[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6085028,"mediaKeyId","2906402-d2f7463a087c2f5bdff691047763f551","parentId",2906402,"title","Narberth council refers transit‑oriented development review to planning commission after extended debate on housing, parking and downtown character","audioSeconds",3438,"startMs",1878000,"endMs",5316000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2906402-d2f7463a087c2f5bdff691047763f551&start=1878&end=5316","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2906402-d2f7463a087c2f5bdff691047763f551/thumbnail_1878000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6085028/Narberth/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Narberth-council-refers-transitoriented-development-review-to-planning-commission-after-extended-debate-on-housing-parking-and-downtown-character","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085028-690ea5e8bea84f706d8bc3a46a42e0cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146697&Signature=VBM9CkvuZvZveWBPJ3AsvcTBHLlFSSZZylwlcYh~Ip9cB9KEOScbSLJ3aDeeTgRAODKwz7q-ghJMW~wnQIhSyKdd6Ff0c6S99DAd4tBxQnlJfllR4HA-Wu72Ro7-flmSiH5r4RixrrjwWBW-VWx-e3xTHQJxS6LbBcfh-kp4zcAwWww8j2GDqVCEvVtIviaxYVGtBVY79lYbVkLDaws5HqTbVAUQtOEiGq96PWVi3Irdxg6Hn2ipmUenkusW6i6UDD4vBMCTzqI1bZXznJRjuNUWtTsAhUFYobNIcxbJlps6xP8jbDDf35tapoCfCZ27-saZlZUbro8lM6Wf3sh1Gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Narberth Borough, PA","date","2025-04-07T22:19:25Z","article","The Narberth Borough Council on April 3 spent an extended discussion on transit‑oriented development (TOD), concluding the session by asking the planning commission to study a range of zoning and policy changes intended to support housing diversity and downtown vitality.

Adam Kron, chair of the planning commission, summarized TOD as \"a town built around the train station with a mixed‑use downtown and a wide range of housing types,\" and said the commission would be willing to study whether current zoning around the station allows a range of housing types already present in town. Council member Michael Galdini, who described long experience in transportation and urban development, said TOD presents \"an opportunity to make, take advantage of the infrastructure that we have,\" citing rail access, walkability and local commerce as linked benefits.

Council members and planning commissioners raised several recurring issues: the borough’s limited developable land, historic‑district constraints in residential areas, parking and traffic, unit tenure (condo versus rental), the feasibility threshold for developers to build small apartment projects, and how added housing could affect retail foot traffic. Several council members urged context‑sensitive standards near the train station: reduced parking requirements appropriate for transit areas, smaller setbacks, lot‑coverage standards and a height limit that still permits “apartment‑scale” buildings where appropriate.

Council member Jean (last name not specified) and Council member Cindy (last name not specified) pressed for explicit study of \"missing middle\" housing types—duplexes, triplexes, courtyard apartments and other forms that can deliver for‑sale and rental units at lower price points than single‑family homes or large, high‑end complexes. Cindy also asked that the commission examine tenure options, including condominiums, to support long‑term equity for residents.

Speakers cited preliminary local data and one recent development as context: a 56‑unit complex built downtown was required to provide roughly 0.9 parking spaces per unit and, according to council discussion, the site’s garage has come in under capacity, suggesting lower car ownership among residents there. The planning commission and staff said they will examine real parking utilization and survey the new complexes to refine parking ratios that are sensitive to a transit area.

Public comment reflected the range of opinion. Resident John Monroe urged the council to reject liberalized zoning and said he was worried about loss of neighborhood character; another commenter, Carol Marie Scanlon, objected to any sale or reclassification of Sabine Park and urged preservation of green space. Other residents, including Katie Skeen and Joe Tiscamo, argued that increasing housing supply near transit improves affordability over time and helps sustain local retail and SEPTA ridership. The council chair noted that no vote would be taken and confirmed the purpose of the meeting was to set a referral scope.

