New plans possible for familiar site
Former hotel, tavern closed since early 2014
A developer has an idea in the works for the McKeever Tavern at Fifth and Walnut streets.
A new plan for a familiar address could be back up for discussion soon.
An item pulled off of Tuesday night’s council agenda gives a hint: “Presentation — Owner of 501 E. Walnut St. — Plan Proposal,” a property that has been one of the most-discussed in North Wales over the past decade.
“Just so everyone understands, that is what we call the McKeever property, in case anyone wasn’t sure what that was,” said council President Jim Sando.
Starting in early 2014, borough council has discussed and debated the
building at Fifth and Walnut streets, which was built in the 1890s as the Colonial Inn, then was known as the North Wales Hotel for much of the 20th century and was most recently operated as McKeever’s Tavern until being closed in early 2014.
Starting that spring, developer Greg Flynn has proposed several plans for that
site, so far without success: a four-story apartment building was vetoed by council in early 2015, then a plan to build 10 town houses was voted down at the end of 2017. Throughout those discussions, residents urged the town and developer to try to find some way to preserve the structure, while the developer and his consultants said the building has deteriorated too far to be preserved in its current form. At the time, the developer argued the new homes would add new residents to the town’s tax rolls and foot traffic to downtown, while those in favor of preservation argued that the demolition of the similar-vintage Tremont Hotel in Lansdale was a loss that changed the town’s character forever.
Sando and borough Solicitor Greg Gifford said an updated version of plans for that site was originally slated for discussion Tuesday but withdrawn at the request of the developer.
“The plans they wanted to submit, the more formal plans, were actually not complete by this evening,” Gifford said.
“I confirmed with their solicitor today that they would contact us when ready. I’m trying to get them to send them to council in advance, but they are not ready to present the revised plan to council this evening.”
Litigation regarding the prior plans for that site is still pending before Commonwealth Court, Gifford added, and that particular case has been delayed to the next court term, likely in October or November.
“It gives us an opportunity now to determine whether or not Mr. Flynn is actually going to present a plan in conformity with what (planners) and council thought would look good on the site,” Gifford said.
North Wales Borough Council next meets at 7 p.m. June 23; for more information visit www.NorthWalesBorough.org.