CVS Apartments Plan Approved In Hatboro

HATBORO, PA —The first project under the borough's mixed-use Town Center Ordinance has received the stamp of approval by the Borough Council.

With unanimous votes at Monday night's meeting, the council granted conditional use and preliminary/final land development approvals for the developer of the former CVS property on South York Road.

The votes —concluding months of meetings and discussion —clears the way for the construction of a four-story building with 36 "high-end, professional" apartments and retail space on the first floor.

The CVS property was the first to be considered under the borough's mixed-use Town Center Ordinance.

"This has been a long and arduous process," Council President George Bollendorf told the developer after the votes. "You were the first one who made use of this ordinance. We appreciate your patience."

Developers 24-28 South York Road Associates, LP, presented their plans to the council with testimony from the planner, architect, and a traffic consultant.

During earlier presentations before the planning commission, developers received pushback from residents regarding parking, lighting, landscaping, electric vehicle charging stations, and a façade that one resident had called "cold and angry."

The façade was changed toward "more federalist stylings and stays away from a contemporary look," architect Vincent Mancini testified.

Some residents at Monday's meeting once again raised some of those concerns with one challenging a parking easement and another stating that the building still does not fit in with Hatboro's heritage.

"This is a legal document that's been reviewed," Council Vice President Dave Stockton said about the parking easement. "This is not an easement the council had any hand in, but we are legally bound by it."

The votes come with some guidelines: there will be no more than 36 apartment units, the units will be one-and-two bedrooms, a new public passageway will be built on the southside of the property, and a new seating area will be added.

In late January, the Hatboro Borough Council approved a mixed-use ordinance for a section of York Road after a public hearing of 50 people.

The ordinance allows developers to make proposals that could see building heights go to 60 feet provided they meet certain guidelines, meaning that the downtown district could have taller buildings and apartments.

The option allows for buildings along York Road —from Byberry Road to Montgomery Avenue —to be taller than the current 35 feet allowed.