The Whitpain Township Zoning Board voted on July 17 to grant a special exception to the Montgomery County SPCA for the property at 1450 Union Meeting Road in Blue Bell (Whitpain Township). The zoning application sought a special exception to allow an animal shelter and veterinary clinic within the AR-Administrative Research Zoning District.

The AR-Administrative Research Zoning District offers a “philanthropic use” as a special exception (meaning that the zoning hearing board had to determine that the proposed use meets that definition). The Montgomery County SPCA is a non-profit organization.

The Union Hill property comprises five acres and features an existing building that is approximately 35,000 square feet. As described in the zoning application, this new headquarters for the organization would include an animal shelter and veterinary clinic, as well as a pet resource center, adoption space, intake area, and public classrooms. The organization’s main facility is currently in Conshohocken (Whitemarsh Township).

The application also included details about the recent scandal involving the Montgomery County SPCA, driven by a multi-part exposé in The Philadelphia Inquirer about the conditions of the Conshohocken facility and how the organization was managed. This led to the retirement of the organization’s longtime leader, a revamped board, and the appointment of new leadership.

New Montgomery County SPCA CEO Abigal Smith shared with MoreThanTheCurve.com that the organization has yet to close on the Blue Bell location and that any move from Conshohocken to Blue Bell would likely be in 2027. She further offered that the SPCA does “not plan to continue to run operations at this location once we have a new headquarters.”

The Montgomery County SPCA is asking residents of Montgomery County to share their thoughts on the organization’s strengths, challenges, and vision for the future. Find the survey here.

Images – Rendering of new facility from Montgomery County SPCA’s application