A proposed 472-unit apartment complex on South Collegeville Road received final approval from Upper Providence Township supervisors Monday, although developers must still obtain several permits before moving forward.
The board voted unanimously to approve the project at 1731-1765 South Collegeville Road, which would bring four apartment buildings to a nearly 29-acre property near the township's border with Collegeville Borough.
The development is a joint venture between the High Companies and Audubon Land Development.
Attorney Ed Mullin, representing the developers, told supervisors the plans meet all township zoning and land development requirements. The project has gone through several stages of review, most recently receiving a recommendation for approval from the township's planning commission in August.
Approvals Still Needed
While the township has approved the plans, developers are still waiting for three approvals from state and federal agencies.
According to Planning and Zoning Director Geoff Grace, those include a PennDOT permit for access to the roadway, approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection related to sewage planning, and a flood map revision from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The developers have already received approval from the Montgomery County Conservation District.
Grace said the FEMA review has been the biggest source of delay. If the agency requires substantial changes to the plans, developers may have to return to the board to explain those changes.
Township Solicitor Zachary Sivertsen explained that supervisors can grant final approval because the plans satisfy township requirements, even though permits from other agencies remain outstanding. The township's approval is conditional on the developers obtaining those permits.
Who Will Maintain the Stormwater System?
Board President Kelly Stevens raised concerns about the project's extensive underground stormwater drainage system, asking who would be responsible for maintaining it and whether the township could end up paying for repairs if something went wrong.
Sivertsen said the developers must enter into an agreement requiring the system to be properly maintained. If a problem arises and the responsible parties fail to address it, the township would have the authority to enter the property, arrange repairs, and recover the costs.
Mullin said a condominium association would be established, with property owners responsible for maintaining the stormwater facilities. Tony Seitz of the High Companies said the maintenance obligations would be tied to the property, remaining in effect even if ownership changes. He said the developers had no objections to the agreement. He said the developers had no objections to the agreement.
The approval follows a review by the township's planning commission. Members initially delayed recommending the project in July because of unresolved technical concerns, but voted unanimously in August to recommend approval after developers addressed those issues.
