Transit Revitalization

Investment DistrictStudy

Borough of AmblerMontgomery County, Pennsylvania

Carter van Dyke AssociatesDoylestown, PA

Urban PartnersPhiladelphia, PA

Taylor Wiseman TaylorChalfont, PA

Orth-Rodgers & Associates, Inc.Newtown Square, PA

February 2012

2 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

TRID STUDY 3

Contents

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Why go through this process? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6What is a TRID? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Transit-oriented development (TOD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7The general TRID planning process . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Planning Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Program Management Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Implementation Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8The TRID in Ambler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8TRID benefits in Ambler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8The TRID Process in Ambler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Ambler’s TRID boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Existing Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Site description and history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Regulatory issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Community facilities & infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Existing land use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Zoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Environmental issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Natural resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Threatened and endangered species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Historic resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Environmental impacts and land use suitabilities . . . . .17Transportation and circulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Public transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Traffic and roadways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Pedestrians and Bicyclists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Previous Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Market Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Economic profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Community profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Demographics & income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Housing conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Summary of development potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Rental housing market potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Office development potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Entertainment development potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Retail development opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Planning goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27General recommendations for TRID study area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Streetscape amenities and pedestrian and bicycle access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Transit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Zoning and design guidelines for new development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Site-specific redevelopment strategies . . . . . . . . . . . .32SEPTA Parking Lot at Main Street and Butler . . . . . . .32North Maple Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34South Maple adjacent to the Train Station . . . . . . . . . .34Post Office West End Square Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Northwest Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Cavalier Parking Lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Plaza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Streetscape Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Summary of Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38TRID improvement infrastructure phasing . . . . . . . . . .38TRID economic/fiscal analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Proposed TRID improvements financing program . . .41Value capture phasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43TRID Planning Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Where do we go from here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Tasks to be completed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

4 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

The Transit Revitalization InvestmentDistrict Act (Pennsylvania House Bill994) is a mechanism to fund publicimprovements through future commer-cial development tax incrementfinancing (TIF) for up to twenty years.It enables municipalities to createTRID districts to promote transit-ori-ented development (TOD) throughpublic/private partnerships that canassure potential developers of munici-pal commitment to upgrading publicrealm infrastructure and to transit.

Ultimately, the use of TOD in a com-munity should create a more livable,more pedestrian-friendly community.This is achieved by increasing mobilitychoices for residents and employees,stimulating economy development, andstabilizing the tax base. A TOD canprovide a greater range of housingchoices and maximize current infra-structure. By creating distinctivedevelopment around the transit stop, itreinforces the community and neigh-borhood identity.

Ambler Borough undertook this studyto determine if the TRID mechanismwas appropriate for encouraging devel-opment around the Ambler TrainStation, to create a destination forSEPTA riders and increased shoppingopportunities and amenities for localresidents.

Goals of the TRID process inAmbler include:l Re-use abandoned and under -developed properties to revitalize theheart of the Borough.

l Enhance the area immediately sur-rounding the Ambler SEPTALansdale/Doylestown rail line station.

l Provide the amenities that promotetransit use and support local neighborhoods.

l Provide adequate parking for theSEPTA station and any new develop-ment generated by redevelopment.

l Ensure that any new development fitsinto the character of Ambler andstrengthens community identity.

l Provide a variety of housing optionsand housing costs to current andfuture Ambler residents.

l Provide a stable tax base for theBorough by increasing the amount ofmixed-use development and sustainable residential, retail, office,and commercial uses.

l Enlist the support of all stake holders,including SEPTA and the SchoolBoard, in ensuring the success of theTRID

Moving forwardWith the adoption of a non-bindingresolution by Borough Council inNovember 2009 in support of partici-pation in the proposed Ambler TRID,Ambler has completed 10 of the 16steps outlined in the TRID process. Tosuccessfully complete the process,Montgomery County, the WissahickonSchool District, and SEPTA will allhave to accept the terms of the TRID.

The merits of the TRID process arenot affected by the current economicsituation. Because this is a working doc-ument that outlines a process, it can beadapted where necessary to respond to

changing needs and new developmentopportunities. It can serve as a guidefor the community to move forwardand take advantage of the renewedinterest in pedestrian-oriented living.

In addition, recent population forecastsby the DVRPC for 2040 also point tothe likelihood that Ambler will beincreasingly attractive for people whohave smaller housing needs—empty-nesters and young people delayingmarriage—and those who desire theamenities that established older townsoffer.

The only major costs that will beincurred to move the plan forward willbe involved in writing the enablingordinances that will support the TRID.Adopting the TRID plan will notincrease taxes. Revenue derived fromTRIDs often goes towards new transitstations. However, since reconstructionof the Ambler SEPTA station hasalready been completed, possible usesfor funds might include streetscapeimprovements and public amenitiessuch as bus shelters.

