Politics & Government

Lansdale Council OKs Madison Lot Development, Parking Garage Not Guaranteed

The two-phase project is expected to break ground in Spring 2014. Phase Two's success depends on the performance of Phase One. Phase Two includes a proposed parking garage.

A parking garage proposed in Phase Two of the two-phased Madison Lot Development by Equus Capital Partners is not guaranteed, but Lansdale Borough Council last week approved the project in a 7-0 vote.
Council President Matt West and Councilman Jack Hansen were absent from the meeting.
Bill Reardon, of Bohler Engineering, gave an overview of the project and progress last week.   
The plan, he said, remains a two-phase project. The targeted construction start date is Spring 2014.
Phase One includes construction of a building with 171 residential units and 10,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor, fronting Madison Street.  
Reardon said the building would include "in excess of 400 parking spaces," which are a combination of private residential spaces and public spaces.
Reardon said Phase One would bring more than 420 spaces, but only 150 of those are for public parking. The rest are for residents of the planned condos.
SEPTA commuters will not be allowed to park in any of the new spaces and will instead be directed to Pennbrook train station on Church Road.
Also included in Phase One: Development of a skate park near the water tower along Third Street, 55 angled parking spaces on Madison Street and implementation of the Liberty Bell Trail along the railroad tracks, connecting Main Street to West Third Street.
Madison Street will be turned into a one-way street from Main Street to Wood Street, Reardon said. Wood Street would become a two-way street, with a new traffic signal at Wood and Main streets as part of the PCTI project.
A public plaza will be made adjacent to the Phase One building, he said.
A police kiosk will also be dedicated at the corner of Main and Madison streets.
Phase Two includes construction of a parking garage and another building housing 76 residential units and 10,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor.
"We need to see how Phase One performs," Reardon said. "There's no definite time period for Phase Two."
Equus also refined additional hardscape and landscape amenities to match the streetscape of Main Street.
The catalyst for a two-phase project, according to Equus principal George Haines, comes down to marketing of residential properties.
"By phasing it, we allow the market to absorb," Haines said. "We don't want too much product too quickly."
There was talk of SEPTA building a parking garage on the West Fifth Street side of its parking lot, and connecting to the Equus parking garage via an elevated bridge across the railroad tracks.
"It's not a pipe dream," said borough Manager Timi Kirchner about SEPTA's parking garage. "The important thing is to set a project up that is attractive to funding."
Kirchner said that when this project was presented to PennDOT, the state agency said it was a perfect transit-oriented development project.
"It's not a guarantee," she said. "We can set it up so it is attractive to transportation funds and discretionary funds."
Kirchner said SEPTA is very much on board with the project.
"(SEPTA deputy general manager) Jeff Knueppel said it was the best transit-oriented development project he has ever seen," she said. "That's a commitment from the second-in-command. I know he is determined to make it happen."
As far as parking for drivers during the project, Kirchner said drivers will be directed to other lots, like the new Susquehanna Avenue parking lot.
"We will work with the developer," she said.
"A project of this magnitude, there is going to be inconveniences," said Councilman Mike Sobel. "There is no way around that."
Resident Drew Stockmal said Equus has done a great job with the project design, but he saw a major issue with only 150 public parking spaces. Stockmal said he saw a similar issue years ago in Manayunk with its redevelopment.
"The project stands on its own as a vacuum, but there is so much going on around that location," Stockmal said.
Stockmal wondered if the design took into account a proposed 500-seat 311 Arts center and the 20,000 square feet of retail space with the Madison Lot project.
"One-hundred-and-fifty spaces will be gone like that," Stockmal said. "When it's Saturday at 8 p.m., and when the restaurants are full and the entertainment center is full ... I pray SEPTA comes through. It's way too much for such a small area. You've got to get more parking if you have a structure like this."
Communication Commission member Rick Murphy said he was really excited about the project, but he too warned about the parking issues, especially the caveat of SEPTA commuters parking in the neighborhood near Pennbrook train station.
"I do want to let council be aware of the potential unintended consequences of moving SEPTA riders from the Lansdale lot to the Pennbrook train station. I walk to and from the station every day, and I know on Church Road, it gets filled up with parkers who are not parking in the lot," he said. "Cherry Street, which has permit parking, people do not park on that street, but it has filled over to Cedar Street, where I live."
Murphy said that on any given day, three to six people park on Cedar Street.
"With the lot being closed, or with less parking, people are going to look for ways not to park for a fee," he said. "I would ask you to take a look at how to remedy this situation because we, as a borough, are losing funds because these people are parking for free. Because they are parking on these roads, they are driving on them more than other roads. Secondary roads are not as durable as main roads. We'll have to repave them more often than we should."
Councilmembers also opined about the project.
"I fully support this project. I think it's a great thing for Lansdale," said Councilman Denton Burnell. "I recognize the hesitation that I heard. It's important to listen to that and take heed to that and not brush it off."
Burnell said it will only create a mess in town in the future if council fails to look beyond into the future and plan for parking issues.
Sobel said the parking issue is something everyone needs to really think about.
"We need to take into account the concerns of the folks in the area of it," he said.
Council Vice President Mary Fuller said the project will change the face of Lansdale.
"I can't wait to see it," she said. "It's a gamechanger."


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