254 Righter's Mill Road Update
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Just wanted to update interested parties on the development plans of 254 Righter's Mill Road, in the historic district of Gladwyne. This is a lovely old Victorian in need of a great deal of TLC. The new owner, self-proclaimed development "hobbiest," Gary Gervertz had planned to attach 2 townhouses and 3 two-car garages to the main home. The small in-law cottage in the back would be replaced with a new mcmansion. This development hit a major roadblock at a recent HARB meeting where every board member denounced the proposed plan in regards to density within the historic district. This plan also needed a special exemption to add a 25% addition to the main house as well as a variance to remove the "inlaw" restriction on the single house in the back yard. A few weeks ago, there was a meeting at the township attended by a couple of HARB members, some township people (I'm assuming Bob Duncan was one), Commissioner Mark Taylor, and Mr. Gervertz, Fred Fromhold, and John Marshall, architect. As a result of this meeting, Mr. Gervertz and co. were convinced that the plan as it stood would never get township approval. So it was back to the drawing board. A new plan was promised that would downsize the development from 4 units to 3 (2 units in the main structure and a single house in the back). Great...but don't start jumping up and down yet. Next on the agenda is the April 12 Zoning Board meeting. The application to the zoning board is basically identical to the original application with the exception of downsizing units from 4 to 3. They are STILL asking for a 25% addition to the main home, which could be translated that the single townhouse that would be added would just be double the square footage to make up for the loss of the second townhouse. Just how exactly would the density be lessened with this plan?? The developer will also still need the variance to remove the restriction that a occupant of the new mcmansion in the back yard be a relative of the occupant in the main structure. I believe there are very many of these "in-law" structures in the township, so it would be extemely foolhardy of the zoning board to approve this variance and open a huge can o' worms. This is going to be a very important meeting so if anyone would like to come out and support us, we'd appreciate it! April 12, 7:30pm at the Township Building board room. Bookmark/Search this post with: |
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And now the fun begins - we have been through this quite a few times in Haverford over the past year or so between development and the Haverford School
Some advice? This is the Zoning Hearing Board. These guys are tough, usually pretty fair....they do seem to favor particular sets of case law, but that is another story...anyway, Zoning Hearing Board wants to hear from those with standing- that would be affected residents, neighbors (you have some powerful personalities and some mighty fine lawyers over by you), etc. Drag everyone out - get out a flyer now and get people committed to attending- get people from the nearby church, school, civic association, whoever is nearby or has standing with regard to the property. If you have any "experts" of your own to trot out, this would be a good time. You are LAST....Fred Fromhold will undoubtedly do a LONG presentation (went went through this with him as the attorney for the "Allaire" development soon to squash our neighborhood - we contemplated a nap- and he stretched his presentation out so long...sooooo long), so be prepared to wait him out (we saw him do this again on another application not pertaining to us so this must be his ZHB M.O.)...do you have all the photographs you'll need?? Can you make a to scale model of what developer/mattress king wants to build out of balloons and then photograph people next to it for human scale? (it isn't as nutty as it sounds)...for our times in front of ZHB we handed in presentation books at the end of our testimony - they had photos, etc, in it. You need to turn the people out for this and pack the room, and have them stay. The ZHB will ask if there are people objecting to the plan in the audience among other things. And people need to speak. But ZHB is composed of LAWYERS, so testimony needs to be succinct and on target.
Here, for everyone else is the scoop for the upcoming zoning hearing board off www.lowermerion.org under township meetings on Thursday, April 12, 2007, at 7:15 p.m:
Appeal No. 4063
Applicant: Rightcor LP
Property: 254 Righters Mill Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035
(Election District #1) R 5 Residence District
The applicant seeks a special exception under §155-99 B to expand the nonconforming apartment house use by 25% and proposes to demolish a detached garage, remove and replace an accessory building and erect an addition to the three-unit apartment house. The applicant also seeks a variance from §155-35 to permit the accessory building to be used as a dwelling unit without the restriction that it be occupied by a member of one of the families residing in the apartment house.
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