A significant portion of this reportfocuses on providing adequate high-quality parking for the Ambler’sbusinesses, residents, and train riders. atthe same time as capitalizing on theredevelopment of some of the under-utilized and abandoned parcels in theBorough. Also included in the reportare recommendations on how to main-tain the characteristics that “makeAmbler Ambler” with design guide-lines and potential site-specificstrategies.

Executive Summary

Ambler Borough has undertaken aTransit Revitalization InvestmentDistrict (TRID) Study to determinewhether the Borough should use thisnew funding mechanism to enhancethe possibilities for redevelopmentcentered around the Ambler train sta-tion. As part of the planning process,the Borough will be working toward acomprehensive and sustainable com-munity vision that will continue thetrend of reinvestment and revitaliza-tion that is already occurring withinAmbler. Of equal importance with thestudy of new redevelopment andmixed-use possibilities are the realissues of retaining the character of theexisting neighborhoods and strength-ening Ambler’s position as a culturaland commercial center, while provid-ing opportunities for new housing andcreating new jobs in the community.

This report will describe the TRIDplanning process, existing conditionsin the study area, potential areas forredevelopment and the types of possi-ble projects, and implementation andfuture actions. Because the TRID des-ignation is a relatively new one withfew examples in place yet, a collabora-tive planning process and publicparticipation are critical to makinginformed decisions. This Study hasbeen guided by the StakeholderAdvisory Committee, the public, andSEPTA; details of meetings, as well asother pertinent material will be foundin the Appendix to this report.

In Ambler the rail corridor, aroundthe train station in the center of thecommercial core, is underdeveloped.While the area is ideally suited to takeadvantage of transit and Ambler’svibrant Main Street, developers havebeen cautious about implementingplans here. During the course of the

TRID study, renewed interest in theBorough from developers makes itclear that Ambler possesses a tremen-dous potential for both the residentialand commercial growth needed to cre-ate a “critical mass” that willstrengthen transit usage as well. Byoffering incentives to form public/pri-

12/15/09

Ambler TRID Study

0 500 1,000250 Ft

TRID boundary

Introduction

TRID STUDY 5

vate partnerships, the TRID processoffers the Borough a means of facili-tating growth near the train station ina controlled and negotiated manner,ensuring that the Borough gets thekind of development it needs, and ofproviding funds for infrastructureimprovements that will benefit theexisting community. This report willprovide conceptual designs that showthe capacity of specific sites for rede-velopment. The final plans could, andprobably will, change as developersand designers delve further into theprocess and specific needs and goals.

What is a TRID?The Transit Revitalization InvestmentDistrict Act (Pennsylvania House Bill994) is a mechanism to fund publicimprovements through future com-mercial development tax incrementfinancing (TIF) for up to twentyyears. It enables municipalities to cre-ate TRID districts to promotetransit-oriented development (TOD)through public/private partnerships.Each community that undertakes theTRID process may come up with verydifferent needs and solutions: thecommon denominator will be thefocus on increasing transit ridershipand strengthening the community’seconomic base and identity.

In Pennsylvania, taxes are generallycollected by the municipality, theschool district, and the county; estab-lishing a TRID means that each ofthese entities will agree to give up aspecific portion (above a pre-deter-

mined base level) of the tax increasesgenerated by public investment for aperiod of twenty years. A percentageof taxes from all new developmentand redevelopment in the TRID areafor the next 20 years could be allocat-ed to improving public infrastructure,such as sidewalks, street trees, plazas,crosswalks, and other items likestormwater controls or utilities, forexample. The creation of a TRID willnot increase tax rates, nor will it createnew taxes; it simply means that taxrevenue above the pre-determinedbase level will be used for TRID proj-ects as decided by the municipality.

Why would a taxing entity agree toaccept only a portion of its potentialincreased revenue? In many munici-palities, development on theunderutilized parcels that comprisepotential TRID areas would not belikely to occur without an incentivemechanism such as a TRID. If those

6 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Why go through this process?

Value capture

The success of a TRID depends upon atype of public financing called valuecapture. When adjacent land valuesincrease because of public investments,part of that increase can be “captured”through a special tax that can pay forthe public improvements or other relatedpublic projects.

For example, when a new highwayinterchange is built, surrounding privatelands often increase dramatically invalue, not through actions of the privatelandowner, but because of the publicinvestment. Using a tool like valuecapture can “reimburse” the publicagency for the costs incurred ingenerating the economic value andmake further public investments possible.

