ResidentialExplosionInAbington

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Residential Explosion in ABINGTON
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Please see what happened earlier by scrolling down. At the top here, are the more recent doings.......

MOST RECENTLY: On May 25^th, 2023 the public was invited to an "Administrative Public Information Meeting" on the Future Land Use Chapter . Here is that May 25th meeting https://abingtonpa.viebit.com/player.php?hash=kc3F8NljWAJ6U7Ne
We were told that our comments, plus those sent to : publiccomment@abingtonpa.gov by June 15^th, 2023 - would be posted on a page with answers. We are still waiting ...... It is now late August.

There has been no honorable interaction regarding the Comprehensive Plan and the rezoning of our Township by Manager Richard Manfredi. His intent appears to be to give developers whatever they want - while ignoring the needs of the citzens he is paid to serve. He answers to the Commissioners actually, so clearly they have been complicit in this together - operating in contradiction to our laws and codes themselves, as well as supporting a manager who operates that way

     Manager Manfredi's solution when all that hit the fan, was not to hold open meetings to hear from residents (as he had been asked) or to create a GIS map so they could see where their homes were on the map (as asked) nor to use the scrolling (asked), nor to do either an email or snail mail mailing (asked), nor to videotape the meetings for wider viewing (asked), nor to use the Facebook page, nor to circulate summaries , nor to post Q & A pages ...........
        In fact, he did not do anything else at all that he was asked to do, to engage the 58K residents who were largely clueless this was happening. Instead he removed that map and the whole Chapter completely from the Comp Plan website, so that we could not inform people or gather opponents together into action... Action against what??? He won't tell us until the rest of the plan is completed and when it is the "last moment " and can be quickly passed. We would have had MONTHS of meetings to attend to discuss it.

    The public is still waiting for an honest interaction from Manager Manfredi. Over a year and a half of feedback on the Future Land Use by residents who took hours and hours of their time to attend meetings was simply discarded, and our manager said he wanted to hear from more people. That would have happened each month if he had left the Chapter there and and revised what the public asked them to revise each month. It was a fully public meeting format and could have been filmed, shared and gotten to the largest number of people to inform them . All those tools I just mentioned could have been used to engage the pupblic.

    Instead, our Manager set one single, solitary meeting to hear from residents, and gave the task of moderating that meeting and creating the Future Land Use Chapter to an out of area firm who had not listened to the years of resident testimony. ... a complete disrespect to the many hours spent attending and commenting . Manfredi chose to say he had removed everything in the interests of "transparency" --but his actions did the opposite and were a disrespect to all, not lending themselves to any "transparency". Just the opposite.

    The meeting format he chose for the Chapter to "reappear" on May 25th was an Administrative Public Information meeting...... a meeting type of his own creation that was designed to have the least transparency of any kind of meeting available to him to use...

    Usually at a Public Information Session, one would expect to be informed. That did not happen either. There were no reference points given, no documents posted, no agenda, no guidance, no defined scope and the uninformed public was invited to shape the "Future Land Use" in Abington for the next 10 years, having absolutely no idea what that entailed and no guidance. Absolute nonsense. Disingenous is a mild term to describe what Manfredi did. My word would be criminal - I do, honestly, believe that every move was calculated to deceive and defraud the residents.

      After making sure for well over 3 years that the smallest number of residents would have access to the information, it is just ludicrous to suggest that THIS session, seen by so few, would, in any way, provide transparency.    At that meeting, Manager Manfredi tried to tell the "public" that he couldn't video-tape it because it wasn't a "public" meeting. You can't make this stuff up. The "public" was invited to an "Administrative PUBLIC meeting" that the Manager tried to say wasn't public so he could avoid video taping it. The public went a little nuts at that, waiving the paper with the word public in the name of the meeting. Manfredi said it was "policy" not to air these meetings.

We finally got Manfredi finally to agree to video-tape it and ask the Commissioners afterward to air it . He was asked where that "policy" about not airing it was written. Nowhere... There are no policies that say that . And they are not allowed to make policies up in their minds. Policy is made only in front of the public. So there was, in fact, nothing at all preventing Manager Manfredi directly from deciding to air the meeting because it is in the public interest.  Why do we keep a manager who behaves this way? Who lies to us.   If he really wanted to reach residents, he would WANT to air it and give it the widest audience.

   So - after the meeting he DID ultimately decide he could air the meeting without the benefit of the Commissioners' approval-- it was aired before any Commissioners' meeting took place . But --- pretend to be shocked --- he CUT OUT all the parts of himself fibber-mcgeeing the residents that it was not a public meeting, that it could not be aired and the outcry from thall those in attendance.   Also against policy.

Our meetings are supposed to be taped and aired in their entirety. So again, another blow to transparency when the Manager can edit out whatever he doesn't like. If your actions are the opposite of what you are saying, it would be hard to judge you favorably when you tell us how transparent you are. If you care that residents have a say, then you would know one single meeting is not enough. If it was a 2 year process change cannot be done in 5 minutes .

