Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Open Space topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County approves Lower Gwynedd request to site a cell tower in Penland Woods with conditions
Summary
After months of consultation, county commissioners approved Lower Gwynedd Township’s request to allow a 150‑foot cell tower at Penland Woods, subject to conditions intended to preserve a net conservation benefit and protect the original open‑space intent.
Montgomery County commissioners approved a resolution on Thursday allowing Lower Gwynedd Township to site a 150‑foot cell phone tower in Penland Woods, a park acquired in part with county open‑space funding, provided the township and conservation partners meet a series of conditions intended to preserve conservation value.
Scott France of the county planning commission described the lengthy review process and the legal reasons county approval was required: county open‑space funds had helped acquire the property in 1993 and the original covenants required the county’s written consent for a change of use. "The addition of the cell tower constitutes a change in use…and therefore the county's prior consent is required," France said.
The nut graf: Lower Gwynedd, the township, residents and Wissahickon Trails (formerly the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association) negotiated conditions to balance the public safety need for improved cellular service in a coverage gap with protections for the park’s conservation and donor commitments.
County staff and the township said the proposed installation would use an existing maintenance area adjacent to baseball fields; no trees would be removed and no new impervious surface would be added. The township previously amended the conservation easement to permit a single cell tower after public hearings.
The resolution, approved by the commissioners, includes conditions requiring notice to Wissahickon Trails on any future easement amendments, a commitment to use a portion of tower lease revenue for conservation in the township, a requirement that any obsolete tower be removed, and a collaborative process between the township and Wissahickon Trails to identify and secure a separate parcel or enhancements that provide a net conservation benefit.
Commissioners and staff said extensive outreach and negotiation — including meetings with neighborhood representatives — produced the agreement. County staff noted that the tower would address a public‑safety concern where residents and park users lacked reliable cell coverage.
Ending: County staff said the agreement represented a compromise that secures better public safety communications while preserving and enhancing open‑space value through the revenue and conservation commitments required by the resolution.