Introduction

parcels were never redeveloped, therewould be no increase in land value; insome municipalities, there could evenbe a decrease in value and, thus, taxrevenue. Creating a TRID canstrengthen public/private partnershipsby assuring potential developers ofmunicipal commitment to upgradingpublic realm infrastructure and totransit. Direct reinvestment into pub-lic infrastructure benefits bothdevelopers and the community, andultimately the taxing entities.

A TRID, through the guidance of asingle agency, can organize under-uti-lized parcels and market infilldevelopment opportunities muchmore efficiently than a communityresponding piecemeal to individualdevelopment projects. This moreorganized structure will expeditedevelopment in areas where it is mostneeded and where it makes the mostsense—around a transit station— tohelp improve the economic outlookand financial health of a municipality.

Transit-orienteddevelopment (TOD)Transit-oriented development is atransportation-related land use strate-gy that helps to link transportationsystems and the communities theyserve by providing for developmentwithin easy walking distance of publictransit stops; the development willgenerally consist of a mix of uses suchas housing, commercial, and offices.Because TOD is focused on compactgrowth adjacent to transit, it can

encourage walking and biking. Whileone of the goals of TOD is to increasetransit ridership and increase access totransit, the role of the auto for every-day use is not ignored; the fact thatAmbler is a regional rail center meansthat parking must be an essential com-ponent of any TOD plan.

TOD can involve new or infill con-struction or the redevelopment ofexisting structures to help promotetransit. The idea of TOD is not new;many of Philadelphia’s suburbs,including Ambler, developed incre-mentally around the old Reading andPennsylvania Railroad lines, and someareas—parts of Chestnut Hill forexample—were built specifically toincrease train travel. What is commonto old and new TOD, however, iswalkability and often, mixed-usedevelopment.

Ultimately, the use of TOD in a com-munity should create a more livable,more pedestrian-friendly communityby increasing mobility choices for resi-dents and employees, stimulatingeconomy development and stabilizingthe tax base, providing a greater rangeof housing choices, maximizing cur-rent infrastructure, and by creatingdistinctive development around thetransit stop that reinforces communityand neighborhood identity. TODemphasizes those uses that supporttransit, such as personal or retail serv-ices for residents, workers, and transitusers, while minimizing uses that donot encourage transit use or that dis-courage walking.

A DVRPC presentation(www.10000friends.org/downloads/TRIDAct.ppt) outlines the TRID plan-ning process, dividing the process intothree phases:

Planning PhaseStep 1: Municipality and TransitAgency agree to work cooperatively tocreate TRID

Step 2: Municipality undertakesTRID Planning Study to determinelocation, boundaries and rationale

Step 3: Municipality and TransitAgency conduct community publicmeeting(s) on planning study

Step 4: Planning Study is revised andcompleted

Step 5: Municipality and TransitAgency accept Planning Study’s find-ings and recommendations

Program ManagementPhaseStep 6: Municipality formsManagement Entity ( e.g., anAuthority) to administer TRIDimplementation

Step 7: Municipality and TransitAgency prepare project lists of PublicSector Infrastructure Improvements,including costs, phasing and mainte-nance

Step 8: Municipality and TransitAgency coordinate with SchoolDistrict and County on ValueCapture shares, schedule and TRIDFinancial Plan

The general TRIDplanning process

TRID STUDY 7

Introduction

Step 9: Municipality and TransitAgency hold public meeting on TRIDImplementation Program improve-ments

Step 10:Municipality and TransitAgency execute Agreement on roles,responsibilities, financial commit-ments, management entity anddefined improvements

Implementation PhaseStep 11:TRID Management Entitysolicits Developer interest

Step 12:Development proposalaccepted by TRID ManagementEntity and municipality

Step 13:TRID Management Entityexecutes Development Agreementwith successful Developer, includingPublic Sector Improvements andPrivate Sector Financial or ProjectCommitments

Step 14:Project construction andcompletion

Step 15:TRID Management Entityadministers Value Capture revenuesand expenditures in accordance withapproved Implementation Program

Step 16:Amendments to Agreementor TRID Plan, as required

This planning report for Ambler rep-resents the Planning Phase of theTRID process, steps 1 through 4. Step5 will be completed with acceptanceof the report by Ambler BoroughCouncil and SEPTA.

