Credit: Montgomery County SPCA.
The Montgomery County SPCA has submitted a zoning application for a property at 1450 Union Meeting Road in Blue Bell, seeking permission to open a new animal shelter and veterinary clinic within Whitpain Township’s AR-Administrative Research zoning district.
The organization is requesting a special exception, which will be reviewed by Whitpain Township’s zoning hearing board on Thursday, July 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the municipal building.
According to the application, the SPCA currently operates three facilities located in Conshohocken (Whitemarsh Township), Abington, and Perkiomenville. The Conshohocken site serves as the organization’s headquarters but is described in the application as “outdated and undersized.” The proposed Blue Bell site, referred to as the Union Hill property, spans five acres and includes a 35,000-square-foot building.
If approved, the site would become the SPCA’s new headquarters and house a range of services including an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, pet resource center, adoption and intake areas, and public classrooms for community education.
The zoning application also acknowledges recent turmoil within the organization, following a high-profile investigative series by The Philadelphia Inquirer that raised concerns about the condition of the Conshohocken facility and the organization’s management. That reporting prompted the retirement of the SPCA’s longtime executive, a restructured board of directors, and the appointment of new leadership.
Under current township zoning rules, “philanthropic use” is permitted as a special exception within the AR district, meaning the zoning hearing board must determine whether the proposed use aligns with that definition. The Montgomery County SPCA operates as a nonprofit.
A timeline for the opening of the proposed Blue Bell location has not been provided.
