2019 annual summary

2019 Annual Summary Subdivision, Land Development and Zoning Activity

Montgomery County Planning Commission

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Planning Commission Board

Steven Kline, Chairperson

Dulcie F. Flaharty, Vice Chairperson

Obed Arango

Robert E. Blue, Jr.

Jill Blumhardt

David L. Cohen, AICP

Scott Exley

John Ernst

Charles J. Tornetta

John Cover, AICP, Interim Executive Director

Montgomery County Board of Commissioners

Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH, Chair

Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr., Vice Chair

Joseph C. Gale, Commissioner

2019 Annual Summary

Subdivision, Land Development, and Zoning Activity


As part of our green initiative, our goal is to reduce printed quantities.

This publication is available at www.planning.montcopa.org for viewing and printing.

Montgomery County

Preface

This report summarizes the subdivision, land development, and zoning proposals received by the Mont-

gomery County Planning Commission in 2019. The proposals were reviewed under the requirements of

the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247).

The information and statistics in this report reflect proposal plans only - not actual construction activity.

Information on construction activity is available from municipal building inspectors and zoning officers

as well as the Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals. Subdivision activity is recorded on

tax maps, which are available for viewing in the Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals

map room. Property records from the county are also available online at propertyrecords.montcopa.org.

The Planning Commission also publishes two annual reports covering residential and nonresidential

construction activity for the previous year. These reports are usually published in early summer.

Proposed plans are preliminary plans under consideration for municipal approval. Proposed plan char-

acteristics discussed in this report include residential acreage and number of units by type, and nonresi-

dential acreage and square footage.

The report contains a brief summary of zoning text and map amendments. Special requests for review

(such as conditional uses) are not included.

This report can be used to indicate areas of the county that may experience development in the future.

Ten-year summaries are included to provide a historical perspective.

iii

Note to the 2019 Annual Summary:

Development proposals submitted at the site of the Village at Valley Forge in Upper Merion Township

have been included in this analysis despite not having been formally submitted to MCPC. This site was

granted a court-ordered approval in 2006 and is not required to undergo the Act 247 process, although

developments are still required to receive final plan approval from the township. This report recognizes

submissions from the Village in the year that they occurred. In 2019, there were no new developments

proposed within the Village at Valley Forge.

Montgomery County iv

Montgomery County

Table of Contents

Section One – Number of Submissions ·························································································· 1

Section Two – Acreage of Submissions ························································································· 5

Section Three – Residential Submissions ···················································································· 9

Section Four – Nonresidential Submissions ················································································· 15

Section Five – Zoning Activity ····································································································· 21

Section Six – Conclusion ·············································································································· 23

v

Montgomery County vi

Montgomery County 1

Section One

Section One

Number of Submissions

In 2019, the Planning Commission received 444 submissions for subdivision, land development,

and zoning ordinance and map amendments. This was an increase of 2.3% compared to 2018. The

2019 submissions included 170 new proposals for land developments or subdivisions that had not

been previously submitted with similar land use and density components.

386

344383

474452

478

412

455434 444

127 114 122

182 174201 190 199

177 170

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Year

Total Annual Submissions, 2010 to 2019

Total Submissions New Proposals

Montgomery County 2

Section One: Number of Submissions

Number of Submissions by Municipality, 2019

East Greenville

Pennsburg

Red Hill

Green Lane

Schwenksville

Pottstown

West P

ot ts

gro

ve

Royersford

Trappe

Collegeville

Telford

Souderton

HatfieldBor.

Lansdale

NorthWales

Ambler

Hatboro

Bryn Athyn

JenkintownRockledge

Norristown

Bridgeport Conshohocken

WestConshohocken

Narberth

Upper Hanover

Douglass NewHanover

Marlborough Salford

UpperSalford

UpperFrederick Lower

Frederick

Franconia

LowerSalford

Perkiomen

Skippack

UpperPottsgrove Lower

Pottsgrove

Limerick

UpperProvidence

LowerProvidence

Worcester

Whitpain

East NorritonPlymouth

WestNorriton

UpperMerion

Towamencin

Hatfield Twp.

Montgomery Horsham

UpperGwynedd

LowerGwynedd

UpperDublin

UpperMoreland

Lower Moreland

Abington

Whitemarsh

Springfield

Cheltenham

Lower Merion

¯

Philadelphia

Delaware County

Chester County

Ber

ks C

ounty

Lehigh County Bucks County

Schuylkill River

§̈¦476

§̈¦276

§̈¦76

£¤422

£¤202

§̈¦476

309

611

100

663

29

73

29

73

0

1 - 9

10 - 19

20 - 29

30 +

A look at the county map above reveals that submission activity in 2019 was relatively spread

throughout the county, but a bit more frequent in the southeastern part of the county and along the Route

422 corridor. By far, Lower Merion had the most submissions with a total of 35. Upper Providence and

Whitpain ranked second with a total of 20 each.