TRID benefits in AmblerThere are many direct benefits toAmbler Borough for implementingthe TRID:

l The TRID will generate substantialtax revenue. In one possible sce-nario, 35% of this amount could beused to fund the public improve-ments for the TRID, and theremaining 65% of the taxes could goto the three entities: the Borough,School District, and the County.After 20 years, the entire amountwould go to the three entities.

l The TRID process offers financialincentives for the private sector todevelop key underutilized parcelswithin the Borough, the develop-ment of which otherwise might notbe financially feasible under conven-tional methods.

l Reinvestment in key developmentsites, which are currently blighted orunderutilized, will increase the valueof the surrounding real estate and inturn, will increase the overall taxbase of the Borough.

l Part of the TRID programdescribed in this study wouldincrease the amount of parkingavailable to serve the current busi-nesses in the core commercial areaof the Borough. This would greatlybenefit the Borough by allowingfurther expansion and intensifica-tion of businesses within the corecommercial area. It is recommendedthat parking be shared. For example;spaces that are used by SEPTA rid-ers during the day could also beused by patrons of restaurants in theevening. The sharing of parkingincreases the economic feasibility ofa decked parking facility.

l The TRID program enhances thequality of life for Borough residentsby including public streetscapeimprovements to increase the walk-ability of the Borough, creating agateway plaza, and encouragingbicycling by providing bike lanesand bike racks.

l By partnering with SEPTA to createan exciting mixed-use transit stationwith increased parking, the TRIDprogram would attract more ridersto patronize existing and futurecommercial enterprises in the corecommercial area of the Borough.

l One of the possible program ele-ments for a mixed-use transit stationis the opportunity for a mix of com-mercial uses to support transit ridersand the community. This could helpattract ridership because SEPTA rid-ers could easily shop for conveniencegoods before they went home.

l The boundaries of the TRID weredetermined partly by which siteshad the least industrial contamina-tion. This allows for the immediatedevelopment of TRID sites andmaximizes the opportunities for thesuccess of the TRID program.

The TRID Process inAmblerThe TRID process allows communitiesto capitalize on their already existingstrengths. In Ambler, a walkable com-munity with a major station on aregional rail line, a commercial core thathas seen recent reinvestment, and astrong residential base are all positivequalities. But the presence in the centerof the Borough of a number of aban-doned and underutilized properties,some of which are remnants of thetown’s industrial past, has meant that

The TRID in Ambler

Introduction

8 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Introduction

the full potential of the Borough hasbeen difficult to achieve. While a num-ber of new residential and commercialdevelopments have been proposed inAmbler, and some have begun to beimplemented, there is still a need toaddress how best to guide growth in thecritical area around the train station.The TRID process, and the new mech-anisms of funding it offers, enablesAmbler to coordinate its land use plan-ning with transportation infrastructureand private development, and to applythe increase in tax revenue the TRIDdistrict generates back into publicimprovements in that area.

Since the introduction of TRID legisla-tion in 2004, a number of Pennsylvaniacommunities have begun looking at itspotential; in the Philadelphia area,these include Bryn Mawr, Cheltenham,Croydon, Marcus Hook, and two areasin Philadelphia.

In mid-2007 Ambler Borough wasawarded planning funds by the Pennsyl -vania Department of Transportation(with administration by the DVRPC)to study the prospect of a TRID districtin the Borough along the SEPTALansdale/ Doylestown Regional Railline and to help Borough Councildetermine whether to continue toadvance the TRID approach. The studywas to determine future fundingoptions, and generate new ideas toensure efficient community growthwhile retaining neighborhood integrity,providing new housing opportunities,and creating transit-oriented develop-ment (TOD). This report representsthe outcome of that study.

The Borough established a SteeringCommittee with representatives fromBorough Council, the Planning Board,Borough professionals, and theMontgomery County PlanningCommission, which met with the con-sultant team beginning in early 2008.Two public meetings were held, with

attendees including the SteeringCommittee, stakeholders, developers,and members of the general public.Other discussions were held with repre-sentatives of SEPTA, the WissahickonSchool District, and various landowners.

The planning study consisted of severalphases. Guided by the SteeringCommittee, the assessment phaseincluded looking at existing environ-mental, circulation, and marketconditions, and an initial public meet-ing to generate community goals andobjectives for the TRID study area. Asecond phase provided a future land usevision; based upon the results of theassessment, a series of land use anddevelopment alternatives were present-ed and discussed at a public charrette.Using feedback from this meeting andinput from other meetings and stake-holder comments, the alternatives wererefined into a series of potential projectsthat created an overall strategy for mak-ing a TRID district and TOD inAmbler a reality. Finally, each of theprojects was assessed for its financialfeasibility and fiscal impact.

Montgomery County, the WissahickonSchool District, Ambler Borough, andSEPTA all have to accept the terms ofthe TRID. On November 19, 2009. theBorough Council adopted a resolution(2009-14) in support of participation inthe proposed Ambler TRID (in theAppendix of this report). With thisadoption, Ambler has entered the finalstep of the first phase (Planning) of theTRID process.