Action and next steps: council members agreed to refer TOD and related zoning issues to the planning commission for study. Adam Kron said he would summarize the council’s direction and the planning commission would consider the items at its next meeting; the council asked that the charge include: reduced parking standards in transit areas (but not a blanket zero), context‑sensitive setback and height guidance near the station, appropriate lot‑coverage and driveway consolidation, study of missing‑middle housing borough‑wide, and public outreach including town‑hall style informational sessions. The council did not adopt any code changes at the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Borough Council Workshop Meeting, April 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Narberth Borough Council on April 3 asked the planning commission to study transit‑oriented development measures near the train station after a lengthy debate on housing, parking, downtown retail and neighborhood character.","taxTitle","Narberth, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania","taxId",74693,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6085033,"Narberth reviews electricity supply options with IGS Energy as contract nears expiry",1390,446000,1836000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2906402-d2f7463a087c2f5bdff691047763f551&start=446&end=1836","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2906402-d2f7463a087c2f5bdff691047763f551/thumbnail_446000.jpg","/articles/6085033/Narberth/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Narberth-reviews-electricity-supply-options-with-IGS-Energy-as-contract-nears-expiry","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085033-1e7529a531fcff05e09f4261aa00fb48/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146697&Signature=OANyuXNegicY0K1SXyTR2tQwttVmR0iinQeAem66hOOAhYhAuiGawptaz8yjAdH3-4ERm8j7QEaBDw-R7N8BoWWqNEDp1jgXBzI3ab0qZjfoX9y8-Yld1xzNQE8W1D-hC2ok-JvGgX1XSzTrTC7zbvuLN5wnduIrGdVq28dZ~OjU-JhefSvnfrq2drGu7ZknOuc0cc~XNo3QGJtzYaW~pb04NuLag1-8FXlGZuhRJ32xoqqyowqad~TfcSvGXVipnBwFLEbTomqLMQ66Y7E8lvnF1n0q6OzH7wIP-6CyBM6qVU8VxkT1eE3Bj7IyArmB0Mx9Trf1mEX91GH9n72YoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a work session April 3, the Narberth Borough Council heard a presentation from Graham Lou of IGS Energy about options for the borough’s electricity supply contract, which Lou said runs through December 2025.

The presentation outlined contract-length options ranging from 12 to 54 months, compared IGS pricing to the PECO default supply rate, and described market forces—especially rising PJM capacity costs—that could push supply bills higher this summer. \"When we go out to lock in our rate, there are several cost components that make up a kilowatt hour rate,\" Lou said, adding that energy typically represents about 65% of the supply cost while a reliability or \"capacity\" component has risen recently.

The discussion matters for borough budgets: Lou told council the borough uses about 631,000 kilowatt hours per year and that the supplier arrangement with IGS had previously produced savings compared with the prior program. He said the earlier direct supplier contract eliminated a third‑party broker fee and yielded roughly $32,000 in savings over a prior 21‑month term. Lou also said the current supplier quote would include the borough’s EV chargers and the supplier’s offered product conserves the borough’s existing green‑energy component.

Council members asked technical questions about which costs appear on which invoices. \"In the state of Pennsylvania, generation and transmission fall on the supplier side of the invoice and distribution falls on the PECO side of the invoice,\" Lou said, adding that transmission and supplier quotes account for the current transmission rates and that distribution charges remain controlled by PECO. Council member Jason (last name not specified) asked where transmission charges appear; Lou answered that those are baked into the supplier rates shown.

Borough staff said they will circulate an updated packet with the most recent pricing figures. \"We didn't get the updated packet until very late today, so I will be sending out the revised packet,\" said Maggie (borough staff; last name not specified). Council member Andrew Deutsch (as recorded on the roll call) and others indicated no objections to further discussions with IGS; the council did not take a formal vote.

Next steps: borough staff will post the revised packet and continue negotiations with IGS on term length and hedging strategy. Lou told the council that mid‑range terms (roughly three years) were commonly chosen by municipal customers seeking budget predictability, and that IGS can refinance or \"blend and extend\" contracts over the term if market prices later fall. The council also asked the solicitor to be kept updated on the community choice aggregation (CCA) status and timeline for setting up a new contract.

No formal motion or contract award was made at the session.","At a work session April 3, the Narberth Borough Council heard a presentation from Graham Lou of IGS Energy about options for the borough’s electricity supply contract, which Lou said runs through December 2025.","actionData","errors"]

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Narberth council refers transit‑oriented development review to planning commission after extended debate on housing, parking and downtown character

Narberth reviews electricity supply options with IGS Energy as contract nears expiry