They said they would show us on June 15th what Simone Collins thought we said at hte May 25th meeting - and what comments they got via the email address. It is August 20th, 2023 as of this writing - We have heard nothing and seen no postings of our comments either at the meeting - or sent to the email address.

We made comments to publiccomment@abingtonpa.gov about whether we wanted our single family homes replaced by multi-family or commercial enterprises, or whether we wanted hi-rise apartments every where. 100 York Apartments, the former Colonade, should be example enough to show you what corporate housing can so quickly become - while the Township professes no way to control the deplorable conditions. See below to understand what Manfredi and your Commissioners' vision for your Township has been......

The circles were like this: ARE YOU IN A CIRCLE? We don't know what will replace them
Details of what they were trying to do : Residential Explosion
Now, we have no idea now - they won't tell us last until the minute.
Fraud? Population Confusion - a false "need" for housing was "concocted"
Here is theComprehensive Plan and Draft Chapter links minus the Future Land Use chapter, of course.

What can you do ?
You can : put a sign on your lawn - so many are unaware this is happening, but it will affect us all !
You can : email your Comissioner and the Manager and tell them why you don't want apartment buildings on Shopping Centers or single family homes turned into multi-family, landlord owned units or commercial endeavors.
You can : ask me for a flyer or create one yourself to inform neighbors door to door
You can : email out this AbingtonCitizens.com link to your neighbors

A few more details
The Comprehensive Plan had been underway since 2019 (3 1/2 years now) but when the Comprehensive Plan Team published their "Future Land Use" map, with the circles around a LOT of neighborhoods that would soon be allowed to go from single family residential to multi-family (ie: landlord managed) or commercial -- people got demonstrably upset.

The Circles around the train stations are called TOD's (Transit Oriented Districts ) and are being done in MANY Townships without the approval of the people that elect the legislators to represent them. and services that enhance our lives and defray the taxes, and we want homeownership to be a hallmark of our town, as the Comp Plan itself attests to the fact that maintenance and stability are increased by homerownership.

Corporate (Landlord) interests differ greatly from Homeowner interests. Abington has thousands and thousands of rental units - far more than it needs to keep a balance of housing. Beware .... there are OTHER plans out there besides the Comp Plan that also promote this very bad, dense, multi-use housing, especially around trains and or Apartments on the parking lots. We want the Comprehensive Plan to supercede any previously written plans and for OUR Comp Plan to reflect what OUR interests are ..... since it is we who should be guiding this community.

Below this line is what they previously offered:
THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP (see Circles on THIS map ) THEY PLANNED TO REMOVE YOUR RIGHTS
AND GIFT THEM TO DEVELOPER, CORPORATE, COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY INTERESTS

Can you tell if your house is inside one of the BLUE circles on the map above
If it is, whether dotted or solid, the "vision" for your street is denser development. If your house is inside one of the dotted blue circles -- not just denser development- but commercial will be possible, too

MOST PEOPLE CAN'T FIND THEIR HOMES but Manager Manfredi refused to overlay the circles on an interactive gis map where you can easily find your home ... and, in fact, by early 2023 he removed the map altogether from the comp plan documents and is planning on holding 2 quick meetings (may 25th and june 15th, 2023) right before the comp plan consistency committee review.

   IN OTHER WORDS, HE IS TELLING YOU , OH NO... YOU CAN'T GET THE WORD OUT NOW. We are redoing this.... but you won't know what it is until the very last minute. you won't have time to "rally the forces" to oppose it. what a shame . everyone will just be confused as to what finally will be in the final proposal decided, because of course, " we want your opinion before we decide on the map.... what's that you say.... we had two years of testimony, nearly all 100% opposed. well, we're disregarding that testimony and hope to put a friendlier : single;" group together to get the testimony we're looking for, and then pass it as fast as we can.
      THEY HAD A LOT OF PUSH BACK - As we distributed the maps and people began to see what they had in mind. So they couldn't have been more clever about taking away your right to organize against this, by removing the maps altogether.   As of May 11, 2023, Commissioner Thompson has resigned and the comp plan committee closed shop without finishing its business, so now, it is all in Mgr. Manfredi's hands. he has revamped nearly every system since his arrival - including ones that worked well for decades and decades. Some of those have been revamped again and again in the few short years he has been here, which is not the sign of good management, nor is it in the interest of people struggling to understand how their government works and where the place is for their voice in it.