The conceptual planning process pro-vides an understanding of the amountof potential income from the value cap-ture and a decision about the types ofpublic improvement projects needed. Inthe next phases, the municipality willdetermine whether to bond the project-ed amount of the capture share, or waitfor the value capture share to start toaccrue. Generally, the type of project

will direct which funding method isused. In the case of Ambler, there willbe real upfront public costs, so it wouldbe in the best interest of the develop-ment of a TRID to bond the valuecapture amount and start constructionas soon as the TRID becomes official.

Ambler’s TRIDboundariesThe TRID legislation states that eligi-ble locations include vacant,underutilized, or potentially devel-opable land within an area with aminimum radius of one-eighth mileand a maximum radius of one-halfmile from a transit stop or station. Asspecific projects and goals were identi-fied during the planning process, thesize of the TRID area was reduced.However, many of the reports citedherein and included within theAppendix, as well as some of the map-ping included in this document,reference the wider original study area,because delineation of the boundarieswas a process parallel with the assess-ment phase. The smaller number ofparcels included in the new delin-eation enabled greater predictability inforecasting the fiscal impacts of devel-opment on the community and SchoolDistrict. Economic forecasts are essen-tial to the process, because decisionmakers must take into account the 20-year lifespan of a TRID.

The major changes in the boundariesoccurred on the east side of Ambler.In early modeling of the TRIDboundary, the closed Acme and theblock bordered by Lindenwold, Raceand Butler had been included in thestudy. Developers, however, havereopened the acme as a pharmacy andare looking at the Lindenwold blockfor a new grocery store. The finalTRID boundary is all within ¼ mileof the Ambler Lansdale/Doylestownline train station.

TRID STUDY 9

10 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Existing Conditions

SEPTA R-5

Maple

Chesnut

Locust

S. Main

N. M

ain

Ridge Lindenwold

Mattison

Race

Butler

Butler

Poplar

Rosemary

Spring Garden

Butler

Butler

SEPTA R-5

S. Main

Ambler’s TRID boundary

The TRID planning area consists of anumber of parcels located along theSEPTA Lansdale/Doylestown line com-muter railway and Butler Avenue.Ambler, originally known as the Villageof Wissahickon, was renamed in 1869in honor of the heroic actions of MaryJohnson Ambler during The GreatTrain Wreck of 1856. Nineteenth cen-tury Ambler was primarilycharacterized by agricultural uses; eightflour gristmills, one fulling mill used forwool fabric production, and a sawmillused for lumber were formerly operatedin Ambler. However, by the 1880’s withthe introduction of steam technologyand railroads, Ambler’s mills becameobsolete, and the last mill closed in1887. The Wissahickon Railroad andstation were built in 1855.

With the turn of the century came therelocation of the Keasbey & MattisonCompany, a producer of pharmaceuti-cals and asbestos products, fromPhiladelphia to Ambler. Henry Keasbeyand Richard Mattison constructed fac-tories and warehouses and numerousresidential properties utilized by factoryworkers. It was during the twentiethcentury that Ambler experienced itshighest growth rate. The Keasbey &Mattison Company operated as one ofthe leading manufacturers of asbestos-containing materials until 1934, whenthe manufacturing facilities on SouthMaple Avenue were sold to Turner &Newhall. Operations continued on-siteuntil 1962 when the facilities and prop-erty were purchased by CertainTeedCorporation and Nicolet Industries.

Most of the industrial uses centeredaround the former Keasbey & MattisonCompany have ceased operation, andmuch of the Borough of Ambler is nowa center for commercial, transportation,

and residential uses. Based on the loca-tion of the railroad, these abandonedfactories and underutilized propertiesare prime candidates for redevelopment.

TRID STUDY 11

Site description and history

Existing Conditions

PARK

BUTLER

RIDGE

RACE

MAPLE

FORE

ST

CHUR

CH

POPL

AR

ROSEMARY

BELM

ONT

FORD

MAIN

TRINITY

ELM

LOC

UST

MATTISON

TEN

NIS

ORA

NGE

HIGHLAND

CHESTN

UT

WALNUT

WILLOW

LINDENWOLD

REIFFS MILL

SCHOO

L

LEM

ON

SOUTHERN

GREE

NW

OO

D

HENDRICKS

EUCLIDYORK

WAT

ER

HECKL

ER

BANNOCKBURN

AINSW

ORTH

SPRING GARDEN

CENTER

UNN

AMED

ALL

EY

SHO

RT

WOODLAND

CAVALIER

AMBLER

RACE

WALNUT

MAIN

WILLOW

SOUTHERN

RACE

POPLAR

SPRING GARDEN

Residential

Government & Institutional

Commercial

Industrial

Utilities

Undeveloped

Parks & open space

0 1,000 2,000500 Ft

Ambler BoroughMontgomery County, PA

Source: MCPC Carter van Dyke Associates December 2009

Ambler TRID Study

Land Use

Community facilities &infrastructureThe many community cultural andrecreation facilities in Ambler, as wellas in nearby communities, are well doc-umented in a variety of planningdocuments, including the Borough’sOpen Space Plan and ComprehensivePlan.