Montgomery County 3


Note: Municipal totals also include zoning-related submissions and special reviews. Also, land

developments and subdivisions may appear on the same submission, so the sum of these two

actions may actually be greater than the total submissions. The Municipal total does not include

submissions from outside of the county.

Municipality Total Land Developments Subdivisions

Abington 12 6 4

Ambler 2 1 0

Bridgeport 3 3 3

Bryn Athyn 0 0 0

Cheltenham 16 5 4

Collegeville 4 2 1

Conshohocken 6 6 3

Douglass 10 7 5

East Greenville 0 0 0

East Norriton 2 1 1

Franconia 6 4 2

Green Lane 0 0 0

Hatboro 8 0 0

Hatfield Borough 2 0 1

Hatfield Township 17 14 2

Horsham 9 6 5

Jenkintown 3 2 1

Lansdale 7 6 4

Limerick 11 7 5

Lower Frederick 1 0 1

Lower Gwynedd 10 4 3

Lower Merion 35 25 11

Lower Moreland 7 4 3

Lower Pottsgrove 7 4 0

Lower Providence 10 4 1

Lower Salford 14 6 3

Marlborough 11 0 5

Montgomery 16 9 2

Narberth 11 8 3

New Hanover 6 4 4

Norristown 11 8 1

Municipality Total Land Developments Subdivisions

North Wales 2 1 0

Pennsburg 2 1 0

Perkiomen 2 1 1

Plymouth 6 4 2

Pottstown 12 4 0

Red Hill 4 1 1

Rockledge 0 0 0

Royersford 2 0 2

Salford 4 1 1

Schwenksville 2 0 0

Skippack 6 4 4

Souderton 3 0 0

Springfield 2 0 0

Telford 0 0 0

Towamencin 13 5 2

Trappe 3 1 1

Upper Dublin 15 7 2

Upper Frederick 2 0 0

Upper Gwynedd 7 3 2

Upper Hanover 8 3 1

Upper Merion 9 7 3

Upper Moreland 8 3 2

Upper Pottsgrove 2 1 1

Upper Providence 20 16 8

Upper Salford 2 1 0

West Conshohocken 6 3 2

West Norriton 3 0 0

West Pottsgrove 1 0 0

Whitemarsh 15 9 5

Whitpain 20 11 6

Worcester 6 2 2

Totals 444 235 126

Montgomery County Submissions by Municipality, 2019

Montgomery County 4


Approved Plans

In 2019, 185 plans were recorded as a final plan by their respective municipalities for the first time.

These plans were not necessarily submitted in 2019. In fact, many had originally been submitted in

previous years. They may have undergone extended review periods and multiple revisions before

eventually gaining approval. Applicants may have also incurred delays due to financing or other

economy-related causes before getting a project approved.

158

142

108

144

158

195

143

169

184 185

0

50

100

150

200

250

Total Plans Approved, 2010 to 2019

Montgomery County 5

Section Two

Section Two

Acreage of Submissions

Countywide Acres Proposed for Development

The total amount of land proposed for development in 2019, which excludes land set aside for municipal

use, open space, agricultural lands, recreation areas, transportation or utilities, was 1,415 acres. This is

a relatively large jump in relation to the previous year and slightly above the five year average.

However, going forward, fewer impacted acres are still likely due to the trends of redevelopment, infill,

and expansions on existing sites.

594543 562

1,523

1,036

1,535 1,540

1,649

848

1,415

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

Acres Proposed for Development, 2010 to 2019

Montgomery County 6

The amount of land proposed in 2019 for residential use (847 acres) represents a dramatic increase from

the previous year. However, this is still less acreage proposed than in previous decades. A rebound in

residential activity occurred after the housing bubble burst in the late 2000s, but it is still unlikely that

we will see the kind of acreage consumed in previous decades. There is simply less undeveloped land

available and the prominence of denser housing types over single family detached homes (see Section 3)

will result in less land being consumed per home.

Total nonresidential acreage proposed amounted to 568 acres in 2019 which is a moderate rebound from

the year prior at 469. This figure is slightly below the five year average for nonresidential acres

proposed.

Section Two: Acreage of Submissions

The chart below shows the breakdown of acreage proposed for development by land use type. Land

proposed for residential use is typically the largest land consumer, and that pattern held true to form in

2019 with 60% of acreage proposed going toward residential uses. This is an increase from last year.

