Mixed-Use Ordinance Could Raise Building Heights In Downtown Hatboro

HATBORO, PA —A public hearing will take place next week for the Borough Council to consider raising building heights in the downtown district by adding a "Town Center Mixed-Use" development option.

The borough is asking residents and property owners to attend the RC-2 Text Amendment Ordinance hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, in the community room of the Pennyback school on Spring Avenue.

The ordinance, if approved, would allow for buildings along York Road —from Byberry Road to Montgomery Avenue —to be taller than the current 35 feet allowed.

The ordinance is available for the public to review on the borough's website or at the Montgomery County Law Library.

At a prior meeting, the borough council offered a powerpoint presentation about the ordinance and its amendments.

A 15-page draft of the ordinance obtained by Patch would amend the ordinance to include a "Town Center Mixed-Use" section along with certain height regulations, that could allow structures of up to 50 feet.

The option includes some standards:

• Frontage: The property must have frontage on York Road and be located between Byberry Road and Montgomery Avenue.
• Distance to train station: A portion of the property must be located within 1500 feet of the train station building.
• Lot Width: A lot width of not less than 100 continuous feet measured at the minimum building setback of the York Road frontage.
• Lot Area: A minimum lot area of 25,000 square feet.

Mixed-Use development would consist:

• Mid-rise apartments and non-residential uses on the same lot.
• Permitted non-residential uses may include office, community, or amenity space related to residential use.
• Non-residential uses shall be located on the first-floor space fronting on York Road and shall be no less than 30 feet in depth.
• Apartments shall not be located within the first-floor York Road frontage space.
• No more than 40 percent of the non-residential space fronting York Road shall contain office(s), community, or amenity space related to the residential use.

In terms of building heights, the ordinance proposes that no building should exceed a height of 35 feet or three stories except:

• Building Height Bonus: Bonuses shall encourage sustainable practices and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. Town Center Mixed-Use development buildings may qualify for a maximum 25 feet of additional building height in exchange for a combination of bonus features. Each bonus can only be used once. A building shall not be greater in height than four stories or 50 feet when abutting a residential district. A building cannot be greater in height than five stories or 60 feet when abutting a non-residential district.
• Bonus Height Step back: Any floor(s) above the third story can be stepped back 8 feet from the lower-level facade in the front of the building. The façades of floors above the third floor can have a change in color and/or materials.

Borough officials said in its previous presentation that many buildings in the downtown district exceed the 35-foot height restriction.

Those include: 228 N. York Road (67 feet high), 222 N. York Road (63 feet high), 215 N. York Road (65 feet high) and 201 N. York Road (63 feet high), among others.

The Hatboro Residents - Small Town Life Facebook page has expressed concerns about the project and is asking residents to attend the public hearing.

Anyone interested in getting a copy of the ordinance should contact Borough Manager Diane Hegele at dhegele@myhatboro.org.