The Abington Citizens Network
where Abington, PA residents can share ideas and join forces to build a better community
 

Saint Basil's Academy

                                                                NEXT TO & ACROSS FROM MANOR COLLEGE ON FOX CHASE RD IN WARD 3

       St.Basil’s will, sadly, close at the end of the 2020-2021 School year.  An equity interest has been bought by the Toll Brothers (perhaps as of as of Feb 2021).   Toll Brothers held a meeting May 3 with over 200 residents in attendance.  See the video here :
https://rrhc.sharefile.com/share/view/sac019b7855824f4a8adcc2f41ee39af9    Clearly, all but a few, were against the proposal of 120 single-family homes on small lots on the 46 acres . That would equate to approximately 1/3 of an acre each.  Toll said that was in order to keep more green space. The problem, of course, is what can Toll or someone else build there if changing to residential homes is turned down?  Could the unknown be worse?  But there is ANOTHER catch. If the community decides to go with the new zoning, that zoning is like to be available then for EVERY OTHER CS  (Community Service) zoned  parcel in Abington. 

     The property is zoned CS (community service) . So  here is what CS ( the light blue on the map ) allows :  Commercial antennas  /   roof or structure mounted telecommunications equipment /Chapel /chickens limited keeping of chickens / clubhouse / commercial vehicle parking /  day care center adult /daycare child center /driving facilities /farmers market temporary or seasonal conditional use only /fences and walls /nonresidential accessory structure /outdoor driving /outdoor recreation/ uses accessory to outdoor recreation /play structures /residential accessory structure /swimming pool /St tennis/sports courts /Bank - accessory use /cemetery community center /community service planned development conditional use only /daycare center adultor child by special exception /emergency services by special exception /hospital by conditional use only /Library Museum or cultural center conditional use only /life care facility-continuing care conditional use only /municipal complex conditional use only /nursing home conditional use only /place of worship class I conditional use only /place of worship class 2& 3  /school or /college-public or private /laboratory and testing-patient /medical clinic or office accessory use /art gallery or museum conditional use only /conservation recreation preserve /recreation outdoor conditional use or accessory use /

IF THEY ADD THE RESIDENTIAL USE ON THEIR CS  PARCEL  -  ALL THE OTHER CS BLUE DISTRICTS  GET THE SAME RIGHTS   ( unless there is some other way to zone for the 120 houses that  I don't understand ... could be the case, I  learn something new every day. )

 

The blue rectangle at the top is the section under discussion here.   
You can find the whole  zoning ordinance and the whole zoning map here at the very end of the document  http://www.abington.org/home/showdocument?id=6053    and the use matrix is near the very end just before the maps...

Here's the map with all the other CS ( light blue areas that would get that zoning)

St Basil's is in the lower right hand quadrant - and  you can see, even there in that quadrant , how much CS land there is - plus there is Hillside Cemetery and other plots of land that, if you added up all the possibilities could add a phenomenal number of units under the right circumstances.

Find CS  (Community Service) on the top line of the use matrix  and go down the uses to see what could be built there. I have listed them above  in green.  You can find the zoning details in this zoning document - the use matrix is near the very and just before the maps... Find CS community service and go down the uses to see what could be built there. 

   Toll Brothers  and BET Investments  are often confused ( BET = Bruce E. Toll ). I   BET Investments did the 402 apartments at the Promenade  across from Lowes in Willow Grove, with commercial on the bottom - and Toll Brothers is doing the  single homes  behind the Promenade. That development is in Upper Dublin.  

One of the chief concerns of the residents was traffic and how the cars from this development of 120 homes so perhaps 200 or 250 cars would probably be seeking shortcuts through their neighborhoods even though toll was promising them only one driveway. (I'm not sure one driveway would be allowed because of fire access- there is usually a 2nd entrance required for emergency vehicles)
Toll said they would have 50 ft buffers  and a walking trail and green area .   Ask for the fim to be aired so all residents can view it. .

   The  expanded zoning that Penn State will present  at the Committee of the Whole on 5-13-21  for all Abington Colleges and Universities would also impact Manor College.  It permits 300 foot long buildings and other  conditions you might have a concern about.  So everyone in this area should keep their eye on that as well and attnd the zoom on 5-13-21. (It is the 2nd meeting, not hte 1st)

     Note also that  Manor Woods  has a Masterplan that action was budgeted for in last year's budget ( $100,000)  and  the Horse Farm should stay on your radar, as a  plan was made for that years ago ( 126 units????) when they were calculating what might be needed  for sewer upgrades / EDU needs.  Seems there could be a lot of expansion in the very near future in this little corner of the Township.  If you learn any more about any of these, please let me know so we can keep  neighbors informed. 

To learn more about development throughtout the Township,  see the  Summary of Development in Abington .

Any information that you can pass along will be welcome. Now is the time for neighbors to become informed about zoning laws and connected.  ( I can help you get connected, too, if you need help. )

ABINGTON ZONING 
The full zoning ordinance was revised ( with the input of hardly any of the 56,000 residents of the Township, although that had been promised ) and passed 4-27-17.   It  is found here  http://www.abington.org/home/showdocument?id=6053  with the   Zoning Map (a section is below)   is found at page 352 .

 The blue areas are all zoned CS ( Community Service).

If you scroll a few pages above the map to the mauve colored charts, you will  find CS along the top column menu and go down that  CS column on each of the charts to see what uses apply in the CS district. 

CS  comes with many interesting uses , and some brand new uses "by right"  bestowed in the 2017 zoning.  Despite those new rights, developers are still coming in and asking for MORE. Each time they amend a section, like CS, it applies to all the other CS districts.  So all the amendments are messing with what should be a clean document. It already has many features that are way more complicated than they need to be. 

 

AND PLEASE CARE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO REDUCE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHTS (CLICK HERE )  WHILE THIS ALL OUT ASSAULT ON GIANT MIXED USE  DEVELOPMENT IS BEING LAUNCHED  ...............  YOU WON'T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS UNTIL  YOU SPEND 3 HOURS AT A MEETING AND AREN'T EVEN ALLOWED A FEW MINUTES TO COMMENT.

 

 

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