Existing land useLand use consists of industrial andcommercial interspersed with residen-tial along local roadways adjacent toButler Pike. Current land uses withinthe redevelopment area include aban-doned industrial facilities, automotiverepair facilities, offices, and restaurants.The majority of the redevelopmentarea is improved, with limited openspace. Open space areas exist on theeastern and western extents of the siteand are characterized by historicasbestos disposal piles. These areashave been subject to Federal and Stateenvironmental review.

Zoning The value capture area of the AmblerTRID is located in six different zon-ing districts within Ambler Borough:l Commercial*l Downtown Commercial l Office l Industrial*l Retail and Service Commercial*l InstitutionalThis analysis will outline the physicaldevelopment regulations of each zon-ing district.

Redevelopment Overlay DistrictA Redevelopment Overlay District(RO) ordinance was proposed inJanuary 2002, with pedestrian designstandards, building design standardsand guidelines, and bonuses for publicamenities. Borough Council unani-mously approved the ordinance, aswell as five others, in March 2003(Ambler Gazette, March 21, 2003).The new ordinance retains the under-lying Industrial or Office Campus(OC) zoning, while adding provisionsfor transit-oriented development as aconditional use in the OC zone.

The intent of the overlay is to encour-age new development that willstimulate economic revitalizationwithin the borough by allowing larger,more intensive uses along the rail cor-ridor than would be permitted in thebase underlying districts. The ordi-nance created the Retail and ServiceCommercial District in an effort topromote the most intensive area forredevelopment in the Borough.

Parking structures are allowed in anyarea of the overlay district. The maxi-mum height of a garage is 4 garagelevels above ground; setbacks are 15

Regulatory issues

Existing Conditions

12 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

* Indicates that the capture area is also withinthe Redevelopment Overlay District and haszoning with potential increases of density.

feet from the street ROW. The firstfloor of garages on Main Street orButler Avenue are required to havecommercial or office uses andentrances onto these streets.

The zoning also added flexible setbackrequirements and development bonusof up to an additional 5% of impervi-ous coverage is possible in the overlayzone. Provisions include additionalreview procedures at the initial stageof conceptual development to ensureproposals meet the intent and purposeof the RO district and integrate theoverall Redevelopment Plan, and aRevitalization/RedevelopmentReview Board to review the conceptu-al design, layout and other features ofthe proposed developments.

Downtown Commercial DistrictThe Commercial District was furtherrefined by introducing the DowntownCommercial (DC) District—com-mercial areas outside of theRedevelopment Overlay—whichretains the same base regulations asthe Commercial District. Residentialis permitted as a special exception.

Retail and Service CommercialDistrict

The Retail and Service Commercial(RSC) District was created to allowthe most intensive commercial devel-opment use in the Borough:l To provide primarily for retail com-mercial uses and other selected usesto support and stimulate the RailCorridor Redevelopment and that

require accessibility to main road-ways.

l To encourage redevelopment ofexisting brown-field sites into pro-ductive employment center.

[Ordinance 1053In January 2011, a new section of Part4, “General Provisions”, entitled DesignStandards for Non-ResidentialBuildings, was added to the Boroughzoning ordinance. It addresses buildingorientation and entrances, walls andwindows, roofs, building character,architectural rhythm, and massing.Many of the new criteria reflect recom-mendations made later in this report. Acopy of the ordinance has been includedin the Appendix.]

Downtown Commercial (DC):

Minimum Lot Area 1,500 sfBuilding Coverage 80%Building height Maximum 40 feet, with a possible 70

feet if approved by the ZoningHearing Board. For every foot over40 feet there shall be an additionalone foot of setback for the structure.

Parking Off-street parking for commercialuses allowed on the periphery of thedistrict. Parking garages shall be inthe rear yard.

