Residents 'Blindsided' by YMCA Expansion

Residents in the neighborhood of Forest Avenue, Highland Avenue and Church Road have asked Lansdale Borough for better notification, quicker access to meeting minutes

At the Lansdale Borough town hall meeting last month, a discussion on quicker accessibility to meeting minutes and problems with the expansion of the YMCA and its collaborative project shed some light on what the borough is legally obligated to do when it comes to development. Economic Development Committee Chairwoman and Councilwoman Mary Fuller read a letter at the town hall session from borough resident Jessica Behrle, who owns the property at the corner of Church Road and Forest Avenue. In her letter, Behrle, who read the same letter at the June 20 council meeting, expressed frustration on projects in the borough that have impacted the well-being of her home and family:  I have been trying to access the meeting minutes and agendas for …

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Town Hall: Changes in Sign Ordinance in Works

The borough planning commission is hard at work revamping the language and rules of the Lansdale sign ordinance

Lansdale Community Development Director John Ernst explained to those in attendance at the town hall session this month that the planning commission is underway with revamping the borough's sign ordinance, specifically wall mounted signs. A clause in that part of the ordinance said a wall-mounted sign mut be a 2:1 ratio. According to the ordinance, "the maximum size of a wall sign is 60 square feet. The maximum applies whether there is one wall sign or four wall signs, so that the total square footage of the four wall signs may not exceed 60 square feet." "One of the businesses said, 'How can we have a square sign in the borough? It violates the ordinance.' A round sign violates the ordinance and there are numerous examples that are not 2:…

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New Schedule Coming for Apartment Inspections

Lansdale Borough will split the borough into four quadrants, with each quadrant being done the same time each year

Landlords in Lansdale Borough will know when the apartment inspector is coming. The Department of Community Development will being a pilot program regarding apartment inspection schedules.  Director of Community Development John Ernst announced the new change at the Code Enforcement and Land Planning Committee earlier this month. The plan is to break the borough into four geographical quadrants and set up an inspection schedule based on each quadrant being done at the same time of the year. Ernst said the idea came from Andy Krauss, a new staff member who came to the department from the electric department. "In his routine of going through the process of property inspections, primarily apartment inspections, he has been able to bring to …

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Cafe Could Open at Lansdale Library

Prompted by a resident's email, the Lansdale Library Committee will be gathering information on opening a coffeehouse or cafe inside the library

Grande café mocha and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” anyone? Coffee and Kerouac? The Lansdale Library Committee has begun discussions on how to bring a café or coffeehouse into Lansdale Library. The idea was prompted by an email sent in December by resident George Kopena to former councilwoman and committee member Anne Scheuring. In the email, Kopena asked about the library renting a space to Starbucks or a similar business. Committee member and new councilman Steve Malagari also inquired about a café during a recent tour of the library. Committee member Mike Sobel asked if a café was feasible in the library. Director Tom Meyer said it was, as there is enough space in the library for such an amenity. Committee member Mary Fuller …

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Events Coordinator and Community Development: What's the Difference?

The borough is proposing $150,000 in seed money in the 2012 budget to fund a nonprofit and bring an events coordinator to town. It is also revamping the codes department into a community development division.

The proposed 2012 budget in Lansdale has seed money earmarked to fund a nonprofit and hire an events coordinator and a change of the codes department to the Department of Community Development and of John Ernst’s title from codes director to director of community development. So, just what is the difference between a community development director and an events coordinator? Councilman Jack Hansen asked just that question at last week’s budget presentation. “We’ve discussed about the community development director and I spoke with you and Mr. Ernst about it, and you’ve persuaded me; I think it’s a wonderful thing for the borough,” Hansen said, addressing borough Manager Timi Kirchner. “What I’m going to ask you is if you can explain the …

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Sign of the Times

Lansdale Borough reduces its sign permit fee schedule to a flat rate

Now, $75 gets you any sign, temporary or permanent. At the borough council meeting last week, council unanimously approved the changing of the fee schedule for temporary and permanent sign permits to a flat rate. The change in the fee schedule was the brainchild of code enforcement director John Ernst. At the June 1 Code Enforcement Committee meeting, Ernst asked permission to go ahead with the change in the fee schedule. “A couple months ago, I presented to this committee a comparison of similar municipalities and boroughs and their associated sign permit fees,” Ernst said at the June 1 meeting. “The results being that Lansdale Borough was in the higher range of those like municipalities for sign permit fees.” Ernst said Lansdale charged …

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Are You Ready to Bowl, Lansdale? Not So Fast.

Despite widespread newspaper reports, borough code enforcement officials state they haven't received any formal submissions.

During Wednesday night's Lansdale Borough Code Enforcement and Land Planning Committee meeting, one particular topic on the agenda stood out: bowling alleys. Over the past few weeks, there has been much speculation about Lansdale becoming a "two-alley community," with reports stating plans were underway to build bowling alleys in both the Hillcrest Shopping Center and the building where Super Foodtown recently stood at The Pavilion Shopping Center.  Some reports even stated that Pavilion owner Joseph Grasso would "like to begin renovating in the next three to four weeks." Not so fast. Those reports can spin right into the gutter. Instead of speaking about the prospects of a new bowling alley (or two), Director of Code Enforcement John …

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Lansdale Staff Commended for Response, Aid to Fire

When a fire broke out at Stanbridge Apartments March 26, 18 apartments were affected, and 46 residents were displaced. Lansdale Borough staff responded to open Borough Hall as a safe haven.

When a fire struck Stanbridge Apartments March 26, eight Lansdale Borough officials went above and beyond their daily duties of serving the people. Soon, other organizations and individuals were on board during a cold, early Saturday morning to put residents at ease during an unfortunate, sudden event. At Wednesday night’s borough council work session, manager Timi Kirchner praised the response and aid of borough employees during the fire incident at the apartment complex on Jenkins Avenue. The fire affected 18 apartments and displaced 46 residents that morning. Kirchner expressed her exuberance of the borough’s response during the code enforcement and land planning report of the session. “Why I want to talk about this significantly is …

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Szekely talks of bringing Italian restaurant to former freight yard

The committee has been elevated to council level, will continue will its goals and efforts

Due to the continued success of the Economic Development Committee (EDC), the group will be elevated to a council level. Because of the new arrangement, Mayor Andy Szekely is stepping down as a committee member to continue his dedication to bringing in new business to the borough, but will continue to attend meetings. One location that Szekely has his sights on as a potential new business enterprise is the former freight yard at the intersection of Broad and Vine streets.  Szekely said there are ongoing negotiations with developers on the property across the street from Lansdale Borough Hall. "I am talking openly with business owners on the possibility of building an Italian restaurant on the site,” Szekely said. In other business, Code …