Commission explores missing‑middle options for 4A district and 198 Elmwood redevelopment

Commissioners turned to the 4A district surrounding Narberth’s downtown and examined the redevelopment potential of a large parcel at 198 Elmwood. Chair Adam Crom presented sketches and compared yield under several typologies — three single‑family houses, twin houses, rowhouses, small apartment blocks and townhouses on footprint lots — and noted constraints imposed by current minimum setbacks, lot coverage and parking rules.

Participants agreed the commission should consider adding tools to enable missing‑middle housing types in 4A: allow cottage and twin building types permitted in 3A/3B/3C to apply in 4A; consider footprint‑parcel ownership with a homeowners association for common driveways; permit a flexible site‑planning (PUD‑like) approach for negotiated tradeoffs; and allow a single curb cut for bidirectional driveways to improve parking efficiency. Commissioners noted a previously approved 20‑unit plan for the site could be revived if limited parking relief or setback adjustments were provided, and asked staff to identify the specific code changes that would reenable that prior approval.

Jason Duckworth of Acadia Land Development was referenced as having previously developed comparable projects and the group discussed market trade‑offs (e.g., elevators, underground parking costs) and tree‑screening options. The commission asked staff to return with specific technical edits and a set of options for council review rather than a single prescriptive amendment.