Office (O):Minimum lot size 5,000 sf or 10,000 sf depending on

useMinimum lot width 50 feet at building setback line or

100 feet depending on useYard Setbacks: Front: 15 feet

Side: 8/20 overallRear: From abutting district 30 feet

Building coverage max. 60%Floor Area Ratio max. 60%Impervious coverage max. 60%

Industrial (I):Minimum lot area 2,500 sf or 5,000 sf depending on

useMinimum lot width 25 feet or 50 feet depending on useBuilding coverage 60% max.Floor Area Ratio 40% max.Minimum yards Front: 20 feet

Side: 10 or 25 feet depending on useRear: 20 feet

Building Height 40 feet primary use70 feet for ancillary structures withincreasing setback for height

Office Campus (OC):Minimum lot area 1 acreMinimum lot width 200 feetBuilding coverage max. 50% except where development

bonus is allowedImpervious coverage max. 75% except where development

bonus is allowedBuilding height max. 50 feetSetbacks Front: 20 feet

Side: 10 feet / 25 feet totalRear: 20 feet

Dimensional Requirements per Ambler Borough Zoning Ordinance

Existing Conditions

TRID STUDY 13

Taylor Wiseman and Taylor (TWT)performed an environmental assess-ment (EA) of the initial TRID area.The Keasbey & Mattison Companyand its successors left a painful envi-ronmental legacy in the Borough. Theasbestos manufacturing process gener-ated a great deal of solid and liquidtoxic waste that was dumped in pilesor allowed to settle in slurry lagoons.The cleanup approach, once under-taken, was such a textbook case that inits Superfund 20th Anniversary publi-cation, the EPA used the Amblerasbestos piles as the example of howthe process should occur.

This history has made the environ-mental assessment an important partof TRID planning. The objective ofthe EA was to review the potentialimpact to future redevelopment in theTRID planning area from environ-mentally sensitive areas including:l Known environmental contamina-tion

l Historic resourcesl Natural features

TWT reviewed available historic infor-mation, environmental databases, andexisting mapping resources to assist inunderstanding how current propertyconditions could impact the redevelop-ment of underutilized properties in theAmbler TRID planning area.

TWT’s environmental assessment waslimited to publicly available informa-tion on properties within the TRIDplanning area. Database reports andhistoric aerial photographs werereviewed and limited interviews wereconducted to aid in identifying poten-tial environmentally sensitive areas.The scope of the environmentalassessment was developed to satisfy

the objectives of the TRID planningstudy, but is not intended to satisfythe requirements of ASTM Phase IEnvironmental Site Assessment (ESA)standards or the requirements ofUnited States EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) AllAppropriate Inquiry (AAI) rule.TWT recommends conducting PhaseI ESAs of properties proposed forredevelopment.

Natural resourcesThree streams within the planningarea are federally regulated water bod-ies: Stuart Farm Creek, Tannery Run,and Rose Valley Creek. Each streamdrains to Wissahickon Creek to thesouthwest of the TRID and is desig-nated as Trout Stocking (TSF) in PAChapter 93, Water Quality Standardsand on eMapPA. The streams are notdesignated as State or Federal Scenic

Environmental issues

Existing Conditions

14 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

PARK

BUTLER

RIDGE

RACE

MAPLE

FORE

ST

CHUR

CH

POPL

AR

ROSEMARY

BELM

ONT

FORD

MAIN

TRINITY

ELM

LOC

UST

MATTISON

TEN

NIS

ORA

NGE

HIGHLAND

CHESTN

UT

WALNUT

WILLOW

LINDENWOLD

REIFFS MILL

SCHOO

L

LEM

ON

SOUTHERN

GREE

NW

OO

D

HENDRICKS

EUCLIDYORK

WAT

ER

HECKL

ER

BANNOCKBURN

AINSW

ORTH

SPRING GARDEN

CENTER

UNN

AMED

ALL

EY

SHO

RT

WOODLAND

CAVALIER

AMBLER

RACE

WALNUT

MAIN

WILLOW

SOUTHERN

RACE

POPLAR

SPRING GARDEN

Rose Valley Creek

TanneryRun

Wissahickon Creek

Source: DVRPC

Ambler TRID Study

Ambler BoroughMontgomery County, PA

Carter van Dyke Associates December 2009

Stewart FarmCreek

Natural ResourceInventory:Floodplains

0 500 1,000250 Ft

TRID bounds

floodway

500-year floodplain

100-year floodplain

Rivers or listed as Class A Wild TroutWaters by the PA Fish and BoatCommission. Freshwater wetlandswere not observed during the sitereconnaissance within the study area.

The tributaries flow southwest parallelto Butler Avenue adjacent to ChurchStreet, Tennis Avenue, and RaceStreet:l Stuart Farm Creek was observedalong southern property boundary atChurch Street. The tributary beginsat an off-site point east of the studyarea and meanders through theCaddick Construction property(Block 28, Lot 7) prior to runningbeneath the SEPTA Lansdale/Doylestown rail line onto the AmblerAsbestos Piles property.

l Tannery Run is located adjacent tothe southern parcel line of the BoRitproperty between the McDonalds and

the open space area. The canopy isalmost completely covered by decidu-ous vegetation with a sparse understory. Tannery Run was characterizedby natural bed and banks with slowmoving waters. No adjacent wetlandswere observed along the stream bank.

l Rose Valley Creek is located along thenorthern property boundary at TennisAvenue and Maple Avenue.Engineered channelization of thestream bank characterized by concretewalls was observed on-site to mini-mize erosion in the urban setting.

