Friday, March 8, 2013
Lansdale Borough Council, in two separate 7-2 votes, approved on Wednesday professional services with Spiezle Architects for the design and construction of a new borough complex and for 311 W. Main St.
After much debate—and a failed majority vote to table four action items—Lansdale Borough Council Wednesday voted 7-2 to authorize a contract with Spiezle Architectural Group related to the design and construction of a new municipal complex, housing the police department and the borough hall administration. Council also voted 7-2 to authorize a contract with Spiezle for the design and renovation of 311 W. Main St. The dissenting votes in both instances were Democratic Councilmen Jack Hansen and Rich DiGregorio Jr. Hansen also made the motion to table the votes related to 311 W. Main St. and the borough complex, seconded by DiGregorio Jr. The motion was defeated in a 7-2 roll call vote. "I'm sitting here wondering why we’re having a special…
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The project has an estimated completion date of March 6, 2016. Architectural firm Spiezle Architects would be tasked to design two options for the renovation of the municipal complex.
If voted on by a majority of Lansdale Borough Council tonight, Spiezle Architects could be tasked to design two options for a combined municipal complex housing Lansdale Police Department and Lansdale Borough Hall administration. One option would demolish the police station and preserve the facades of borough hall, albeit with renovations and incorporation into a new building. A second option would demolish both structures, keeping portions of the borough hall façade “honoring the history of the site,” according to a contract. The anticipated construction start date, per the contract, is late Fall 2013 or early Spring 2014. The completion date would be anticipated before March 6, 2016, according to the contract. The contract also outlines …
Saturday, March 2, 2013
'You have a facilities study done and now that same person is getting the work,' Mayor Andy Szekely told borough council.
At the recent Lansdale Borough council meeting, Mayor Andy Szekely and councilmembers debated over the necessity of Requests for Proposal in the conceptual design of the renovation of the Lansdale municipal complex. Szekely's current stance: The borough should not hire Spiezle Architects, and commence an RFP process and hire bidding firms for the alternative design options for Lansdale Borough Hall and Lansdale Police headquarters. The borough's current stance: Spiezle was hired to complete a facilities and grounds study, and are a "trusted advisor" that should submit conceptual designs for the project. A special meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday at 9 p.m. at Lansdale Borough Hall, to consider a motion to vote on a contract for …
Friday, March 1, 2013
Residents, council members, the borough manager and the mayor all expressed their opinions and facts about the future of Lansdale Borough Hall.
While a motion to enter into a contract with Spiezle Architects on the development of two alternative designs for the future municipal complex at Vine and Broad streets was delayed at the Feb. 20 Lansdale Council meeting, residents packed the meeting room to hear concerns and express opinions on the historic building. There was also another debate, this one limited to councilmembers and Mayor Andy Szekely: Should a Request for Proposal go out for the design of the complex and not be awarded to Spiezle, who won the bid for the initial Facilities and Grounds Study? Resident Bill Henning was the mastermind behind a petition on Change.org to stop the destruction of Lansdale Borough Hall. The petition features signatures of many residents and …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Lansdale Borough Solicitor Mark Hosterman suggested the delay because final details need to be worked out on both contracts
Four major votes set on the agenda tonight in Lansdale Borough will be delayed due to ironing out details on respective contracts. Borough Solicitor Mark Hosterman Wednesday afternoon advised council remove four items from its agenda for its Wednesday evening work session: A major agenda item, which has caused a stir of controversy and a push for petitions from residents, was on whether or not for Spiezle Architects to be contracted to proceed on drafting alternative options for the municipal complex. It did not mean a vote on the demolition of borough hall. According to Borough Manager Timi Kirchner, the delay "is due to the fact that we have final details to work out in each of these contracts and that we want council to have ample time …
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
An opinion piece on why and how Lansdale Borough Council should keep a part of Lansdale's past — and why 311 W. Main should be completed first
When I was a boy, growing up in Towamencin, I was surrounded by amateur carpenters who do impeccable work. My father, uncles and Pop-Pop Di Domizio would take their etched- or permanent marker-monogrammed tools and construct a new deck, back patio, addition, mantel, bookshelves — you get the picture. I can’t speak for the other members of my family, but at least for myself, I also grew up in a home where six projects were going on at one time. I love my parents’ finished basement; I don’t love how they can’t use the other half of the attic. The plywood only covers the joists so far. It wasn’t until I was nearing my wedding when their back porch finally got enclosed. I don’t live in that home anymore. I do live in Towamencin, but in an …
Monday, February 18, 2013
While most residents concede the 79-year-old building needs major repairs, the overriding question is whether to fix it or tear it down and start over. Here's a bit of the history of the former post office at Vine and Broad streets
In recent weeks there has been much discussion about the future of Lansdale’s Borough Hall. While most residents concede the 79-year-old building needs major repairs the overriding question is whether to fix it or tear it down and start over. Is the former post office a landmark worthy of preservation or just another old downtown building to be demolished along with the 75 others – including the Hotel Tremont and the Lansdale Theatre – that were razed over the last half century? A recent study concluded that both borough hall and the adjacent police station desperately need attention. The police station, originally built in 1957 as a library, has little historic significance and, in fact, served its original purpose for only 15 years. …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Borough Manager Timi Kirchner Wednesday recommended the Administration and Finance Committee consider two of four options for renovations for the Lansdale municipal complex.
Lansdale Borough Manager Timi Kirchner Wednesday night recommended the Administration and Finance Committee consider two of the four alternatives presented last month to council on the renovation or rebuilding of borough hall and the police station. According to Dan Sokil of The Reporter, Kirchner suggested the committee not choose the option that renovated both buildings with additions and the option that renovated borough hall and built a new police station. The remaining two options for the committee are these: demolish both buildings and make a new facility that houses both administration and police, and renovate borough hall and construct a new police station, according to the article. Both remaining options call for the vacation of …
Monday, January 21, 2013
Lansdale Borough Council last week saw four concept diagrams for improvements to its municipal complex —borough hall and the police station — following a facilities report last summer that revealed both buildings are in poor condition
Major repairs and upgrades are needed for Lansdale Borough Hall and Lansdale Police headquarters, and Lansdale Council must soon make a decision — Should they stay or should they go? A facilities study last summer by Spiezle Architects revealed that Lansdale Borough Hall and the police station are two of four borough-owned properties in very poor condition. The others being the third floor of 421 W. Main Street and the parks maintenance building. Lansdale Borough Hall and the police station were last renovated 24 years ago and 50 years ago, respectively. The former was a post office and the latter was a library. With the buildings now part of a 7-year capital improvement list, council must decide on one of four renovation alternatives …
Janet Herman Karll
10:32 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
I agree on no more demolishing of Lansdale's history! more ›