Please also see the page called "Population confusion" where they are fraudulently telling you we need to build more because people will be here and need to be housed. As I'm sure you know, they will only be here if we build beyond our zoning capacity.
https://abingtoncitizens.com/page/PopulationConfusion.html

We tried to point out the major areas to show you which train is where and help you see the impact on your street (scroll down to the original yellow map with arrows numbered for trains and shopping centers)

MOST ALL the various SHADES OF RED on the map above which are our commercial areas/shopping and are in solid blue circles. that is where multiple story residential buildings would now be allowed ON THE PARKING LOTS AND more commercial, too (among them: the Huntingdon Valley Shopping Center, the Foxcroft Shopping Center and the Entire Willow Grove Business District which includes the mall and all the other commercial there)

THE r2, r3 AND R4 hOUSING ZONES AROUND THEse commercial areas, If in the solid blue circle, will allow denser, multi-family units, like duplexes, triplexes, twins or possibly townhouses. no more just single family if you are solid (or dotted) blue circled residential R2 to R4 in dotted blue line circles are not just denser housing but more intense uses, that could include commercial uses, too. the dotted circles may increase in number as they also add them around bus stations, which can pop up anytime, anywhere. and can someone explain why R1 properties get special treatment?

  no accountability - this is being done without any discussions about traffic, crime, overburdened services like library & parks, crowded classrooms with students that cost $21k each, parking garages, stormwater slow release to already overburdened streams, and so much more ... and they actively refused to video tape and air the meetings, set up question answer page, post a question answer page or use, frankly, any of the many tolls we pay to give them that they let developers, like PREIT, use. That's exactly what it would look like if they were trying not to let you know!

MISSING PERSON REPORT :
NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO DECIDED SO MUCH DENSITY WAS A GOOD IDEA. WAS IT YOU? WE'VE HEARD FROM PLENTY WHO DON'T !

Almost no one works with the Township map every day like I do - so few can even find themselves on this map - and the Township refuses to put it on an interactive map . Hopefully these numbers will help you find the circle you may be in . The map at the top was done by Comr Thompson - this was the original map we found in Chapter 13 Future Land Use - which at the time of this writing they have removed and are withholding from view.

where is your house on the map above ?
1) Willow Grove Mall & BUSINESS DISTRICT AREA 2) WILLOW GROVE TRAIN AREA 3) CRESTMONT TRAIN AREA 4) tARGET -LONDON TOWN CENTER AREA 5) Approx FROM TARGET TO CHOP AREA 6A) RYDAL TRAIN AREA 6b) BETHAYRES TRAIN AREA 7) bAEDERWOOD SHOPPING CENTER 8) NOBLE TRAIN 9) HUNTINGDON VALLEY SHOPPING CENTER 10) McKinley area 11) Foxcroft, fox pavillion -York Rd & Township Line 12) Jenkintown -Wyncote Train 13) Mt. Carmel & easton Glenside 14) glenside train 15) glenside Commercial district around N.Hills station 16) North Hills station 17) commercial area near ardsley station 18) ardsley station 19) no number -just above #18 ( sorry) Glenside weldon school & keswick 20) Roslyn Train 21) area around roslyn train 22) Roslyn Woodland to Hamilton 23) Willow Grove from Hamilton to the mall 24) between crestmont station and the mall

R= 1/4 mi (GREY CIRCLES shown are THE ORIGINAL 1/2 mi - REDUCED NOW TO 1/2 the size of these ) in those grey circles they intend to allow multi-unit residential (IN R2, r3 & R4 - they removed r1 ON REQUEST. ask them why. WOULDN'T R2,3 & 4 LIKE TO BE REMOVED, TOO ) THE vISION is to have denser multi-unit Residential WHICH WOULD INCLUDE Duplexes, Triplexes, TWINS & more, i/4 mi around the commercial centers....removing THE single family home zones in the process. dO YOU THINK THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE KNOW THAT? CAN'T HAVE A SAY IF YOU ARE COMPLETELY UNAWARE.....
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T= 1/2 Mi DOTTED BLUE CIRCLES : Transit Oriented districts - THE VISION IS FOR VERY DENSE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING both RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL & BUILDings ON THE PARKING LOTS of shopping centers .... BUS STATION circles ARE EXPECTED TO ALSO BE ADDED.
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TRANSITIONS ZONES ARE INTENDED, too, but WE DON'T KNOW WHERE YET ....That's where if residential is next to Commercial - they'll turn the residential into light commercial claiming the two incompatible uses need a buffer. Quite absurd - the residences one more row back will now be affected AND ESPECIALLY ABSURED SINCE THEY ARE TRYING TO MIX COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL NEARLY EVERYWHERE. you KNOW .... LIKE IN THE CITY.

all of the areas named are approximate - and i did them only because the township refuses to put this on an interactive map like a gis map so you can find your property and see if it is in one of the circles and understand what they are doing. despite all the tools, equipment and manpower we give them, most of which they are using to help developers. this entire comprehensive plan is aimed at passing measures that help developers remove your rights to protest and for you , not developers in cahoots with all too willing commissioners determine how your township is developed. It is being facilitated & accomplished by COMMISSIONER THOMPSON AND YOUR OWN COMMISSIONER simultaneously removing the tools you need to understand what is being proposed. tools you paid for them to have, to work in your interest.

put your address in the search box on THIS GIS zoning Map - then go back to the land use map to try and guess IF it is in A circle .... because you are not worth the money it would take to provide you with a proper map - despite the 40% tax hike over just a couple years
https://abingtonpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/interactivelegend/index.html?appid=599f14516a1d40cbaa809e0d678a9a63

or ask your Commissioners - one and all, to place the circles on that GIS map !!!!

