Norristown Borough Council on Nov. 18 heard a multi‑hour conditional‑use master‑plan presentation from Pinnacle Realty Development Company for the Preserve at Stoney Creek, a mixed‑use redevelopment of the former Norristown State Hospital lands that the applicant described as a 681‑unit neighborhood with substantive retail and job‑creating industrial/flex space.

Anthony Maris, a principal with Pinnacle Realty Development Company and the project’s lead attorney, introduced the project team and exhibits and said the package meets the criteria for master‑plan approval. Seth Shapiro, director of urban design at Barton Partners, described an illustrative plan with three townhouse product types and 258 rental apartment units, totaling 681 dwelling units, roughly 69,450 square feet of retail and about 228,000 square feet of one‑story industrial/flex space. Shapiro said the plan’s yield was trimmed by roughly 20–30 units after more detailed stormwater testing and that the design adds approximately 12.16 acres (about 18% of the site) of open space to accommodate stormwater infrastructure and public amenities.

Traffic engineer Ann Marie Vigilante of Langan Engineering said the team will prepare a Transportation Impact Study with borough staff and cited potential mitigation measures including signal‑timing changes, geometry adjustments and pedestrian signal phases; she said required mitigations would be the applicant’s responsibility. Civil engineer Zachariah Jordan described a central green spine and a mix of above‑ and below‑ground basins; he testified that half the site would convey to the borough stormwater system and the other half would be managed under a conditional direct‑discharge approach to Stoney Creek as allowed under current watershed planning and DEP guidance.

Economist Eric Hetzel presented a fiscal benefit and economic‑impact summary that projected substantial construction‑period regional output and job creation and, on an annualized basis, estimated a net fiscal benefit under the report’s assumptions: roughly $1.3 million to the municipality, about $2.28 million to the school district and roughly $153,755 to the county. Hetzel estimated about 104 school‑age children would be generated by the proposed housing mix and said the fiscal figures were net of estimated school costs.

Public commenters raised several concerns. Christopher Jackson, a neighborhood homeowner, urged concrete anti‑displacement measures including tenant protections, tax‑relief or home‑repair grants and a community land trust, saying without such safeguards the project risks gentrification. Speakers also questioned impacts to wildlife and trout habitat, asked for larger tree buffers along Sturgier (Stenberg/Stoney) Street, pressed for a transit plan and expressed concern about 12 proposed vehicular access points and traffic using dead‑end neighborhood streets. Andrew Geden asked council to exclude data‑center uses from the flex‑tech zoning because of utility, noise and water demands; in response developers said the local electric infrastructure would not support a major data center and that any data‑center use would be limited to accessory uses rather than a primary use.

Developers and consultants repeatedly told council the master plan is conceptual and would be refined in the preliminary and final land‑development stages; several elements (architectural standards, a parking study and final stormwater design) were described as “will‑comply” items to be addressed later. Solicitor Kilkenny and counsel noted the conditional‑use hearing record will include municipal and applicant exhibits; council voted to close the public hearing and was told by the solicitor it has 45 days to issue a written decision that may include conditions.

What’s next: the hearing record is closed and council has 45 days to issue a written decision. If council approves the conditional use it will do so with any conditions it selects; if the application proceeds the applicant will return with preliminary and final land‑development plans and required permits from DEP, the county conservation district, PennDOT (for signal work) and other agencies.