide additional language that goes to the intent of this ordinance as well as the specific use provision," said land use attorney Kelly McGowan, who represented the developers at the meeting. "This use is determined by and dependent upon walkability as a senior affordable use."

The tweak to the language regarding walkability effectively limits the proposed new use to the LI-zoned land at 280 North Broad Street, allaying borough concerns that the ordinance change would open up the entire Broad Street corridor LI district to residential development.

Before Monday night's changes to the ordinance amendment, Doylestown Borough Deputy Manager Phil Ehlinger said the borough had concerns over the "unintended consequences" of the change, adding that up to 1,340 new dwelling units could have been built based on the density of the current applicant on the Broad Street corridor.

That, he said, would have had a "profound impact" on the borough.

"The borough was very concerned about this applying to the entire LI district and specifically the LI district adjacent to the borough," he said. "We appreciate the incorporation of the half-mile definition. I believe that addresses the goals of this project."

Ehlinger expressed thanks to the developer and the township for allowing the borough to participate in the "polishing of this ordinance. We appreciate the broader goals of it and share those goals," he said.

If approved by the board of supervisors on Tuesday night, the change would allow Arcadia and Pennrose to move forward with the submission of plans to redevelop the property at 280 North Broad Street with residential uses and as a public park.

A street perspective of the concept plan for 280 North Broad.

Conceptual plans for the back portion of the site, located in the township, envision 18 townhouse units and an affordable age-restricted 60-unit residential building that would be marketed to veterans.

The front portion of the property, about .80 acres located in Doylestown Borough and fronting on North Broad Street, would be turned into a public dog park that would be owned and maintained by Doylestown Borough, according to updated concept plans unveiled Monday night.

"With Broad Commons Park across the street, the location of this dog park seemed to be ideal," said McGowan. "We think it's a positive addition to the plan."

To make way for the new park and an access road that would serve the residential areas to the rear of the property, an older commercial building now located on the site would be demolished.

Ehlinger said the borough supports the creation of the park, noting that it will provide a public amenity while mitigating new trip generations. "That will mitigate almost 300 trips by not building there," he said, "and will offset tremendously the impact on the borough from that property."

The developer had originally planned to build residential homes on the borough portion of the property.

The proposal is the latest being put forward by Arcadia to develop the property, said McGowan. Original plans put forward three years ago by the developer called for 220 luxury apartment units at the site.

"We ended up going through three different proposals over the past three years in response to continued reactions to residential development proposals like 'it's too dense,' 'there's too much impact,' and 'it's not satisfying community needs," said McGowan, "Or we already have enough luxury housing.'"

Through a series of meetings with the township, McGowan said their attention turned toward developing the township portion of the site with affordable, residential housing marketed toward seniors.

"What this proposed ordinance does is it provides a use in the LI zoning district, which is in an incredibly suitable, walkable location to amenities, that will specifically serve a senior population," said McGowan. "The walk score for this property is 82 out of 100. Within that area we have the senior center. We have retail. We have amenities that are all within walking distance. There's no impact on the underlying LI zoning district. This isn't anything other than an optional use to add to what is currently provided for your limited industrial district."