Nonresidential land uses remain popular, especially industrial and institutional uses which have been

growing in recent years. Despite residential land use being the single largest type proposed in terms of

acreage, nonresidential land uses still accounted for 40% of total acreage proposed.

Acres Proposed for Development by Municipality

The table on the opposite page shows the distribution of proposed acres throughout the county. In 2019,

Horsham and Hatfield Township led the county with 187 acres and 174 acres proposed for development,

respectively. Other leading municipalities included New Hanover and Upper Merion.

Montgomery County 7

Section Two : Acreage of Submissions

Note: Figures include age restricted development and exclude agricultural, municipal,

open space, recreation, transportation and utility acreage. They have also been rounded to

the nearest whole acre.

Montgomery County Acres Proposed For Development by Municipality, 2019

Municipality Total Nonresidential Residential

Abington 15 6 9

Ambler 0 0 0

Bridgeport 0 0 0

Bryn Athyn 0 0 0

Cheltenham 22 22 0

Collegeville 1 0 1

Conshohocken 7 0 7

Douglass 77 27 50


East Norriton 0 0 0

Franconia 29 1 28

Green Lane 0 0 0

Hatboro 0 0 0



Horsham 187 25 162

Jenkintown 2 1 1

Lansdale 75 70 5

Limerick 82 8 74


Lower Gwynedd 11 1 10

Lower Merion 40 39 1




Lower Salford 16 16 0

Marlborough 0 0 0

Montgomery 45 30 15

Narberth 4 2 2

New Hanover 138 36 102

Norristown 12 8 4

Municipality Total Nonresidential Residential

North Wales 0 0 0

Pennsburg 5 5 0

Perkiomen 2 0 2

Plymouth 8 6 2

Pottstown 7 7 0

Red Hill 0 0 0

Rockledge 0 0 0

Royersford 0 0 0

Salford 6 0 6

Schwenksville 0 0 0

Skippack 6 2 4

Souderton 0 0 0

Springfield 0 0 0

Telford 0 0 0

Towamencin 7 7 0

Trappe 8 0 8

Upper Dublin 0 0 0


Upper Gwynedd 8 6 2

Upper Hanover 2 2 0

Upper Merion 140 88 52




Upper Salford 1 1 0


West Norriton 0 0 0


Whitemarsh 29 4 25

Whitpain 78 9 69

Worcester 4 0 4

Totals 1,415 568 847

Montgomery County 8

Section Two: Acreage of Submissions

Acreage Proposed for Development on Previously Developed Sites

In 2000, the Planning Commission began tracking proposed subdivisions and land developments with

regard to the amount of existing developed land already on the proposed site. A record is kept of the

approximate percentage of a site proposed for development that already has a structure, parking lot, or

some other man-made feature. In 2019, the Planning Commission estimates that approximately 44% of

the acres proposed for development had some such feature on it. Overall, this is reflective of a trend

toward residential, commercial, and industrial infill development, rather than toward developing tracts of

previously undisturbed open space. This percentage is above the decade average of 39%.

Montgomery County 9

Section Three

Section Three

Residential Submissions

Proposed Residential Development

There were 4,656 units proposed in 2019, which marks a sharp rebound from the previous year. This

year’s total reflects a market that has moved on from the caution it demonstrated in 2018 when

proposing new housing units. While 2018 saw a significant drop in new housing proposed, the number

of sketch plans reviewed, which are not counted here, increased. Some of these sketch plans moved

forward to preliminary planning in 2019. This year’s total represents the largest amount of new units

proposed since 2005.

345

1,924

2,027

4,067

2,470

4,089

3,805

3,594

1,501

4,656

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

Proposed Residential Units, 2010 - 2019

Montgomery County 10

Section Three: Residential Submissions

Residential Proposals by Type

Since 2006, the densest housing type, multifamily, has frequently accounted for nearly half of all the

units proposed in a given year. The booming rental apartment market has certainly held an influence,

but other changes also drive this trend. Market preference has shifted towards walkability and urbanized

lifestyles which incorporate mixed-uses. New zoning changes have permitted new multifamily

development in different areas like business parks, commercial corridors, and transit-oriented

developments.

All housing types saw an increase in units from last year. Single family housing types have started to

gain higher percentages than recent years. Multifamily continues to represent a plurality of all

residential development proposed, but in general, the market for new multifamily units may start to

soften while demand for single family housing types increases.

