Garrett Hill Overlay District Approved October 26, 2009

[johnfisher]

On Monday, October 26, 2009 the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners (BOC) concluded a hearing, deliberated and voted to approve the Sub division and Land Development (SALDO) and GHZD Zoning changes for the Garrett Hill Zoning District.

This two-year (over five hundred hour) long process began in the fall of 2007. The rezoning of commercial and residential properties along Conestoga Road and Garrett Avenue was necessary because all but two of the properties were conforming to the existing zoning. When properties are non-conforming to zoning, any work or reinvestment requires Zoning Hearing Board relief and approval and that is a very costly process.

The zoning changes are designed to preserve and enhance Garrett Hill by making many of the non-conforming properties conforming and that will in-turn enable many property owners in the district to reinvest without special exception. I believe these changes will result in by-right, in-scale and in-character development while supporting long-term a sustainability of our neighborhood business convenience district that we have come to enjoy.

Last year on July 21, 2008 the BOC approved the Garrett Hill Master Plan, the GHMP sets standards and goals for enhancements to the district and the new SALDO and Zoning changes will help make these goals possible.

Many thanks to Rick Barker for chairing this process and to Bob Adams, Phil Ahr, Jim Cunilio, Rick Eulo, Nancy Leinwand, Betty Lou Norcini, Jerry O’Connor and Leroy Turner for commitment to the process and the community.

We also must recognize Patti Schaeder Barker and the entire Garrett Hill Coalition (GHC), its block captains and all of the residents who participated in this process - Thank You! To learn more about the plan and to see their incredible efforts to produce the plan in a public process, please visit their website (see link below).

Regards,
John
John Fisher, VP
Board of Commissioners
Radnor Township

GHC Website http://www.savegarretthill.com/
Master Plan http://www.radnor.com/egov/apps/document/center.egov?path=doc&id=1759&id2=1512&linked=0
SALDO http://www.radnor.com/egov/apps/document/center.egov?path=doc&id=2619&id2=2227&linked=0
Zoning http://www.radnor.com/egov/apps/document/center.egov?path=doc&id=2618&id2=2226&linked=0