Find emails here for Commissioners and manager https://abingtoncitizens.com/TwpGovt/Commissioners.htm

to leave comments on the plan for the committee, they have provideD an email at vision2035@abingtonpa.gov
I can't imagine how anyone could leave a cogent comment when they have not been provided a single summary of the kinds of things you see on this page . can you imagine not knowing this and commenting

   Background
      The current Manager, Richard Manfredi, and the current Board of Commissioners, led by Tom Hecker, Board President and Matt Vahey, Board VP are leading the charge to transform Abington Township in ways that they KNOW the people that they serve are not in agreement with. The Comprehensive Plan Team began in early 2020 and has been busy creating draft chapters of a "vision" that they want to speed through to a finish -- affecting future zoning forever - and it's clear they have developers who'd like to get underway soon - so no careful analysis is being afforded, no time to inform the public. On April 19, 2022 they zoomed ahead to the "Implementation" Chapter while still withholding controversial chapters - such as Infrastructure ( chaper 8 ) and Future Land Use - the most controversial Chapter 13. The Implementation Chapter itself was, as of this writing, being withheld. Slipshod, haphazard work designed to speed it to a finish rather than to carefully craft something that is impactful on our finances and our quality of life in a positive way

   They KNOW 90 % of Abington is clueless about what they are doing - and they also know 90% of us do not want this density. The rate at which the density could increase could be phenominal - and it is not clear that they could control the rate of development once they begin, nor the number of children that would attend the schools. They have refused any open discussion on such matters. They are doing this in a dozen most un-transparent and (we think) very irresponsible ways. Many of our single family neighborhoods will become multi-family without the knowledge or permission of those who live there. These folks likely asked what the zoning was when they bought their homes and that was likely a factor in many of their purchases. They are not likely to be very happy when they see commercial uses or triplexes begin to be added to their block ( or next door).

     It is irresponsible also because they are creating this "vision" where  they will have very little ability to determine how many units will be built, or over what period of time that will happen, and they have not shown a single, solitary financial analysis or loss/ benefit impact report. In fact, many of us think there is very little benefit and a great deal of downside risk financially, before you even account for quality of life issues.    Take just the number of students at an approximate cost of $21K per student. PREIT recently tried to use $13K as their number - and the Economic Development Committee, (with the school Business Director on it) , didn't loudly protest and withhold their votes because the information was incorrect. There were a dozen problems with the report - but they approved it anyway ( with a " so whatcha gonna do about it?" attitude ) They suggested only 14 students would come from the 365 units ...... and there were other absurdities that a 5th grader would have known were not right.

      And of course, perhaps more important than even finances might be an assessment of the quality of life issues that these drastic changes will promulgate.

HOW IS IT BEING DONE - the "vision"
       Make no mistake, the Comprehensive Plan is just the "vision". Phase 1. They are not REZONING in this stage ...... but it will be used as the foundation for approvals of text and map amendments in the next stage where the rezoning WILL occur. So, in essence, now is your only time to protest and get the "vision" for your Township correct - so the later zoning requests will be based on a correct vision. When the applicants come to rezone , they'll be told " You want a triplex there ? Yes, that's just what our expert Comprehensive Plan Team said was best and the public was involved in approving that Plan! Hurray! Your triplex is approved. You meet our vision. All in favor: AYE ".

      People are asking their Commissioners "Is it true that you are re-zoning us ?" And because this is just the vision phase right now, the Commissioners are telling them it's not true- they are being lied to. Every project will have to come before the Board just like it always did, they tell their constituents   And, of course it is technically true that they will come before the Board and the Planning Commission , etc - but they will have the "vision" of the the Comprehensive Plan to inform the Commissioners that yes - that is exactly what we planned - an.

    The Comprehensive Plan could pass as soon as late summer or fall of 2022 - but they are trying to wrap up the language in it by April 2022.   After that it will take an act of Conngress to change things . And remember even though there are 58K or 59K of us - it only takes 8 Commissioners to approve a text amendment . You'll have to have some pretty incredible reasons to get a project that is in our "vision" turned down.

    RIGHT NOW is when your voice is supposed to be included. They will say it was a public process - we had fully public and transparent meetings . But did they? When no one knew? Literally, nearly no residents have been in attendance because such a tiny fraction of our residents understand what is being done. And some Commissioners are telling outright untruths about the plans that are being made ..... ie:

     Huntingson Valley Shopping Center neighbors are being told "there are no cirrent applications" when people ask if residential is being planned on the Shopping Center Parking lot. The Commissioner is overtly misleading them. That recommendation is found very specifically on page 8 of Chapter 7 part 2 . It says :
7.5.2 Recommendations 1. Mixed Use Developments. Allow residential uses at Willow Grove Park Mall, Huntingdon Valley Shopping Center and “the triangle” portion of the BC-Business Center-Noble District. The map that at the time of this writing is being withheld is in Chapter 2 and confirms the same thing.... as does Comr Thompson's map at the top of this page . A final confirmation can be found in Chapter 15 - implementation- which is also being withheld at hte time of this posting - but confirms that it is an easy task to allow residential on the Shopping Center Parking lots.

