WALNUT STATION GETS FINAL OK
204-unit apartment building to be built on former church site
LANSDALE » The biggest project in Lansdale has gotten the final go-ahead.
Borough council voted unanimously on Wednesday night to approve the land development plans for “Walnut Station,” the latest version of a long-discussed project to build a 200-unit apartment building at the corner of Third and Walnut Streets.
“All of these discussions have happened over the past number of years, and tonight is the culmination of all of those discus
sions,” said Borough Manager John Ernst.
Starting in late 2015 developer Ross Ziegler has shown council and the public his planned sixstory apartment building to be built on the block surrounding the corner of Third and Walnut. A smaller version had been granted conditional use approval from the borough in late 2017, but Ziegler secured ownership of two more properties alongside the initial parcel, and returned in early 2019 with an expanded version with 204 apartment units, energy-efficient fixtures and utilities, and an automated
“All of these discussions have happened over the past number of years, and tonight is the culmination of all of those discussions.” — Borough Manager John Ernst
parking system below the building.
That most recent plan was vetted by the borough’s planning commission last winter, and received preliminary land development approval from the code committee in February 2020, before going back to the planning commission for further revisions. Code committee chairman Rich DiGregorio said in September that final review included thorough vetting of their proposed fire escape systems, ahead of a resolution granting final land development approval up for council’s approval on Oct. 21. The meeting materials packet for that night included details on how the motion also granted “related lot consolidation for six tracts” for the project, with addresses of 43, 37, 31, 27, 21, and 19 W. Third Streets, “in order to develop and construct a multistory, 204 unit, multi-family building with structured vehicle parking in the basement and ground levels.”
During the Oct. 21 meeting, a lengthy discussion ensued once DiGregorio made the final motion, with Ernst spelling out how it was the last chance for council or the public to have any say on the project.
“This vote is the final step in the land development process for this particular project. If borough council were to approve this project, the applicant has the ability to just go ahead and start developing this proposed apartment building,” Ernst said.
Councilman BJ Breish asked for details on the fire safety systems discussed by the applicant and borough staff during the review, and Ernst and borough Fire Marshal Rick Lesniak responded with a lengthy presentation outlining next steps.
The developer has said he’s willing to work with borough staff to make sure any needed safety improvements are made during construction, Lesniak said.
Councilman Leon Angelichio asked if the rest of council felt it was worth tabling approval for further discussion. Ernst answered that similar talks were held at the borough planning commission for “going on upwards of three years at this point,” with vetting by the borough engineer, traffic engineer, and fire marshal, all of which have been cleared.
Breish asked if the planning commission had any outstanding concerns, and borough land planner John Kennedy said that body “vetted this very thoroughly,” with only “a handful of waivers” granted with their approval.
“They’ve been at this for a long time, and they’ve been particularly hard on this one, and really vetted it pretty strongly,” council President Denton Burnell added.
Councilwoman Mary Fuller made a motion for council to consider the resolution with the amended language, and councilwoman Carrie HawkinsCharlton seconded. Council voted unanimously to approve.
The three-story stone building still standing on the site was once the home of the first church built within Lansdale’s borders, constructed as the Lansdale Episcopal Methodist Church around 1880, according to the Lansdale Historical Society. When that congregation outgrew the building around 1920, the building was repurposed into a Loyal Order of Moose lodge, then more recently as the Third and Walnut Bar until that establishment had its liquor license revoked in 2014 following reported assaults, a stabbing, a brawl that injured a Lansdale police officer, and numerous citations there.
Under a rainy afternoon sky on Monday, holes could be seen in the roof of the former church building, and construction equipment stationed next to debris piles where adjacent houses once stood.