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Towamencin consultant previews comprehensive-plan changes; residents press to preserve Freddie Hill
Summary
Consultant Peter Simone told the board the comprehensive plan is an aspirational guide and summarized public comments—32 of 47 web respondents urged preserving the Freddie Hill parcel as open space—while the plan also flags housing demand and options for reduced parking and improved connectivity.
Peter Simone of Simone Collins Landscape Architecture presented an overview of the township’s draft comprehensive plan and the public comments it has received at the March 26 supervisors meeting.
Simone emphasized the plan’s advisory role, saying, "the comprehensive plan is a guide. It doesn't obligate township to exactly follow the actions that are in the final plan. It's an aspirational document." He told the board the draft, posted in mid-January, includes recommendations informed by a market study that identified demand for village-oriented shops, restaurants and some additional housing. The study estimates a primary market area of about 4,280 residences and suggested the township could capture between 128 and 214 new units over time.
Public feedback was a central theme. Simone reported 47 web comments: "32 comments of people saying we really need to save the Freddie Hill parcel as open space," he said, and noted open-space protection and environmental concerns were prominent in the survey results. Several residents raised the same point during the meeting. Local resident Joe Silverman told the board he supports preservation but cautioned that builders may avoid housing immediately adjacent to a noisy recreation use: "I'd like to see it preserved, obviously," he said.
On transportation and design, the consultant recommended prioritizing bike and pedestrian connectivity and suggested a three-lane cross section for Summittown Pike rather than a five-lane expansion. Simone said the township should be explicit about which cross section it prefers because a decision would affect future traffic-count needs and county coordination. He also relayed planning commission suggestions to reconsider parking minimums in village areas and to coordinate with the fire chief about firefighting equipment needs if building heights or densities change.
Why it matters: The comprehensive plan will guide land-use choices, zoning updates and capital priorities; strong public sentiment on Freddie Hill and questions about parking and traffic will inform the board’s revisions before a future public presentation and potential adoption.
Next steps: Simone said staff will revise the draft in the coming weeks and reschedule the public presentation date; the board discussed timing constraints due to several supervisors attending PSATS in early May.
