Letter to the Editor: Norristown Deserves Better Than 'Ham-Fisted' Pennrose Development

Dear Editor: 

Pennrose Properties’ proposed project, at the corner of DeKalb and Airy Streets, might appear to be a positive step for Norristown. The conversion of a county-owned parking lot to a tax-ratable property is a good thing, as is the notion of providing an "anchor" at the top of Arts Hill. However, the project runs counter to the Norristown Comprehensive Plan in several critical ways.

Negatives include the loss of two hundred and four parking spaces, heavily used by the existing businesses, churches and theatres in the area. Another is that 60 of the 96 units are rent-subsidized apartments. America needs affordable housing, but Norristown already has some of the lowest rental rates in the region, with 12%, or more, of its current stock already receiving "Housing Choice Voucher Subsidies." 

The project is not a "Transit Oriented Project," as it has a one to one parking ratio and requires the residents to walk several blocks to the Transportation Center. 

Supporters say "big projects like this can only happen with public financing." This is may be true, but who says Norristown needs a BIG project? Instead, Norristown can and should, revive the Downtown in carefully-targeted increments, that maximize the effect of public and private resources.

Supports say they are "hoping" to attract young, professional "risk-takers," looking for the next big thing. The problem is that Arts Hill isn’t vibrant enough to attract them. In other words, "No scene – no hipsters." 

Instead, if the municipality focused on making the Arts Hill District more safe, active and vibrant, then young professionals would show up on their own.  If Council put their resources into making Norristown’s downtown more desirable to artists and businesses, young people would come for the work and night-life and consequently seek out nearby places to live. 

These pioneers would have an interest in the community and lease and purchase the older properties that make up the "real" Norristown. Rents will go up for the existing properties and the landlords will have new income to fix them up. This has happened in every county seat in our region and can happen here. Manayunk is a prime example of this.  

The county seat of the third largest county in the atate (and one of the most affluent), deserves better than this ham-fisted proposal.

Doug Seiler
Principal, Seiler+Drury Architecture
420 DeKalb Street, Norristown