Appeal Spurs Upper Dublin Commissioners to Reconsider Promenade Development

An organized group of Upper Dublin residents who oppose aspects of the mixed-use Promenade at Upper Dublin development hope to sway the Upper Dublin Commissioners, who must reconsider the large development proposal which had been approved in December 2016.

The board had failed to properly advertise last year’s meeting. Upon appeal, the planning commission on March 21 and later the commissioners, must again review the BET Investments plan, which calls for 402 apartments and 130,000 square feet of retail space on 25 acres situated on Welsh, Dreshertown and Dryden roads.

“I am hoping that both the planning commission and the board of commissioners will be open-minded and truly reconsider the new information that will be presented,” resident Mark Jones said.

During the March 28 commissioners’ meeting, a traffic engineer hired by the residents’ group will present findings. His analysis determined that the developer’s traffic study was incomplete and missing important analysis.

Opposition swelled to more than 100 residents attending and speaking at last year’s meetings. A core group of about 10 have retained their own professionals to give a second opinion on the development, ultimately with the goal of making it “less impactful. We are not trying to stop the development” according to Jones.

The proposed development includes a freestanding restaurant - which would be permitted to be open until 1 a.m., play outdoor music and serve alcohol – located just off Dreshertown Road closest to residential developments. The residents’ group is hopeful the commissioners will consider the developments’ various quality of life impacts.

The area where the development is proposed is zoned for office use. The commissioners will reconsider the proposed mixed-use development, which would be permitted under conditional use, meaning the developer would need to undergo an additional review process. According to documents residents obtained under the Right-to-Know Law, BET Investment President Markman tried to forego the conditional use requirement.

“The neighbors have been very difficult in this process and the conditional use hearings would put us in a very difficult position,” Markman wrote in an email to Upper Dublin Township on Oct. 4, 2016. “Hopefully we can work this out or we have all put forth tremendous effort over the last 6 months for nothing.”

Lou Pichini, who also lives near the proposed development, said the goal is to inform the commissioners about the development’s flaws, including the potential for increased rainwater and flooding, as well as excessive traffic additions and a higher volume of noise stemming from the restaurant’s current placement.

“There are serious traffic, public safety and quality of life issues that have not yet been adequately addressed,” he said.

Get involved

Upper Dublin residents can get involved by attending the March 21 planning commission meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., as well the March 28 Upper Dublin Township Commissioners meeting, held at 6:30 p.m. Both meetings are held at the municipal building, 801 Loch Alsh Ave., in Fort Washington. For more information on the effort of the residents’ group, email Lou Pichini at lpichini@deloitte.com.