Does Town Center Zoning Restrict Development?

Vacancies are plentiful in Upper Moreland’s downtown area and local officials are looking at ways to spur new development and make for a more vibrant town center. 

Karen Houck, Upper Moreland Revitalization Task Force chairwoman, said the vacant spaces are not solely the result of an economic downturn, but rather a reflection of the township’s existing zoning.

“We heard point blank from developers that the zoning was prohibitive and that was causing them to not look further into our downtown area,” Houck said. “A lot of it to me looks like the zoning calls for exactly what we have.”

Houck described the string of small parcels with retail on the first floor and living space above it as “a Philly row house kind of look.”

“That’s the look the community’s telling us needs to go,” Houck said. “It’s old. It’s outdated.”

And, while the township does not have the authority to overhaul the aesthetics of personal property, Houck is hoping that the Upper Moreland Commissioners will heed the recommendations recently compiled by her group with help from the township’s redevelopment coordinator, Marian Hull of URS Corporation.

The two-page list contains six suggestions, including the elimination of the conditional use process for the reuse of existing structures.

As it stands now, the township’s existing town center zoning is set up to accommodate redevelopment of large-scale projects, according to the introduction to the recommendations the task force compiled. 

“It significantly complicates attracting new businesses to existing buildings and reinvestment in existing structures,” according to the document. “Projects that can be completed in other districts with only a building permit are required to go through the conditional use process when located in a Town District.”

Other recommendations called for include an increase in density in the TC-1 district, which begins at Park Avenue and includes Davisville and York roads; as well as decreases in the requirements for sidewalk width and plaza space; and permission for temporary signs and banners.

Township Manager David Dodies said the Upper Moreland Commissioners could consider the task force’s recommendations during its Aug. 12 committee meeting, or during the community development committee meeting in September.

Modifications are necessary, Houck said, because, besides zoning restraints developers have cited, Upper Moreland’s downtown has “other challenges” that are not easily addressed by zoning.

“We have a lot of parcels,” Houck said. “Most of them are very small.” 

A developer looking to build something substantial would need several spaces in the downtown and that is not always feasible.

“It’s a real challenge from a developer to get enough property owners in a row, so to speak,” Houck said. 

Ultimately, the task force zoning suggestions are just that: Suggestions. Of those, the commissioners will need to decide which, if any, make the most sense.

“What keeps us timely?” Houck asked. “What works for what the community wants to move with and see and will support?”