Limerick Board of Supervisors Discusses Development, Grant Program, Budget

At Tuesday night’s board of supervisors meeting, the board voted on and talked about several development projects and the Community Development Block Grant Program.

RedGo Development, L.P., the developer of the Lewis Square property, was granted a conditional use agreement that moves the project further along in the approval process.

Lewis Square is a planned senior living facility, encompassing independent living units, assisted care and dementia care rooms. The property will also have several commercial units, which the developer hopes to lease to medical offices, restaurants and other businesses that complement the care facility function.

Developer Patrick Heller from Diamond Real Estate presented a plan for development of several lots located at Ridge Pike and Fruitville Road. Heller came before the board with a plan that has been in development for some time.

Heller proposed to develop properties to be rented and/or sold to residents age 55 and over. He proposed 38 single homes, 16 townhomes and four apartment buildings with 180 apartments. His intent would be for the property to be a clubhouse community.

Board chairman Thomas Neafcy said that he is reluctant to give up retail space for housing.

“It doesn’t fit with what we’re trying to do on Ridge Pike. We want Ridge Pike to be the business corridor,” Neafcy said.

Heller said he would be willing to look at putting commercial development along the Ridge Pike side of his properties and housing in the back to conform with the Ridge Pike overlay project.

Supervisor Kara Shuler told Heller she did not feel she could give directed feedback.

“I haven’t seen enough feedback from the Ridge Pike study to be able to comment on this plan,” Shuler said.

Supervisor Elaine DeWan commented that she wasn’t “enthused about the rental units, but [she is] enthused about possible road improvements.”

The board also heard from Carl Royer regarding this year’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

Royer said that the program's funds were reduced by approximately $50,000 from the previous year.

The CDBG Program assists low to moderate income homeowners with rehabilitation of their proerties, including roofing, plumbing and handicapped accessibility.

Anyone falling within the income guidelines is free to apply for help. The income guideline is set at 80-percent or less of the median income of the county. In Montgomery County, the limit is $45,000 per year or less for a single homeowner.

The board passed three resolutions aloowing the CDBG program to apply for grant money, to move unused administration funds into the construction budget, and to adopt a plan covering minority and women-owned businesses.

Similar to the last several meetings, Township Manager Dan Kerr made a presentation on issues that the board will be considering during the yearly budget process.

This meeting covered the capital reserve fund and what monies are currently in the township's accounts for capital projects.

Finally, the board voted on a clean-up amendment that adresses a series of changes to the zoning code.

Of several items, one that stood out was a change increasing the allowable deck coverage of a property to be 20-percent instead of 10-percent.

Solicitor Joseph McGrory said that this change was driven by area neighborhoods like Bradford Woods, where decks needed to be a particular size.

One Bradford Woods resident in the audience questioned the board as to how long it would take for the 20-percent change to go into effect.

McGrory said that the board was voting to advertise the ordinance changes, and there would be a public hearing at the Nov. 15 meeting.

Zoning enforcement officer Greta Martin Washington said, "If this passes I can issue at least seven permits as soon as it takes effect."