Ambler Council OKs Ambler Crossings Development

After much debate over buffer trees and lighting between two attorneys representing landowners of two tracts of a former Westrum Development parcel on South Chestnut Street in Ambler, council unanimously approved this week a conditional use application to permit a 115-townhome development called Ambler Crossings as a Transit-Oriented Development.
 The vote was 7-0, with Councilmen Tom Kenney and Tony Isabella absent from the meeting.
"The Ambler Crossings development is what's called a Transit-Oriented Development, and TODs are permitted in that particular zoning district by conditional use," said solicitor Rex Herder. "It means that the use is permitted in that district, provided certain special criteria that don't apply to other things in that district are met." 
Developer Summit Realty will contruct a clubhoouse, swimming pool and large village green on the 4-acre property, per representing attorney Jim Garrity. The aesthetics will mimic an existing boiler house on the property.
Adjacent to the parcel is another parcel owned by a developer proposing 56 townhomes.
A text amendment to the TOD was necessary for the Ambler Crossings approval, and council also approved that this week.
Borough Manager Mary Aversa said the original TOD was completed for Westrum Devleopment. She said it is not uncommon for a developer to come in with ordinance language in a specific area.
"They need to decrease the area," Aversa said. "We now have two projects on one parcel. We modified regulations in the TOD to allow for the development." 
Aversa said only one TOD district exists in Ambler Borough along the rail corridor.