(The following is an op-ed submission from Brinder Singh Gill, on behalf of the residents of the Gwynmont Farms section of Montgomery Township. The views expressed are their own.)
On short notice and with no outreach to the wider community, the Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors scheduled a public meeting for Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Montgomery Township Building on Stump Road. This follows the postponed Planning Commission meeting in December after community members from across the township expressed multiple concerns at Penn Health’s information session.
The complex is inconsistent with the township’s strategic efforts for more "green" space as our area becomes overcrowded and overbuilt. All that we are asking for is a fair, transparent process with township supervisors who can explain how the proposal by Penn meets the goal to “plan for a community safely balanced allowing for industrial, commercial, recreational, and varying intensities of residential uses which work harmoniously together for the overall good of the township as a whole.”
We are not opposed to Penn Medicine; rather, we question why Penn, unlike its other locations, is choosing to develop a parcel of land that is in the middle of a residential community. As locals, of course, we have worries for our neighborhood and families, though our concerns are rooted in how this affects the wider community. The following are concerns for all residents of Montgomery Township and neighboring municipalities:
· Questionable zoning: months ago, Montgomery Township quietly changed the zoning code for this site without notifying the surrounding community.
· The building size is massive — a proposed 150,000 square foot, four-story building with an adjacent 52,000 square foot, four-story parking garage.
· Traffic: With an estimated 4,000-plus trips per day to the site, the nearby traffic jams that already exist along Welsh and Knapp roads will significantly multiply.
· Safety: the 780 spaces parking garage lacks any planning for appropriate security measures to mitigate the increased public safety risks inherent with such a complex.
· Displaced wildlife: pinned-in by ever-encroaching development, various wildlife such as deer and foxes have made the property their refuge and will be dispersed into the surrounding communities and roadway traffic by such a large-scale development.
· Drain on local resources: with no plan to upgrade the local power grid or to account for storm water run-off, the building will pose a significant drain on our local utilities.
· No tax offset: as a 501(C)3, Penn enjoys tax-free status and thus can pose a drain on our local resources without contributing to the underlying community through taxes.
Additionally, the impact will be a significant burden, placed by the township, on just one community:
· A 75-foot building will literally be in our backyards (a mere 140 feet from certain properties). While this will not be pleasing to look at, more importantly, it presents serious safety and privacy concerns about visitors, staff and others who can surveil our houses, families, and yards.
· Turning out of our neighborhood into traffic is already difficult due to a dangerous blind curve where cars race to the next intersection. This hazard, combined with a daily percentage of lost Penn visitors traveling our neighborhood, will add significantly more risk to public safety.
· Water displacement from this building will exacerbate already difficult issues with flooded yards and homes, a concern many of our neighbors across Montgomery Township share.
Please join your neighbors from across the area on Thursday evening to learn more and add to the community dialog. For more info, please visit our Facebook page at Oppose the Penn Ambulatory Center | Facebook our Instagram and sign our petition at Petition · Oppose the Penn Ambulatory Center · Change.org.
Sincerely,
Brinder Singh Gill,
Gwynmont Farms
See also:
Montgomery Township Residents Sound Off on Proposed Penn Medicine Ambulatory Healthcare Center
Upper Gwynedd Pursuing $1.15 Million Grant to Help Acquire Martin Tract
Discover Lansdale Receives $1 Million Grant for Lansdale Freight House