WHY HAVEN'T SO MANY HEARD OF THIS ? Can't they afford to notify us ?
So many, many who are affected who would want to have input but are missing from this process missing because they weren't told even told this was happening. They are supposed to have input at each meeting - but even the speaking opportunities have been turned upside down - and the very few that do know about it aren't able to speak at a meeting until the very end, when they are done deciding everything on top of them often receiving false or misleading answers) Our questions at meetings and via email are rarely answered. They refuse to put the mapping of the circles on a GIS map, or on the TV, or to put proper details in their newsletters, or do a direct mailing, or hold an informational meeting with OPEN comments where ANSWERS are provided, or post a page where we can question or comment and see each other's comments.

       In addition, they just took in an extra $20M in Covid funds ( American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA funds ) and despite that, raised your RE taxes what was just recalculated from 22% to be 27% (about $3-4 Million on top of the $19 million - after they knew about it.). Just two years earlier we had what we thought was an insane 10% increase. The highest ever in my 45 years here --No one could have imagined what was to come. But despite that , say they can't afford to mail this info to all 23, 000 homes - They just took in $23 million and can't afford 20-40 cents for your benefit.

        We bought them all that new staff and all those fancy tools.... They are using them in ways we don't approve .......for the benefit of developers actually.. yet they can't afford to spend a stamp in a way we would approve before MORE meetings are missed . Ward 6 Commissioner Michael Thompson, heading this outrage is the one who said it is cost prohibitive.   He could put up a dialogue page but won't. He could overlay it on a proper map but he won't...... Why there are no open mic meetings? Why is no proper detailed announcement and the Land Use map on our TV scrolling - why aren't the Comp Plan meetings being filmed and aired? It belongs on the TV . Why don't the Comr newletters have the real details? Why can't we send in questions and have the answers posted?   Comr Thompson said at the Comp Plan Meeting 2-15-22 that essentially you don't warrant a bulk mail stamp . He can't spend $.25 to $.40 on you.    What so you think about that? Comr Thompson or his firm have personally profited from work they just seem to keep getting in the Township since he became Commissioner - some paid directly from your taxes ie : for work on the Township building.... and he has 10's of millions of dollars at his disposal to operate in the interests of your health, safety and welfare.

   LET'S SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS ... OOPS... Where could we do that? our speaking rights are being removed- we literally are being given 3 minutes of open comment per month and there are 23 pages of rules to understand where oen and how we're allow to speak ! that's more than insane

       Manager Manfredi, with the love, affection and the undying support of the Board, has changed your speaking rights 4 ( yes FOUR) times in the slightly more than 4 years he has been here -- removing more of them each time. He and the Commissioners simultaneously began raising our Real Estate tax millage dramatically ( between 30 and 40 % increase levied in just a couple of years ) just as the "overdevelopment plan" was beginning to take shape - just they began wiorking with PREIT behind hte scenes to co-write the first big TOD project at the Willow Grove Mall ....

        I am concerned about the continued role of our former Board VP Steve Kline in any leadership position in Abington. I am concerned about his involvement in the many zoning matters that will come forward after the Comprehensive Plan is released. We learned, as many of you already know, from several sources, including most recently from direct testimony at the February 8, 2022 Whistleblower Lawsuit Arbitration hearing, that Mr Kline could have been charged due to his involvement at the Colonade. It was left to our former Manager's discretion who could have chosen that option. He chose, instead that, Kline and Solicitor Michael Clarke were to step down and leave their positions . But they just did not go..... . Does THAT sound like someone you would elevate to a Zoning Hearing Board position - or keep on as Solicitor? I think we all should be concerned at who made that decision. Comr Jessica Carswell says she was appointed by Comr John Spiegelman to head a Committee to do it - but the Committee did not operate transparently. Even some Commissioners said they did not know of their meetings. And, only one final candidate, Steve Kline, was presented to the Board, although other qualified candidates had applied and were interviewed and should have been able to be nominated at an open meeting.   Was crucial information withheld from the whole Board in order to present one candidate only or was it done this way so the public could not see who voted for Kline over other qualified candidates ?

     Kline has continued operating as Chair of the Montco Planning Commission, even after the County Board learned of the circumstances of his past doings from documents provided to them...... He was not removed.   Montco documentation in late 2021 - shows Steve Kline continuing this push for Transit Oriented dense development -- acknowledging that his earlier eandeavors in those areas didn't work out so well and acknowledging they are collecting data on it still. Kline began many years ago promising that HIS control of the development of the Fairway Transit District would avoid lawsuits and things would be developed more in our interests. We didn't all agree with that. Many of us wanted the Township to fight the lawsuit agaist the developer. And now we see that just the opposite result of what Kline promised was achieved . We didn't avoid lawsuits at all. There were myriad lawsuits. And the development is as dense as can be .In one case there are 246 units where 8 should have been - or fewer because of the steep slope. We just gave the farm away first... and then had the lawsuits, anyway.

