Lower Merion delays Ball Village zoning amendment after packed public comment on proposed synagogue

The Building & Planning Committee moved on June 7 to postpone action on proposed amendments to Chapter 155 (Ball Village, Z‑26‑1) until July 8 so staff can clarify whether the amendment will require first‑floor commercial storefronts or simply 'non‑residential' uses. Commissioner Will, chair of the committee, said the change is substantive and must be redrafted and re‑advertised.

The postponement occurred before a large public comment period. Dozens of residents and representatives of Habad/Kabat testified in two‑minute statements urging the township not to adopt language that would prevent religious use at Kinwood Road and Ballot Avenue. Dina Pac said she had attended many meetings and urged the commissioners not to drop the item from the agenda without a full hearing; Lee Federer, a local attorney, warned that the ordinance as worded could bar a synagogue from operating without first‑floor retail. Other speakers described the synagogue's community benefits and urged approval when the item returns.

Commissioners emphasized the narrow focus of the clarification: staff will draft the advertised ordinance to require first‑floor commercial use between Montgomery and Union avenues only, not elsewhere along Bala Avenue. The committee limited public‑comment time to two minutes per speaker given turnout and reaffirmed that the matter will return on July 8 with amended text. No final decision on the substance was made at the meeting.