Lower Moreland Residents Voice Displeasure Over Proposed Construction

If there’s one thing the residents in Lower Moreland don’t like about their township, it’s new construction plans.

For the , people voiced their opinion about future development along Philmont Ave. as part of the revitalization effort.

A new Wawa with fueling stations was approved a short while ago, and now a new plan to build apartment buildings, retail stores and a bank has nearby residents outraged.

Longview LP president William Anderson and Fei Xue were at last week's Planning Commission meeting to get feedback on their plans to build across from the TD Bank on Philmont Ave. The LM Board of Commissioners asked them to revise their

One hurdle the township and developers need to get over is the debate over 'residential vs. retail.' Anderson's plan called for a 300-unit apartment building, but LM officials thought 200 would suffice. 

While nothing was set in stone, one detail Anderson revealed was that the new apartments would cost about $1.60/sq. ft. There will also not be fueling stations anywhere on the new site.

It’s a little premature for residents to start petitioning and holding up signs outside the township building just yet. As stated earlier, construction is a long way off.

“It might be a year until we know what it’s going to be,” said vice chair Robert Costello, indicating there still could be numerous changes before a final decision is made.

Planning Commission Board member Linda Fogel (Ward 2) echoed that same thought saying, “We need more planning up front, and we haven’t gotten that yet.”

Even though developers and the township are a long way from breaking ground, the residents – at least the ones in attendance – were not in favor of it, to say the least.

Some of the initial concerns were:

• Traffic buildup
• Proximity to train station could be hazardous
• Sidewalks need to be widened
• Construction would block viewpoint from nearby neighborhoods

“There will at least be a meeting or two or three devoted to traffic,” township engineer Timothy Woodrow said.

Traffic buildup is already a problem because of the train tracks on Red Lion Rd., and new construction surely won’t help matters.

Numerous families who live on Dale Rd. behind the proposed construction site were livid at the thought of commercial real estate and retail sitting right in their backyards.

One resident voiced her concern saying, “What businesses are going to thrive on Philmont Avenue when hardly any do now? What happened to this nice little landscape where there was going to be walking trails or bike paths for the people who live in Huntingdon Valley? ... Why does it have to become this?”

Some residents at Thursday's meeting were also upset that they were not notified about the future construction. Township officials explained they only have to notify people who live within 500 ft. of any possible construction.

“I understand you want to get the most out of the site, but why can’t you do it on a smaller scale?” another resident said.

This topic will be discussed in further detail at numerous township meetings throughout August.