    Even though Kline himself acknowleded that did not go as planned -- we continue the TOD practice under virtually the same promise - that WE are controlling the developpment. And now we "envision" them in our Comprehensive Plan around every train station but one.   I, personally, found Kline's recent Jan 2022 appointment to the Zoning Hearing Board to be a very concerning condition, while at the same time -- and right in time for all of this new anticipated zoning, Manager Manfredi appointed a person nearly new to the Township just there a few years - and with ZERO zoning & code experience --- to be (are you ready for this ) the DIRECTOR of nearly all Zoning & Land Development matters. A crucial time to have no experience in all htat she is DIRECTOR of : code enforcement, building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, accessibility, energy codes, permits, the property maintenance code, and the zoning ordinance. Every one of those things has pages and pages of complicated and crucially important laws, codes and regulations that MUST be followed for the SAFETY of our residents and that require YEARS of experience to master. So I believe it is unlikely there will be any oversight over third parties or others who will have to be hired to do the actual work - or over anyone with a reputation for bullying that has far more knowledge than the "person being bulied". I am deeply concerned about this string of events including that Code, a voluminous and extremely important department, is now a "subdivision" of Community Development - whereas just a couple of years ago, we were told it was important to group it with Engineering and Public Works ....... until - oops - the Director's firm's racketeering charges got in the way.  We have a manager who changes things up every time the wind blows and provides no stability for Abington Township employees, residents or others .

     The removal of speaking rights, the lack of transparency, the appointments of those unsuited or not qualified..... all paint a picture of an Abington that seems to me very much out of control, with no sound principles at play at all. It seems, under Tom Hecker, Matt Vahey and Manager Richard Manfredi, we have become a playground for developers and others who care very little about what the needs, interests or concerns of the residents are.

Please agree to lift your voice and take an active role.

PRONG ONE TEXT AND MAP AMENDMENT CHALLENGES to OUR BRAND NEW ZONING

As of 6-9-22 Board Presient Tom Hecker announced at the beginning of the meeting that PEIT was not going to get a hearing on this matter .....after over a year and a half and 11 meetings   --- a disgusting waste of everyone's time and our tax dollars ...... But we have little doubt they will be back - perhaps they are waiting for the Comprehensive Plan to pass so it is all a piece of cake.

     The entire Township was just rezoned in 2017. The prior rezoning had been in1996 - was well thought out and held for 21 years. All that time people basically had their zoning largely protected and could feel confident about where they bought their homes. They had a "Reasonable Expectation" their rights would be protected .   They didn't have to go to meeting after meeting to defend them. Reasonable updates to zoning are important to stay current with the times and new trends or needs. But right after this recent brand new zoning, passed 4-27-17 under the leadership of, you guessed it, Steve Kline, the developers began right away to both use it in its most intense fashion and also to challenge it to tryto get even MORE ... (which they would really only do if they had some sense they could succeed, as it is an expensive proposition. )

     Even developers who had a great deal of input in creating the Zoning document challenged it. You might remember the YMCA zoning that got changed by a Michael Markman/ BET proposal, made just months after the zoning was passed .   So, with that precedent already set - it was clear that our zoning code was up for revamping on a whim.

    In November of 2020 residents near the mall got a notice that the Mall owner PREIT ( Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust) wanted to build a 365 unit apartment on the Business District parking lot owned by Bloomingdale's. (By the way - that was the ONLY notice many of them got ... they were NOT notified of the next 10 meetings and many had - or still may have - no idea they even happened....)
     Problem was, it was WAY more than ONE building they were really asking for. The whole presentation was basically a farce. They wanted to create a TOD ( a " Transit Oriented District ".... where federal or state incentives might apply) on properties within 2500 linear ft of either the Crestmont or Willow Grove train. It would enabled MULTIPLE buildings on that business district and even talked about a "master Plan to coordinate all the building that would occur - but for over a year PREIT kept insisting htey were only asking for one building ( while they enabled may more) Over the course of 11 meetings, the residents were quite frankly, just deceived ...accomplished by removing their voices, not answering their questions, withholding documents, and not having their elected representatives act on their behalves. It has been a year - long disgrace that every member of the Board participated in (exception : Lori Henry who joined in 2024)   The answer to the most important question ..."how many units could be built if the ordinance passed " has never been answered to the time of this writing - late Jan 2022. Over a full year's time, they simply kept pretending they were only asking for ONE building, when that was utterly false. The Commissioners allowed this deceit - and some promulagated some that were even worse themselves. Planning Commission irregularities and illegal processes and other problems seem to be someting they will ignore. We are expecting it to appear again at hte brand new Comprehensive Plan Consistency Committee (perhaps May 4th 2022 but they have given themselves the right to have a Special Meeting at any time they darn well feel like it. Now there's a sense of security for residents.