Housing Type

Single Family Detached 217 1,130

Single Family Attached 463 1,469

Multifamily 821 2,057

2018 2019 Change

421%

217%

151%

Proposed Development of Residential Housing Units, 2018 - 2019

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Proposed Residential Units by Type, 2010 - 2019

Single Family Detached Single Family Attached Multifamily



Age-Restricted Housing Development

There were ten proposals that accounted for 936 age-restricted units proposed in 2019 — one

multifamily, four attached, and five detached. The multifamily development, Elon at Montgomery Park

II in Norristown, accounted for 42 units. The five detached proposals accounted for a total of 477 units,

while the four attached accounted for 417 units. The percent of all housing proposed attributed to age-

restricted units was 20% in 2019. This is similar to last years total at 21%. In fact, since 1996, the

average annual percentage has been about 21%. Developers and municipalities may also give

consideration to “age-targeted” developments that provide amenities and design consistent with the

needs of active adults while not mandating a specific age cutoff to potential residents.

Largest Residential Proposals

The list of the largest residential proposals on the following page emphasizes how multifamily housing

types were yet again the strongest category in 2019. Five out of the top ten residential proposals in 2019

included multifamily structures. Interestingly, most proposals constituted a mix of housing types rather

than just one. New Hanover had the most units proposed at 631 total units, a mix of 564 units located

within the New Hanover Town Center development. Upper Providence had the second most units

proposed at 598 units, with almost all of those units being multifamily and only 12 units being detached.

The largest developments proposed in 2019 were spread across the county and represented denser

development being placed in a number of different environments from greenfields to more urbanized

boroughs.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Proposed Age-Restricted Units 1999-2019

Total Age-restricted


Development Name Units Type Municipality

1. Residences at Providence Town Center 586 MF Upper Providence

2. New Hanover Town Center 564 SFA, MF, SFD New Hanover

3. 1176 Limekiln Pike and 200 Park Road* 496 SFD, SFA Horsham

4. Matson Mill 296 MF Conshohocken

5. Glasgow Tract 271 SFA, MF Upper Merion

6. The Fairway 244 MF Abington

7. Del Webb at North Penn* 206 SFA, SFD Ha2ield Township

8. Luxor @ Lansdale 205 MF Lansdale

9. The Village of Windsor 186 MF Montgomery

10. Holly Road—Gambone 166 SFA Douglass


Location of Top Ten Largest Residential Proposals, 2019

* Indicates Age-Restricted

Montgomery County Largest Residential Proposals, 2019

East Greenville

Pennsburg

Red Hill

Green Lane

Schwenksville

Pottstown

West P

otts

gro

ve

Royersford

Trappe

Collegeville

Telford

Souderton

HatfieldBor.

Lansdale

NorthWales

Ambler

Hatboro

Bryn Athyn

JenkintownRockledge

Norristown


WestConshohocken

Narberth

Upper Hanover

Douglass NewHanover

Marlborough Salford

UpperSalford


Frederick

Franconia

LowerSalford

Perkiomen

Skippack


Pottsgrove

Limerick

UpperProvidence

LowerProvidence

Worcester

Whitpain


WestNorriton

UpperMerion

Towamencin

Hatfield Twp.

Montgomery Horsham

UpperGwynedd

LowerGwynedd

UpperDublin

UpperMoreland

Lower Moreland

Abington

Whitemarsh

Springfield

Cheltenham

Lower Merion

¯

Philadelphia

Delaware County

Chester County

Berk

s C

ou

nty


Schuylkill River

§̈¦476

§̈¦276

§̈¦76

£¤422

£¤202

§̈¦476

309

611

100

663

29

73

29

73

1

2

3

45

6

78

9

10



Proposed Housing Units by Municipality, 2019

Residential Units Proposed for Development by Municipality

The table on the following page lists proposed residential unit totals by type for each municipality. New

Hanover received a total of 631 units proposed, making it the only municipality to receive over 600

units. Abington, Conshohocken, Douglass, Hatfield Township, Horsham, Lansdale, Upper Merion, and

Upper Providence all had totals above 200 units.

Geographically, the countywide map below shows the distribution of residential activity that has been

received by municipalities. It still shows that major projects and smaller scale infill development

proposals are being made in eastern and central areas of the county. While, a few major projects are still

being proposed in some western townships and along the Route 422 corridor.

Over a third of the county’s municipalities were quiet in terms of new residential activity, with 26 of the

county’s 62 municipalities not receiving a new residential proposal in 2019.

East Greenville

Pennsburg

Red Hill

Green Lane

Schwenksville

Pottstown

We

st P

ottsg

rove

Royersford

Trappe

Collegeville

Telford

Souderton

HatfieldBor.

Lansdale

NorthWales

Ambler

Hatboro

Bryn Athyn

JenkintownRockledge

Norristown


WestConshohocken

Narberth

Upper Hanover

Douglass NewHanover

Marlborough Salford

UpperSalford


Frederick

Franconia

LowerSalford

Perkiomen

Skippack


Pottsgrove

Limerick

UpperProvidence

LowerProvidence

Worcester

Whitpain


WestNorriton

UpperMerion

Towamencin

Hatfield Twp.

