Alliance HP, the owner of the Spring Mill Campus in the Conshohocken (Whitemarsh Township), is seeking to subdivide the two large parking lots situated between East North Lane and Righter Street.
The proposed subdivision was submitted to Whitemarsh Township on December 4th. The two parking lots encompass slightly more than 5.5 acres. The subdivision would create two parcels, with the lot on the Righter Street side being 3.129 acres and the one along East North Lane 2.423 acres. You can view the application here. The subdivision proposal is not yet on any agenda in the township.
The application states that the purpose of the subdivision is future development, but that no development is planned at this time.
This Spring Mill portion of the township was the focus of a study (view study) that concluded in 2022. In the study, these parking lots are mentioned as potential development sites. Please note that we share this study as it reveals how the township views this portion of the municipality and what uses (types of development) it feels would be beneficial (mainly due to its proximity to the train station).
From page 31, “The lot above the main SMCC [Spring Mill Corporate Center] parcel was discussed extensively. SMCC representatives are willing to explore other uses and the possibility of selling this lot. The lots on this parcel are currently the least used parking spaces throughout the entire complex.”
From page 45, “A key person interview with representatives from Spring Mill Corporate Center revealed an interest in further discussion on the possibility of selling their upper lot. This lot currently contains two large parking lots and has a lot of steep, challenging terrain near its boundary lines. This parcel is bounded by one residential property to the north, which could prove incompatible if it does develop in the future. Future development on this parcel would also benefit from proximity to an existing stairway and pedestrian connections to the Spring Mill Corporate Center as a place of employment and services.
However, if developed, the loss of the parking spaces from these two lots would need to be carefully considered, given the current lack of parking in the study area as a whole.”
On page 64, the study discusses the two parking lots, and other lots on the other side of East North Lane, and their potential for development. It study states:
Longer-term, North Lane would benefit from changes in land use for several underutilized parcels. While a change in land use and character for North Lane would be dependent upon future owners and developers, there are intermediate steps that the Township can take to begin shaping this future. The first step is to think strategically about what uses would be best to serve the community, land, and context of this area. Given the proximity to the SRT, SEPTA’s Spring Mill Station and several bus routes, as well as a large employment center in the form of SMCC, the underutilized parcels along North Lane are well-poised for transit-friendly forms of development. Transit-friendly development tends to include higher densities, reduced parking requirements, mixed-uses, and a heavy emphasis on connectivity to encourage walking, biking, and public transportation use. Given the concerns about parking and heavy development and land disturbance within the study area, this could be an ideal fit to encourage growth in a sustainable manner. A transit-friendly ethos could be combined with a mix of the following uses for each of the
properties:
For the two parking lots, the study suggest the following uses if the property is redeveloped:
- Residential – Single-family Attached Residences (Townhomes or Small Multi-Family Buildings)
- Age-Qualified Residential
- Institutional or Academic uses
- Food and Beverage Sales (Restaurant, Café, and Brewery)
- Fitness Center or Health Club
Whitemarsh Township adopted the study in June of 2022.
You may be asking, but where are the workers going to park? Since the pandemic, the lots are mostly empty due to people working from home and in the same study referenced above, there is a mention of a potential parking garage on the property of the Spring Mill Fire Company (at the intersection of East North Lane and East Hector Street).
More to come.