     At the top of this section is the building they hoped would take your focus away from their real intent. The Developer is Bel Canto who would buy the parking lot and Bloomies would use the money to "spruce up" and modernize , and this would supposedly "save the mall" they would apparently like you to believe, per implications of their nearly irrelevant "history of shopping" presentation that we were endlessly shown...
and of special note is a list of all the problems and questions that have never been answered :
https://abingtoncitizens.com/aaISSUES/Development-Zoning-CodeEnf/WillowGroveMall/00AA-QuestionsForTheDeveloper.htm
You can find all the details on the Mall debacle here:
https://abingtoncitizens.com/aaISSUES/Development-Zoning-CodeEnf/WillowGroveMall/00AA-WGMall-365Apts-main.htm

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Prong TWO - TOWNSHIP WIDE RE-ZONING USING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
           -----   EVEN WORSE THAN THE TEXT AND MAP CHALLENGES

In essence they seem to be trying to approve every text and map ammendment they can possibly anticipate by incorporating it into their "vision" in the Comprehensive Plan . Major zoning changes are being laid out Township-wide in a dozen different ways. Again, between the speaking rights they have removed, the refusal to answer questions and by moving at breakneck speed, they hope to pass the Comprehensive Plan somewhere around March or April. ( In December they did not publish the meeting documents within 24 hours of the Dec 21, 2021 meeting - so it is possible that may set it back a month or so...or they may figure out how to make up for lost time.....because they want to pass this as soon as they are able, before too many residents understand what they are doing .)

The last rezoning took 8 years. They now have it on speed-dial, even though we are only just now beginning to see the results of the LAST increase in density from 2017.

The Oct 19, 2021 Comprehensive Plan "Future Land Use Map" shows most of their plan - and then there are a few more:

1) They will put Mixed Residential Overlay zoning (duplexes, triplexes , possibly Townhouses or Stacked Townhouses and the like) 1/2 mile out around a shopping or commercial centers on properties that are currently zoned "Single Family Home" throughout the Township, wherever the gray circles are on the map below. No analysis as to how many plots are affected, what the possible impact could be on schools, traffic, facilities like parks, librairies, or quality of life......

2) They will put TOD ( Transit Oriented District ) designations 1/2 mile around every train station except Meadowbrook (see the dotted blue lined circles), allowing greater density and both mixed commercial and residenttial. No analysis as to how many plots are affected, what the possible impact could be on schools, traffic , facilities like parks, librairies, or quality of life......

  3) They will possibly add bus stations - instead of just trains - to the TOD districts. Bus stations ( stops ) are so "moveable" that one could literally pop up anywhere - I have been unable to verify if they mean a bus stop -" or if it would have to be a "transit center " like Fernrock........ that just was brought up at the 1-18-22 Comprehensive Plan Meeting. There will be a bus station at Susquehanna and York - so everyone in 1/2 mile should .... oh well, there's a commercial center about to be built there to. We really do need them to put their intentions on a GIS map.

   4) They will allow "infill development" which is taking a fully developed parcel, for instance the Willow Grove Business District , or the Huntingdon Valley Shopping Center ... and deciding that MORE building - both residential and Commercial - can occur on it . By not specifying where or exactly how much, they have created a developer's bonanza. We could be challenged every where at the same time. Residents are already fatigued after 8 years of trying to protect their Zoning from Steve Kline's committee, from the challenges that came immediately after it and from constantly needing a grass roots movement to tell Commissioners to stop doing the opposite of what they are asking. Also, building every inch of the parking space up will leave you likely needing a garage for the spots you build on - even if the new building had a garage inside it (as the mall building did)

5) They will re-introduce the despised "Transition Zones" - like the Highland Ave Zone behind Abington Hospital. They are contending that an intense Commercial Use like the Hospital doesn't match up with the residential use becaue of the intensity of the noise & activity - so they will make the residential use a light commercial use to "gradually transition" to the residential neighborhood. Of course, that is absurd to the n'th degree when you consider that they are 1) just moving Commercial farther back into the neighborhood, and 2) they are actually PUTTING residential right next to commercial in the TOD's purposely and in the infill anticipated on the shopping centers like the PREIT proposal. Instead, what this will accomplish for them is another place there corporate ownership can remove a single family zone (ie Highland Ave across from the Hospital) where they would no longer have to have the doctor live there to be a doctors office. The Dr;s office would be a light commercial use. Of course, that changes the nature of the buildings behind that first row ----- one street further back is now next to commercial.

6) They may negate the protections of Spot Zoning . In the concept of Spot Zoning a property owner may not have his own property zoned differently that the ones around it to only benefit himself . Once the Comprehensive Plan creates the "vision" that residential is allowed on, for instance, the Willow Grove Park Mall Business District, or in the Huntingdon Valley Shopping Center etc - Spot Zoning protections are more likely to fall with the slightest legal challenge - because they will say this is the "vision of the Commissioners " - and there may even be caselaw that then allows that. This is something we are still researching - you can help.
If the new Comprehensive Plan passes, the ENTIRE Business District might be able to do what PREIT tried to do - without having to be 2500 ft from a train --- despite the intense resistance from residents on that project.

