The Patton Township Board of Supervisors on Wednesday unanimously approved applying a newly-created mixed-use zoning ordinance to the site of the proposed Patton Crossing development.
Developer 1752 North Atherton Street Associates submitted a concept plan and rezoning request in March of 2017 to be able to develop nearly 30 acres for a town center-style project with a hotel, residential buildings, retail and office space on the former Penn State Mobile Home Park site.
That would not have been possible under the zoning at the time for the parcels, which had the first 200 feet of the property from Atherton Street is zoned general commercial with the rest R-3 medium density residential.
The new ordinance rezones the property as planned commercial with a new mixed-use overlay (MXD2).
The MXD2 was unanimously approved following a nearly three-hour public hearing last week, the second hearing on the ordinance after an earlier one in May. The ordinance initially was voted down 3-2 as supervisors couldn’t agree on affordable housing requirements at the time.
After approving the MXD2 last week, supervisors continued the hearing on applying the rezoning for Patton Crossing to Wednesday.
Since the request was submitted last year, the proposal has been the subject of much debate and discussion, including the creation of a Patton Crossing Advisory Committee comprised of citizens, township staff and supervisors and representatives of the developer.
Many who spoke at previous hearings and meetings expressed concerns about and objections to the project’s density, its potential impact on traffic, and most notably, its proximity and impact on the Park Forest neighborhood. Others expressed support for the project, saying that under previous zoning it could have been developed as student housing with a strip mall, but that the developers’ concept presents a town center with new housing and work opportunities and new amenities that will benefit permanent residents.
With the MXD2 already approved, and its application to the Patton Crossing site likely, Wednesday’s hearing was comparatively muted. Two members of the public spoke.
Township resident Melissa Hicks said she and others continue to have concerns about the density of the project and that a number of questions remain about the impacts on neighborhoods and roads of both construction and when businesses and residences are open.
‘It’s just frustrating that as difficult as it is to participate in this kind of thing that the weight of the community’s opinion has not been considered more to change what is in the MXD2 overlay,’ Hicks said.
Board Chair Elliot Abrams said that supervisors will be able to address many of those questions during the master planning process that was made part of the MXD2 ordinance.
Supervisor George Downsbrough said the new zoning ordinance gives supervisors a level of involvement with the development of the project that they would not have had under the previous R-3/C-1 zoning of the property.
‘They’re valid issues, but part of what we created here in the MXD2 overlay is the master plan process,’ he said. ‘The board and township staff will get a chance to review and address many of those issues during the master planning process. The R-3 /C-1 zoning does not require that process. If we were brought a land development plan under the existing zoning, we would have no recourse but to approve it if it was consistent with the zoning.’
The master plan will require a phasing schedule for development and land development plans must be approved by supervisors for each phase. Supervisors also will have an opportunity to approve design renderings.
Building heights in the MXD2 can be a maximum of 60 feet, which is the same as the R-3 zoning and individual buildings will be limited to a maximum footprint of 60,000 square feet. It also allows for a landmark feature 75 feet in height and requires a public gathering place of 2 percent of the site area.
Revisions to the ordinance since it was first brought to a vote in May included a potential increase in affordable housing units for residential buildings on the property.
The previous version required 5 percent of the residential units, or between nine and 18 units, to be designated affordable housing. Under the approved ordinance, for every affordable unit above the 5 percent requirement, up to 10 percent, the developers can add a market-rate unit, which would bring the number of affordable units to 36 with 354 market-rate units.
The ordinance also allows for an increase in the impervious coverage by 1,500 square feet for each additional affordable housing unit, which could bring the total impervious area to 77.2 percent.
Supervisors intend to meet with Patton Township Planning Commission about the possibility of adding an alternate to planning commission to increase citizen involvement as the Patton Crossing project moves forward.
Ara Kervandjian, Bob Poole and Heidi Nicholas are partners in 1752 North Atherton Street Associates.