Montgomery Horsham

UpperGwynedd

LowerGwynedd

UpperDublin

UpperMoreland

Lower Moreland

Abington

Whitemarsh

Springfield

Cheltenham

Lower Merion

¯

Philadelphia

Delaware County

Chester County

Ber

ks C

ou

nty


Schuylkill River

§̈¦476

§̈¦276

§̈¦76

£¤422

£¤202

§̈¦476

309

611

100

663

29

73

29

73

0

1 - 150

151 - 300

301 - 500

501 - 600

601+



Municipality Total Detached Attached Multifamily

Abington 246 2 0 244

Ambler 0 0 0 0

Bridgeport 6 2 4 0

Bryn Athyn 0 0 0 0

Cheltenham 2 0 2 0

Collegeville 3 3 0 0

Conshohocken 313 5 0 308

Douglass 220 54 166 0

East Greenville 0 0 0 0

East Norriton 0 0 0 0

Franconia 32 32 0 0

Green Lane 0 0 0 0

Hatboro 0 0 0 0

Hatfield Bor 0 0 0 0

Hatfield Twp 485 225 232 28

Horsham 498 313 185 0

Jenkintown 25 0 2 23

Lansdale 209 2 2 205

Limerick 86 59 19 8

Lower Frederick 0 0 0 0

Lower Gwynedd 13 7 6 0

Lower Merion 1 1 0 0

Lower Moreland 1 1 0 0

Lower Pottsgrove 0 0 0 0

Lower Providence 1 1 0 0

Lower Salford 0 0 0 0

Marlborough 0 0 0 0

Montgomery 187 1 0 186

Narberth 81 0 0 81

New Hanover 631 118 390 123

Norristown 72 0 30 42

Municipality Total Detached Attached Multifamily

North Wales 6 0 0 6

Pennsburg 0 0 0 0

Perkiomen 2 2 0 0

Plymouth 6 6 0 0

Pottstown 0 0 0 0

Red Hill 0 0 0 0

Rockledge 0 0 0 0

Royersford 0 0 0 0

Salford 1 1 0 0

Schwenksville 0 0 0 0

Skippack 20 2 0 18

Souderton 0 0 0 0

Springfield 0 0 0 0

Telford 0 0 0 0

Towamencin 0 0 0 0

Trappe 96 0 0 96

Upper Dublin 1 0 0 1

Upper Frederick 0 0 0 0

Upper Gwynedd 2 2 0 0

Upper Hanover 0 0 0 0

Upper Merion 276 70 206 0

Upper Moreland 102 0 0 102

Upper Pottsgrove 143 143 0 0

Upper Providence 598 12 0 586

Upper Salford 0 0 0 0

West Conshohocken 4 2 2 0

West Norriton 0 0 0 0

West Pottsgrove 0 0 0 0

Whitemarsh 189 2 187 0

Whitpain 95 59 36 0

Worcester 3 3 0 0

Totals 4,656 1,130 1,469 2,057

Montgomery County Proposed Residential Units by Municipality, 2019


Section Four: Nonresidential Submissions

Section Four

Nonresidential Submissions

Proposed Nonresidential Development

Nonresidential development includes retail commercial, office, industrial, and institutional uses. The

institutional category includes hospitals, schools, skilled nursing facilities, and churches. Independent

living units within continuing care facilities are not included in these totals, but are counted as

residential units instead. A single continuing care facility can have any number of detached, attached, or

multifamily units. If the facility includes an assisted living and common area, the square footage of that

building and an estimate of the land area is included in the summation of institutional land development.

Municipal land uses have their own separate land use category and are not included in institutional land

use. Recreational land uses are also not counted in the nonresidential total.

In 2019, the amount of nonresidential square feet proposed for development increased from the prior

year. The total, 4,316,167 square feet is well above the post-recession era numbers and reflects that the

economy is still solid within Montgomery County with numerous opportunities for nonresidential

development.

1,393,455

1,561,335

637,192

2,153,770

1,738,591

3,228,371

3,255,854

4,846,191

2,795,810

4,316,167

-

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

Proposed Nonresidential Square Footage, 2010 to 2019


Section Four

Nonresidential Proposals by Type

Proposed commercial development square footage decreased by 13% in 2019. Commercial activity is

usually the most active category but it has been more moderate the past few years as other categories

start to gain momentum. The largest commercial development proposal was retail proposed for the New

Hanover Town Center in New Hanover at 142,600 square feet. Other major commercial developments

included a 104,796 square foot self-storage facility in Plymouth, a 90,275 square foot self-storage

facility in Abington, and a 77,000 square foot hotel in Upper Providence.

