Narberth open house and survey show mixed views on housing; parking is the top resident concern

Adam, an MCA representative, briefed the Montgomery County Planning Commission on results from a Feb. 26 open house (66 attendees) and an online survey that produced 303 completed responses from residents.

Lede: The presentation showed that respondents hold varied preferences for housing types in Narberth. While some residents favored preserving the borough’s existing character, others supported more mixed‑use and multifamily options concentrated along Montgomery Avenue and in downtown. A recurring concern across the open house and survey responses was on‑street parking and perceived traffic impacts.

Nut graf: The outreach combined in‑person engagement and a month‑long online survey. Adam said he limited the survey to Narberth residents, removed apparent nonresident duplicates, and will attach all 303 responses to a memo to council; he also said the survey experienced an influx of responses after coverage in the Inquirer and an external posting that briefly broadened access.

Key findings and policy implications: Staff summarized respondent housing histories (many respondents lived in single‑family detached homes historically; apartments and townhomes also appeared in respondents’ histories) and preferences: 43% selected single‑family detached as a type they would like to see more of, but sizeable shares also supported cottages, townhomes and twin houses. On district preferences, 44% of survey respondents favored growth along Montgomery Avenue and 43% favored downtown; roughly 37% of respondents said they preferred no growth.

Respondents were divided on technical changes staff is proposing: potential reductions in base parking requirements (staff discussed a proposed base of seven spaces and other transit‑oriented parking concepts) and allowing an additional story within existing 45‑foot height limits for mixed‑use buildings along Montgomery Avenue. The parking reduction idea drew the most consistent opposition in both the open house and survey because residents described current on‑street parking as constrained.

Public comments: Resident Joe Addis told the commission that external posting of the survey link led to some nonresident participation. "Some idiot put it on Facebook and you had one person from Santa Barbara, California ... and another one from Phoenix," he said; Adam said he filtered those responses and will include the raw responses for transparency. Resident Carol Marie Scanland asked where survey questions and the open‑house comments will be available; staff committed to attaching full responses to the council memo and posting materials on the borough website and in the council packet.

What’s next: Staff will prepare a memo to council that includes full survey responses and the open‑house summary; commissioners and staff said the public will have access to those materials before council acts on recodification and any supplemental zoning amendments.

Ending: The commission discussed these outreach results before moving to a lengthy recodification discussion and a motion to recommend the draft to council.