Largescale Development Gets Final Approval By Phoenixville Council

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Phoenixville Borough Council unanimously approved a final plan for the Odessa housing development off Township Line Road, near the Schuylkill River trail.

The Odessa development calls for a three to four-story apartment building with 224 units and a parking garage for 351 spaces, and commercial space on the first floor.

The development will also have 166 stacked townhomes, 20 surface lot spaces, and 70 street spaces.

The final plan contained a revision from the original plan, which included a connection to Ashburn Road, which residents from a nearby development, Fillmore Village, opposed.

Subsequently, the developer, Franklin Phoenixville, LP, agreed to eliminate the construction of a connection road between Ashburn Road and the Filmore Village development.

Instead, the emergency access road be within the housing project.

Michael Layton,a project engineer with BL Engineering, Harleysville, said the plans were revised with borough consultants and fire officials.

The developer has agreed to construct an emergency access road within the project.

Andrew Karnawski, a board member of the Fillmore Village Homeowners Association, said he moved to Pennsylvania from California and found a place he loves - Phoenixville.

He then pleaded with the council not to extend Ashburn Road through the development because it will create too much traffic.

“We do not want heavy traffic on private streets in Fillmore Village,” he said. “Let’s make it a nice spot.”

Marilyn Harvey, a Fillmore Village resident, said an access road should only be used for emergencies.

Harvey suggested the borough use the land near Odessa for a dog park.