Type

Commercial 888,946 777,419

Industrial 818,775 1,966,828

Ins:tu:onal 914,732 805,011

2018 2019 Change

-13%

140%

-12%

Office 173,357 766,909 342%

Total 2,795,810 4,316,167 54%

Proposed Development of Nonresidential Square Footage, 2018 - 2019

Industrial continued its exponential growth. It was the largest total since 2001 and five of the ten largest

nonresidential submissions were all industrial. Speculative warehouse construction continues to

increase in Montgomery County as e-commerce rises and distribution networks intensify. The total

square footage of these five proposals make up over 75% of all industrial square footage proposed in

2019. The largest was North Penn Business Park with 711,168 square feet of flex space. This proposal

would add a significant amount of new industrial space to an existing underutilized center just north of

Lansdale’s downtown.

Institutional decreased by 12% in 2019 to a total of 805,011 square feet proposed. The driving force

behind this total was the school district growth in Lower and Upper Merion. The largest proposal was

for the 340,000 square foot Upper Merion High School which was followed by the new Lower Merion

Middle School with 218,000 square feet. A new medical facility in Upper Providence was a distant third

with 73,671 square feet.

Office square footage increased the most, in terms of percentage from last year, of any nonresidential

category. Up 342% from 2018, 10 office proposals were submitted for a total of 766,909 square feet.

The largest proposal (Montgomery County Justice Center) was 288,365 square feet opposed to 2018’s

largest proposal at 95,000 square feet. The second largest was for a 218,200 square foot building added

to the Tower Bridge complex in West Conshohocken.



-

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Proposed Nonresidential Square Feet by Development Type, 2010 - 2019

Commercial Industrial Institutional Office

Commercial

18%

Industrial

45%

Institutional

19%

Office

18%

Proposed Nonresidential Square Footage, 2019



Location of Top Ten Largest Nonresidential Proposals, 2019

Montgomery County Largest Nonresidential Proposals, 2019

Development Name Square Feet Type Municipality

1. North Penn Business Park 711,168 Industrial Lansdale

2. Upper Merion Area High School 340,000 Ins:tu:onal Upper Merion

3. Ha2ield North—Smokehouse 308,000 Industrial Ha2ield Township

4. Montgomery County Jus:ce Center 288,365 Office Norristown

5. 400 Barr Harbor Drive—Tower Bridge 218,200 Office West Conshohocken

6. Lower Merion Middle School 218,000 Ins:tu:onal Lower Merion

7. Sheppard Redistribu:on—Providence

Business Park II 189,740 Industrial Upper Providence

8. 59 Fretz Road 151,200 Industrial Lower Salford

9. New Hanover Town Center 142,600 Commercial New Hanover

10. 100 Progress Drive—Warehouse 132,645 Industrial Horsham

East Greenville

Pennsburg

Red Hill

Green Lane

Schwenksville

Pottstown

West P

ot tsg

rove

Royersford

Trappe

Collegeville

Telford

Souderton

HatfieldBor.

Lansdale

NorthWales

Ambler

Hatboro

Bryn Athyn

JenkintownRockledge

Norristown


WestConshohocken

Narberth

Upper Hanover

Douglass NewHanover

Marlborough Salford

UpperSalford


Frederick

Franconia

LowerSalford

Perkiomen

Skippack


Pottsgrove

Limerick

UpperProvidence

LowerProvidence

Worcester

Whitpain


WestNorriton

UpperMerion

Towamencin

Hatfield Twp.

Montgomery Horsham

UpperGwynedd

LowerGwynedd

UpperDublin

UpperMoreland

Lower Moreland

Abington

Whitemarsh

Springfield

Cheltenham

Lower Merion

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Delaware County

Chester County

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1

2

3

4

5

6 7

8

9

10



Proposed Nonresidential Square Footage by Municipality, 2019

Nonresidential Square Footage Proposed for Development by Municipality

The table on the following page lists nonresidential square footage totals by type for each municipality.

Lansdale received the most square feet in proposals (725,108 square feet) while Upper Merion, Hatfield

Township, and Upper Providence were the only other municipalities to receive more than 400,000

square feet. Lower Merion, Norristown, and West Conshohocken followed with over 200,000 square

feet proposed in each municipality.

The countywide map below shows that nonresidential development proposals are relatively spread out

across the county with a greater concentration around the mid-county area. Nonresidential activity is

strongest around areas with good access to the regional highway network.

East Greenville

Pennsburg

Red Hill

Green Lane

Schwenksville

PottstownW

est P

otts

gro

ve

Royersford

Trappe

Collegeville

Telford

Souderton

HatfieldBor.

