City View

City View is a proposed apartment complex on 12 acres on the corner of Trooper Road and North Park Avenue. It is adjacent to a housing development in Lower Providence on the East. A developer, BT Worcester, LLC, (BTW) is proposing 144 apartment units, as allowed by current zoning at 12 units an acre. This is a scaled back version of an original proposal for 180apartment units.

The City View proposal began in 2021 when a land development sketch plan was submitted to Worcester Township and Montgomery County.Subsequently in 2022 BTW requested zoning variances from the Worcester Township Zoning Board (ZHB) to reduce required park setbacks along Germantown Pike, and to install storm sewer, riprap, and grading in the Flood Plain Conservation District. The ZHB granted the sevariances for one year.

Another 1 year extension of the variances was granted in 2023, after BTW came back to the ZHB indicating it would need additional time to get various permit acquisitions in preparation for a fully approved land development plan.

During the summer and fall of 2023, signs began being displayed along Valley Forge Road encouraging community engagement in public meetings around City View.Many residents of Worcester & Lower Providence attended ZHB and Planning Commission meetings on City View to express concern about the density of the project and the impact it would have on traffic & stormwater runoff to neighboring properties.

In 2024 BTW requested another 1 year extension of the variances, again indicating more time was needed around permitting. After reviewing communication records about the project, the ZHB shared its perspective that BTW had not been diligent in making the best effort to advance the project within known time parameters including the prior extension.

Additionally, the ZHB noted that the scope of the project had changed from 180 units to 144 units, which impacts the number of parking spaces and the potential need for a setback variance. They concluded that the project before them in 2024 was fundamentally different from the original proposal.The ZHB denied the 2024 variance extension request while clarifying it was doing so without prejudice if BTW should opt to re-apply.

BTW may reapply for variances again or submit a revised development plan to Worcester Township that does not require variances. We will keep the community informed when City View takes its next step and is on an agenda for another township meeting.