Plymouth Township’s planning agency reviewed a proposed zoning ordinance on August 5th that would establish the Mixed Use Gateway District that would encompass the Conshohocken Ridge Corporate Center and the PECO property at the five-point intersection of Ridge Pike, Chemical Road, North Lane, and Colwell Lane at the Conshohocken and Plymouth Meeting zip code border within the township.

Representatives of the township’s council, its solicitor, and a Montgomery County planner working with the township said that the concept for the district resulted from BET Investments’ recent efforts to redevelop a portion of the Conshohocken Ridge Corporate Center. BET first proposed a plan that included a grocery store and two other retail spaces, with apartments attached. That didn’t generate support from the township’s elected officials, and BET returned with a plan to bring a convenience store with gas pumps to a portion of the property. The second proposal involved a zoning application, and the council decided to oppose that application because the end result would be two gas stations adjacent to one another.

A zoning hearing for the convenience store special exception application was opened in May, but has been continued without any testimony since then. It is next scheduled to appear on the August 17th agenda (which could lead to another continuation or testimony).

The council’s representatives stressed that this specific area of the township is being focused on due to BET’s application and that it is time-sensitive. The concept for the ordinance isn’t much different than what BET initially proposed. If adopted, this new ordinance would allow a grocery store and many other retail uses, along with apartments. Any development would require a minimum of 30% to be non-residential uses, such as retail and office. Uses such as auto sales, drive-thrus, and gas stations would no longer be permitted (unless they already exist and thus are grandfathered). The newly proposed zoning district was referred to as a transition between a commercial district and a residential district, essentially offering lower-intensity commercial uses and residences.

The PECO property across Ridge Pike from the Conshohocken Ridge Corporate Center was included in this proposed new zoning district to ward off challenges based on spot zoning. There is no known proposal to redevelop PECO’s property, and the utility is actually expanding its operation in that area of the township.

A neighboring parcel is split between commercial and residential zoning. If adopted, this parcel, which is a townhome community, would be changed to be strictly within a residential zoning district.

The township did not include the text of the proposed ordinance with the August 5th agenda and did not upload it to the “Proposed Ordinances” section of its website.

The members of the planning agency voted to recommend that the council adopt the ordinance. The council will now have to consider whether to advertise a hearing for the proposed ordinance. Once the hearing is completed, it can vote on whether to adopt the ordinance.

You can listen to the presentation below. Please note that the sound quality is not the best.

Photo: Google