Upper Providence Planners Recommend Approval of 472-Unit Apartment Complex

The Upper Providence planning commission voted Wednesday to recommend approval of a 472-unit apartment complex proposed for South Collegeville Road, moving forward after tabling the plan last month while awaiting a final version from the developers.

The project, planned for 1731-1765 South Collegeville Road, would place 472 apartments in four buildings on a nearly 29-acre site in the Yerkes Mixed-Use District, near the township's border with Collegeville Borough. It is a joint venture involving the High Companies and Audubon Land Development.

At the commission's July 15 meeting, members declined to recommend approval while review letters still listed a large number of unresolved comments. On Wednesday, representatives for the development team apologized for that earlier presentation and said the revised plan resolved those issues.

They said the review letter presented July 15 ran 18 pages, while the version before the commission Wednesday was nine pages and showed compliance with the township ordinance. They noted the only outstanding items were third-party approvals, including a plumbing permit and a highway occupancy permit.

Township Engineer Jen Gutshall said the applicant and its engineers had worked back and forth with the township to address the comments, and that everything remaining was an outside-agency approval.

Plan Changes

A member of the development team said the sidewalk was extended to connect directly to the sidewalk along Route 29, addressing a request township officials made at the prior meeting. Additional detectable warning strips were added at certain entries, minor adjustments were made to two parking bays, and the width of a fire lane was cleared by the fire marshal.

The commission also reviewed waivers allowing 6-inch pipe for the underdrain system instead of the 15-inch minimum required by ordinance. The request, first discussed at the July meeting, now applied to two locations on the site rather than one. The development team said the township's engineering consultants had no concerns with the request.

Director of Planning and Zoning Geoff Grace said the commission could not condition its recommendation on outside agencies. He said any changes required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the state Department of Environmental Protection would be handled administratively.

Commissioner Jerry Fiore moved to recommend that the board of supervisors approve the final plan, along with the requested waivers. The motion passed unanimously.

No residents spoke during public comment. The township's supervisors are expected to consider the project next at a future meeting.