Lansdale

NorthWales

Ambler

Hatboro

Bryn Athyn

JenkintownRockledge

Norristown


WestConshohocken

Narberth

Upper Hanover

Douglass NewHanover

Marlborough Salford

UpperSalford


Frederick

Franconia

LowerSalford

Perkiomen

Skippack


Pottsgrove

Limerick

UpperProvidence

LowerProvidence

Worcester

Whitpain


WestNorriton

UpperMerion

Towamencin

Hatfield Twp.

Montgomery Horsham

UpperGwynedd

LowerGwynedd

UpperDublin

UpperMoreland

Lower Moreland

Abington

Whitemarsh

Springfield

Cheltenham

Lower Merion

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Philadelphia

Delaware County

Chester County

Berk

s C

oun

ty


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§̈¦276

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309

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1 - 200,000

200,001 - 400,000

400,001 - 600,000

600,001+


Municipality Total Commercial Industrial Institutional Office

Abington 134,137 97,074 0 0 37,063

Ambler 2,526 0 0 2,526 0

Bridgeport 4,104 0 4,104 0 0

Bryn Athyn 0 0 0 0 0

Cheltenham 12,561 12,561 0 0 0

Collegeville 0 0 0 0 0

Conshohocken 3,200 3,200 0 0 0

Douglass 39,063 39,063 0 0 0

East Greenville 0 0 0 0 0

East Norriton 0 0 0 0 0

Franconia 7,667 0 7,667 0 0

Green Lane 0 0 0 0 0

Hatboro 0 0 0 0 0

Hatfield Bor 0 0 0 0 0

Hatfield Twp 467,810 16,244 451,566 0 0

Horsham 197,576 4,931 192,645 0 0

Jenkintown 15,546 15,546 0 0 0

Lansdale 725,108 0 711,168 13,940 0

Limerick 44,731 22,931 19,400 0 2,400

Lower Frederick 0 0 0 0 0

Lower Gwynedd 2,805 2,805 0 0 0

Lower Merion 264,508 3,028 0 261,480 0

Lower Moreland 0 0 0 0 0

Lower Pottsgrove 0 0 0 0 0

Lower Providence 2,625 210 0 2,415 0

Lower Salford 151,200 0 151,200 0 0

Marlborough 0 0 0 0 0

Montgomery 144,534 6,400 0 52,634 85,500

Narberth 17,905 17,905 0 0 0

New Hanover 169,400 142,600 0 0 26,800

Norristown 301,065 7,500 5,200 0 288,365

Municipality Total Commercial Industrial Institutional Office

North Wales 0 0 0 0 0

Pennsburg 20,690 0 0 20,690 0

Perkiomen 0 0 0 0 0

Plymouth 111,919 111,919 0 0 0

Pottstown 48,942 24,942 24,000 0 0

Red Hill 0 0 0 0 0

Rockledge 0 0 0 0 0

Royersford 0 0 0 0 0

Salford 0 0 0 0 0

Schwenksville 0 0 0 0 0

Skippack 24,008 24,008 0 0 0

Souderton 0 0 0 0 0

Springfield 0 0 0 0 0

Telford 0 0 0 0 0

Towamencin 34,719 23,284 11,435 0 0

Trappe 0 0 0 0 0

Upper Dublin 1,610 0 0 0 1,610

Upper Frederick 0 0 0 0 0

Upper Gwynedd 47,941 29,141 18,800 0 0

Upper Hanover 7,943 2,343 5,600 0 0

Upper Merion 521,044 69,514 0 350,750 100,780

Upper Moreland 84,303 0 84,303 0 0

Upper Pottsgrove 0 0 0 0 0

Upper Providence 436,602 77,000 279,740 73,670 6,191

Upper Salford 6,873 6,873 0 0 0

West Conshohocken 218,200 0 0 0 218,200

West Norriton 0 0 0 0 0

West Pottsgrove 0 0 0 0 0

Whitemarsh 8,973 8,973 0 0 0

Whitpain 34,329 0 0 0 0

Worcester 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 4,316,167 777,419 1,966,828 805,011 766,909

Proposed Nonresidential Square Footage by Municipality, 2019



Section Five

Section Five

Zoning Activity

Zoning Amendments

All 62 municipalities in the county have officially adopted zoning ordinances, including zoning maps. In

accordance with the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), each township and borough is required to

submit all proposed zoning ordinance or map amendments to the county Planning Commission for re-

view. These amendments can be minor, involving small changes to the text of the zoning code, or major

comprehensive amendments to the entire zoning ordinance.

