Credit: https://www.hlra.org/
The redevelopment of the former Willow Grove Naval Base off Route 611 and Horsham Road is moving forward as discussions continued at this month’s Horsham Township Borough Council meeting.
The board unanimously adopted an ordinance to rezone the base, which opens the door for the new development plan.
The entire Base was zoned as Industrial, which does not match the approved development plan, which envisions a mixed-use development that would include a Town Center, townhomes, apartments, a recreation center, an office park, Aviation Museum, and more, on the 862-acre piece of land.
The approval allows for R1 and R2 zoning for woodlands, parks, single-family homes, schools, retail, restaurants, and office buildings.
“The purpose of tonight’s meeting is to discuss the new ordinance as part of the redevelopment plan,” said Horsham Township Manager Bill Walker.
According to the redevelopment plan, possible amenities in the Town Center could include a movie theater, bowling alley, ice skating rink and other retail and restaurant options to serve the community. The Redevelopment Plan also provides for a school and recreation area, family entertainment facilities and parks and open space.
At full build-out, it is estimated that over 7,000 jobs will be created. The majority of jobs are a result of the office park (4,652 jobs) and Town Center retail (1,198 jobs) developments.
If the base was kept as Industrial, Walker said it could look similar to Route 322 in New Jersey where “there's no people, and it's a sea of these warehouse distribution centers.”
This ordinance is very general and simply divides the residential areas from the non-residential areas,” said Sean Wade, Vice President of Horsham Township Council. “We anticipate a second ordinance in a few months, which will be more specific in categorizing zoning areas. This hearing is your chance to let council know what you think about the ordinances.”
“This will be a phased development, said Walker.
More than 30 residents attended the meeting. Some spoke about concerns about how Hatboro-Horsham School District would use the 40 acres allocated as part of the redevelopment plan. Another concern was the logistics of fire departments and if additional firehouses would need to be built to accommodate the new area.
