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Planning commission tentatively backs rezoning for 1201 South Collegeville Road, urges supervisors to consider county review
Summary
The commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors advance a rezoning and ordinance amendment for 1201 South Collegeville Road to allow retail plus stacked townhomes, while explicitly asking supervisors to review the county planning commission's comments and return the matter to the commission if substantive changes are required.
At a lengthy public discussion, the Upper Providence Planning Commission voted to forward a tentative recommendation to the Board of Supervisors in favor of a text and map amendment to rezone 1201 South Collegeville Road for a community/regional shopping‑center district that would include a new stacked townhome residential use group.
Allison, the applicant representative, said the petition would add a residential use option to the district and clean up outdated provisions. "We're proposing a residential component here particularly and only stacked townhomes," she told commissioners, and said the draft ordinance adds definitions (including a definition for "fast casual" restaurants), coffee shops and eliminates fast‑food as a permitted use in the district.
Architect Herb Schultz described site revisions after feedback: the residential component was reduced from a prior 76 stacked units to 61 units, the design retains an existing historic house for adaptive reuse, and applicants included parking and right‑in/right‑out access changes to address ingress and queuing. "We decreased the number down to 61," Schultz said, adding the plan includes 20 visitor spaces and two parking spaces per dwelling unit.
Phil Dionne, counsel for Providence Town Center, said his client was not opposed but asked the commission to postpone its recommendation until the county planning commission's review letter (traffic and other consultant reviews) was available. "I would be surprised if there were not some recommendations in there that might at least get you to pause," Dionne said, urging a full review before a recommendation.
Commissioners debated the timing and weight of the county's review; staff and others noted county letters sometimes arrive late and supervisors retain authority to request the item return to the planning commission if the county letter raises substantive issues. The Chair proposed language that conveyed general support but asked supervisors to "take into account" the county planning commission letter and send the ordinance back to the planning commission if appropriate.
The motion — to recommend the ordinance change to supervisors with the caveat that supervisors consider the county review letter and return the matter if needed — was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Why it matters: the change would permit a mixed retail and stacked‑townhouse component within a shopping‑center district and alters design and parking standards; commissioners and nearby stakeholders flagged concerns about cumulative impacts on schools, emergency services and impervious coverage and asked staff to ensure county and consultant reviews inform supervisors' decision.
Next steps: staff will forward the recommendation, the ordinance text, and submitted review materials (including the updated traffic analysis) to the Board of Supervisors for the June hearing; supervisors may open the hearing, accept testimony and either vote or delay action pending additional materials.
