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Council reviews Elmwood Park draft master plan that includes phased $14M community center
Summary
Consultants presented a draft Elmwood Park master plan that outlines safety improvements, trail connections and a two‑phase community center project; the county has committed $5 million toward phase 1, consultants said.
Norristown council members on Tuesday heard a draft master plan for Elmwood Park that recommends new sidewalks and multimodal connections, improvements to Veterans Plaza and a two‑phase community center with an estimated Phase 1 cost of about $14 million.
The consultant presenting the draft said the project team has been working on the plan since last September and invited the public to a follow‑up meeting; the presenter said, “we're gonna have a public meeting next week on the 20 sixth to present the hopefully final plan.”
The nut graf: the plan lays out improvements intended to make the park safer and more accessible and to create long‑term recreation amenities that would be built in stages, a strategy the presenter said is aimed at matching different funding sources over a 10‑ to 20‑year timeline.
The consultant said the plan proposes sidewalks on Harding Boulevard and Steinger Street, retrofitting a wide county bridge with protected bike lanes, raised pedestrian crossings, new trail connections to the Arch Street Greenway and gateway signage at park entrances. The plan also recommends renovating a newly acquired parcel, Roosevelt Field, with a renovated track, a multipurpose field and a community center located outside the floodplain.
On the community center, the presentation described a two‑phase building program. The first phase focuses on a pool and multipurpose space; the presenter estimated Phase 1 at “about a $14,000,000 project, almost $15,000,000,” and said Montgomery County has committed $5,000,000 toward the project. The second phase would add a gymnasium, additional multipurpose rooms and offices; the presenter estimated that phase at roughly $11,000,000.
Consultants said the team surveyed the public over several meetings, collected nearly 400 survey responses and held key‑person interviews with elected officials and agencies. The presentation noted safety and pedestrian access as the top community concerns and recommended a suite of street‑level changes including raised crossings, a suggested traffic circle at Steeriger and Harding boulevard, and rapid‑flashing beacons at selected crossings.
Councilmember Dean McCoy praised the process and noted designs had been revised in response to public input. McCoy asked specifically about traffic signals and speed mitigation; the consultant said the plan includes raised crossings rather than speed bumps and possible rapid flashing beacons at some locations. The consultant also described conceptual tree replacement, pavilion repairs, relocating restrooms near the playground and flood‑proofing the Powell Building by using flood‑resistant finishes on the ground floor.
Next steps in the presentation included a public meeting to collect final comments, subsequent revisions and a return to council for possible formal adoption. The presenter said the plan is not final and that the team would seek grant funding and phased implementation over many years.
Ending: the draft plan and an executive summary are posted on the municipality's website for public review; the consultant encouraged residents to use the online survey link referenced on the meeting notice.
