tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571535966122502809.post2979492954625313713..comments2023-10-30T01:26:59.335-04:00Comments on Norristown Diary: Council Meeting Post-Game ReportELENA SANTANGELOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03257788794914218924noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571535966122502809.post-74192832795190012332013-12-20T07:56:50.149-05:002013-12-20T07:56:50.149-05:00From Doug Seiler, via Facebook:
It sure is hard t...From Doug Seiler, via Facebook:<br /><br />It sure is hard to keep a positive attitude about Norristown's future: You touched on some of the recent flubs, where a common link seems to be a stubborn insistance by Council to avoid public input. Pennrose may have been stopped, but who knows? Developers tend to try several times before giving up and Council hasn't dropped their pending zoning application. So what does that tell you? Gaudenzia: should have been in a zoning district that permitted it - not Main Street. Next up will be the proposed demolition of the 1930s, Art Deco landmark Montgomery Hospital. I recently had a meeting with Einstein and the developer and they told me they are NOT planning to keep it. Their proposed new use is subsidized senior housing. Funding for susidized housing is an annual process and just like Pennrose last year, these folks surely must be getting their ducks in a row to apply for PHFA financing. They'll probably ask for County Housing funds and why wouldn't they go for a little Municipal money while they're at it? Unlike Pennrose they're making an effort to have a public dialogue. (All developers like to make an effort to appear like good neighbors, as long as the politicians deliver the approvals in the end.) It will be pretty sad to see that structure go. The question is, does anyone outside a a few preservationists care? They should, but who knows? Speaking of should... Council should follow the Comprehensive Plan which specifically states the Hospital is a historic asset and should be reused. The Comprehensive Plan also says that about the old prison...is that next on the demolition list? Does anyone think the County cares about solving Norristown's ills? Does Council understand the vaule of it's historic buildings? Kind of sad... Watch them fall folks...third in line will probably be the Post Office, though, maybe it has Federal protection. Stay tuned...and don't get your hopes up.ELENA SANTANGELOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03257788794914218924noreply@blogger.com