Developer scales back plans in South Whitehall
A developer seeking to build a senior facility along Walbert Avenue in South Whitehall Township has scaled back a previous request for greater density.
Pennsylvania Venture Capital, owned by Whitehall developer Abe Atiyeh, wants to rezone 10 acres of a nearly 56-acre parcel next to Grandview Cemetery from R-4 to R-5 Medium Density Residential to allow for a facility with up to 130 units.
Vice President David Harte went before the township Planning Commission in July 2017 with a request to rezone 8 acres to R-10/High Density Residential, which would have allowed for a greater number of units.
Hart told the township Board of Commissioners Wednesday that Pennsylvania Venture wants to build a twoto three-story building to serve as a retirement and assisted living facility. The company has a sale agreement to buy the tract.
Stonemor Pennsylvania LLC is listed as the property owner.
The board voted to recommend advancing the proposal to the Planning Commission for review at a yet-to-bedetermined date.
In 2017, planners said the request was too vague and that they wanted more information as to what exactly was being proposed, as well as traffic impact data.
Chief Operating Officer Mickey Thompson said Wednesday that the facility would meet all of the township’s definitions of a retirement community, and would include a memory care component.
He said R-5 would represent “a better transition” from the neighboring R-10 zoning which abuts the parcel, and that the plan is for “an upscale facility.”
“We’d like to be able to have your residents age in the community in which they grew up in,” he said.
South Whitehall’s zoning ordinance allows for retirement facilities to have a maximum of 13 dwelling units per acre with a minimum requirement of 10 acres in the R-5 zone.
Per the zoning ordinance, two longterm care beds are the equivalent of one dwelling unit.
A retirement facility allows for all or some combination of assisted living, skilled nursing, nursing home and independent living.
Building heights are capped at up to 50 feet.
Kevin Duffy is a freelance writer