7) They will "adjust" our code to account for caselaw. They have given us no idea what things are included in that list. To be sure one of the things they will adjust for is removing our requirement for non-combustible construction in hi-rises. Rather than adjust to that. I believe we should be challenging it the next time someone wants to construct less safely in Abington, and throwing that caselaw out the window for better caselaw. When only the builders & developers with bottom line interests appear in a court suit - and residents are not even notified - it is no wonder that bad caselaw is created. Bad caselaw should be over-turned. So where is the list of caselaw you'll be accommodating?

THIS "YELLOW MAP" - The FUTURE LAND USE MAP ABOVE WITH ALL THE ARROWS - TELLS THE STORY OF THE IRRESPONSIBLE CHANGES TO OUR ZONING

25 Different sections of the township will carry the "vision" for denser development . But they don't know how much, or how fast, or what the impact will be on our traffic, schools, services, wallets...etc No analysis is being done. They can't let one property owner zone densely and then prohibit the next from doin the same thing.

FutureLandUsePlan10-21

AFTER YOU READ THIS, PLEASE ALERT OTHER RESIDENTS TO THESE CONCERNS ____________

And if we were concerned about our schools because of what PREIT is/was doing at the mall ......just imagine what will happen when the number of units inside the circles double and triples /
No analysis has been done as to how many plots are affected, what the possible impact could be on schools, traffic, facilities like parks, librairies or quality of life...... So.....Buckle-up --- here are some statistics showing what you can expect if you turn our neighborhoods into corporate controlled rental units - rather than single family homes which are owned by the person who lives there. The below chart is found here: https://www.nahbclassic.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=255505&fromGSA=1

How will the Zoning Code get changed?
Text and map amendments will now come before the new ( in 2022) Comprehensive Plan Consistency Committee -- The name alone should tell you what you need to know . We have been promised that all text and map zoning change requests will come to this Committee and they will be approved strictly "consistent" with the Comprehensive Plan. So in essence - the Comprehensive Plan is becoming a zoning document. "Yesiree - your plan matches our vision. We're recommending you right along through to approval.

On October 14th, 2021 at the Committee of the Whole meeting, Manager Manfredi gave a presentation found here https://abingtonpa.viebit.com/player.php?hash=21O1F8wW3HVC Follow his words.Manfredi: (16:30 mins ) "again making sure the relevance and consistency are measured against the Township’s mission and vision to enhance the livability for Township residents, considering any amendments to the zoning or subdivision or land development ordinance (16 :54 mins) we have sitting, right now, amendments to the zoning ordinance that have been worked on for a year. That’s going to have to be vetted - the zoning ordinance is going to have to be amended- (inaudible) and you can be sure when the zoning ordinance changes, & the subdivision ordinance changes that any text amendments that might come about are measured against the Comprehensive Plan that so many people have spent so much time working on ( at 17:05 mins): And, of course, focusing on chapters that are currently being developed, and in particular the housing and future land use plans for the surrounding area. And talking about future land use goes right to the heart of inclusivity. How we live and work - how we ___ (inaudible) ____ so that would also be for when the Comprehensive Plan gets completed.

On Feb 10, 2022 , Commissioner Hecker said that text amendments would come to the Comprehensive Plan Consistency Committee - and then go to the Board to get advertised. That isn't right either - because they need to go to Planning first before they are advertised for a hearing . Oh my. You never saw so much confusion . This administration under Commissioner Hecker and Manager Manfredi is a mess. After Planning they SHOULD come back to the Committee - because often changes are made in Planning and the public should have the right to view what the final product now looks like. But I doubt they are going to do that either .... in their rush to over develop and to appease developers. So after a giant "go round" it's still as clear as mud as nearly everything has been with this Manager.

   --Please ask your Comr to put the Future Land Use circles on a GIS map so you can find your house
   -- Please ask your Comr to do direct mailing to every home ( $,20 to $.40 ) of the Future Land Use Map
   -- Please add your voice by calling your Commissioner after you understand the details
   -- Please share back to us what they told you - ( often it fringes on the truth, but misses the mark)
   -- Please take a lawn sign to alert your neighbors
   -- Please write letters to the editor, etc
   -- Please share this page with as many as you can
   -- Please have them put a page up with the definition of TOD & Mixed Residential overlay
   -- Please ask them for a question answer page that we can see now
   -- Please ask your Commissioner to hold open mic zoom info sessions on this - multiple ones
   -- Please sign up for the THE NEWSLOOP so you get updates

Here is a site where you can begin to appreciate the over-development already underway - even before this Comprehensive Plan is instituted . Scroll below the map on this development page to see individual projects like St Basil's or 770 Jenkintown Rd. This amount of overdevelopment will affect our home values, our quality of life and everything about the "suburban place" we now call home. it will change our township forever!
https://abingtoncitizens.com/aaISSUES/Development-Zoning-CodeEnf/00AA-Development/00AA-Development-main.htm

AFTER YOU READ THIS, PLEASE CIRCULATe this page TO ALERT OTHER RESIDENTS TO THESE CONCERNS
OR OUR WEBSITE www.abingtoncitizens.com

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