Vote nears on 90-unit project at golf course

LIMERICK » A plan to build 90 townhomes on 15.6 acres carved out of unused acreage at the Turtle Creek Golf Course moved one step closer to passage Tuesday night.

The board of supervisors voted 4-1 for a resolution approving the plan to be drawn up for a final vote at its next meeting.

Called Ironwood, the development is being undertaken by W.B. Homes and would have two entrances off South Limerick Road, just south of the intersection with Ridge Pike.

The project was made possible by the subdivision and sale of the 15.6 acres by the Waltz family and will not affect the operations of the golf course.

The cars driven by the residents of the townhomes will also not seriously affect the traffic at the intersection of Ridge Pike and South Limerick Road, according to the developers’ traffic study.

Nor will the impact on the Spring-Ford School District be large, with the developers’ studies estimating 20 children between the ages 5 and 17 will take up residence there.

Despite those reassurances, Supervisors Chair Kara Shuler said she had received many emails and calls about the project and so set aside a special public comment period to allow residents to question the developer.

Tracy Whittaker expressed concern about nearby Landis Creek, a tributary of Perkiomen Creek. She said she had been helping to clean the creek with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy and she has found “the creek is a mess after a big rain event.”

Jessica Bicker expressed similar concerns in an email she sent to Township Manager Dan Kerr in regards to the project, which he read aloud at the meeting.

Modern stormwater controls, such as those that will be part of Ironwood, are much more effective than those built decades ago and will not impact the stream according to the developer.

The project will also connect to the township’s trail system.