The Planning Commission received 127 proposed amendments to local zoning code ordinances and zon-

ing maps. This was down from the total last year (142) and below the ten year average of 144. There

were 102 ordinance amendments and 25 zoning map proposals. Upper Dublin and Lower Salford had

the most amendments of all municipalities with 10 and 9, respectively. The county also reviews amend-

ments to local Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances (SALDO), but these are not included in

the zoning totals. Last year there were 13 SALDO amendments proposed.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Montgomery County Proposed Zoning Amendments: 2010 - 2019

Ordinance Amendments Map Amendments


Section Five: Zoning Activity

Municipality Total Map

Amend. Ordinance

Amend.

Abington 1 0 1

Ambler 1 0 1

Bridgeport 0 0 0

Bryn Athyn 0 0 0

Cheltenham 8 1 7

Collegeville 2 0 2

Conshohocken 0 0 0

Douglass 1 0 1


East Norriton 2 1 1

Franconia 3 1 2

Green Lane 0 0 0

Hatboro 7 1 6



Horsham 0 0 0

Jenkintown 1 0 1

Lansdale 0 0 0

Limerick 1 0 1


Lower Gwynedd 6 1 5

Lower Merion 5 1 4




Lower Salford 9 3 6

Marlborough 5 1 4

Montgomery 2 0 2

Narberth 2 0 2

New Hanover 0 0 0

Norristown 1 0 1

Municipality Total Map

Amend. Ordinance

Amend.

North Wales 0 0 0

Pennsburg 1 0 1

Perkiomen 1 0 1

Plymouth 1 1 0

Pottstown 3 0 3

Red Hill 4 0 4

Rockledge 0 0 0

Royersford 0 0 0

Salford 2 0 2

Schwenksville 3 1 2

Skippack 0 0 0

Souderton 2 0 2

Springfield 1 0 1

Telford 0 0 0

Towamencin 6 1 5

Trappe 2 0 2

Upper Dublin 10 4 6


Upper Gwynedd 4 1 3

Upper Hanover 1 0 1

Upper Merion 1 0 1




Upper Salford 0 0 0


West Norriton 2 1 1


Whitemarsh 3 0 3

Whitpain 4 1 3

Worcester 2 1 1

Total 127 25 102

Zoning Activity by Municipality, 2019


Section Six

Section Six

Conclusion

Submissions

The number of submissions to the Planning Commission (444) increased in 2019 from the

previous year and was exactly the same as the five year average of 444. Despite a three year post

-recession dip in development activity, as well as an unexpected drop in proposals in 2018,

overall activity is generally trending upwards. Pressure continues to be placed on existing areas

of development to accommodate new infill opportunities. This is due to an improved outlook for

the United States construction sector and overall economy.

Acreage Consumed

The amount of acreage proposed for development in 2019 was 1,415 acres. Generally, smaller lot sizes

and less unimproved land are driving average acreage totals down for new developments. However,

2019 saw a surge in large-scale development proposals across the county—especially when it came to

land-intensive types such as single family detached and attached housing.

Residential

Residential land development proposals increased significantly from 2018. 4,656 units were proposed

with multifamily housing continuing to be the dominant form. Multifamily units are still benefitting

from the relatively robust market for apartment rentals in the Philadelphia Region. However, this trend

seems to be cooling nationally, and other housing types are gaining popularity. As millennials age into

their thirties and start to form families, the county is beginning to see a tightening in the market for

single family detached and attached homes. These young families may not be seeking the large homes

and lots of the few generations before them, but they seem to be driving a nascent return to single family

home construction as evidenced by our local real estate dynamics and number of proposals.

As Upper Merion begins to wrap up large-scale construction projects at the Village at Valley Forge, the

majority of multifamily housing proposals are now seen elsewhere. Abington, Lansdale, Conshohocken,

and Upper Providence also saw major multifamily projects proposed near employment centers and

major transportation corridors in 2019.


Section Six: Conclusion

Nonresidential

Proposed nonresidential square footage also increased significantly in 2019 and showed considerable

strength especially when it came to industrial and office developments. There were two office

developments in the top ten nonresidential submissions in 2019, as opposed to only one in 2018. The

office sector faces challenges, but as the economy continues to improve and municipalities address the

changing needs and desires of companies, this is a sector that will continue to see new opportunities over

time.

The industrial sector saw the highest square footage proposed in that sector since 2001. This type of

development is in high demand in Montgomery County with five of the top ten largest nonresidential

proposals in 2019 being industrial. In the last few years, speculative warehouse development has driven

industrial sector growth. However, now the county is beginning to see other types of industrial

developments being proposed, such as purpose-built facilities and flex-spaces.

Zoning

The Planning Commission received 127 proposed amendments to either the zoning code or

zoning map of local municipalities. This was a decrease from the prior year.


Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

2019 annual summary

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