State and Federal authorization will beneeded for proposed disturbances andbased on the trout stocking designa-tion of the streams, constructionactivities are not allowed duringMarch 1 to June 15.

Wetlands were not observed on-sitebut fringe wetlands may be present

along Stuart Farm Creek as docu-mented by the EPA. A wetlandassessment should be completed by awetland professional in any areas pro-posed for redevelopment prior toconstruction.

The TRID planning area is located inthe Piedmont Physiographic Provinceof southeastern Pennsylvania. Thedepth to bedrock within the TRID isanticipated to be less than ten feet.According to NRCS, depth to season-al high water table is reported atapproximately 12 to 48 inches belowground surface (bgs) and is expectedto be closer to the surface in areas ofobserved surface water. Based on theaerial photograph review, open spaceareas associated with the formerKeasbey & Mattison facility and adja-cent to the pond have beensignificantly disturbed with manufac-turing waste. Topography in these

PARK

BUTLERRIDGE

RACE

MAPLE

FORE

ST

CHUR

CH

POPL

AR

ROSEMARY

BELM

ONT

FORD

MAIN

TRINITY

ELM

LOC

UST

MATTISON

TEN

NIS

ORA

NGE

HIGHLAND

CHESTN

UT

WALNUT

WILLOW

LINDENWOLD

REIFFS MILL

SCHOO

L

LEM

ON

SOUTHERN

GREE

NW

OO

D

HENDRICKS

EUCLIDYORK

WAT

ER

HECKL

ER

BANNOCKBURN

AINSW

ORTH

SPRING GARDEN

CENTER

UNN

AMED

ALL

EY

SHO

RT

WOODLAND

CAVALIER

AMBLER

RACE

WALNUT

MAIN

WILLOW

SOUTHERN

RACE

POPLARSPRIN

G GARDEN

0 1,000 2,000500 Ft

Ambler BoroughMontgomery County, PA

HistoricAssessment

Ambler TRID Study

Carter van Dyke Associates December 2009Source: See Section 8 of TWT Environmental Assessment, May 2008

TRID boundary

Significant historic resource

Existing Conditions

TRID STUDY 15

PARK

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RIDGE

RACE

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ST

CHUR

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ROSEMARY

BELM

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FORD

MAIN

TRINITY

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LOC

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MATTISON

TEN

NIS

ORA

NGE

HIGHLAND

CHESTN

UT

WALNUT

WILLOW

LINDENWOLD

REIFFS MILL

SCHOO

L

LEM

ON

SOUTHERN

GREE

NW

OO

D

HENDRICKS

EUCLIDYORK

WAT

ER

HECKL

ER

BANNOCKBURN

AINSW

ORTH

SPRING GARDEN

CENTERUN

NAM

ED A

LLEY

SHO

RT

WOODLAND

CAVALIER

AMBLER

RACE

WALNUT

MAIN

WILLOW

SOUTHERN

RACE

POPLAR

SPRING GARDEN

Rose Valley Creek

TanneryRun

Wissahickon Creek

Source: DVRPC

Ambler TRID Study

Ambler BoroughMontgomery County, PA

Carter van Dyke Associates December 2009

Stewart FarmCreek

Natural ResourceInventory:Wetlands

0 500 1,000250 Ft

wetlands

Existing Conditions

areas has been modified to approxi-mately 20 to near 90 feet aboveoriginal grade and naturally occurringsoils are not expected to be presentimmediately beneath the ground sur-face. Due to extensive developmentand disturbance in the study area,TWT recommends conducting on-site soil evaluations to evaluate soilsfor geotechnical integrity, permeabili-ty, and seasonal high water table priorto redevelopment.

Threatened andendangered speciesA survey for threatened and endan-gered species has not been conductedof the study area. However, based on areview of threatened and endangeredspecies information available from thePennsylvania Natural Heritage Pro -gram PNDI Environmental Review(http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/), federally listed or proposedthreatened or endangered species arenot located within the study area.

An adjacent off-site reservoir ownedby the Wissahickon Valley WatershedAssociation along North Maple Streetwas named an Important Bird Area in2005 by the National AudubonSociety. Any proposed disturbances toareas adjacent to this pond should besurveyed for visual evidence of habitator endangered and threatened speciesprior to disturbance as the presence ofhabitat may affect redevelopment ofthe adjacent properties.

Historic resourcesA review of state, county and localfiles for existing historic resource sur-veys, historic designations, and otherhistoric documentation of project areawas completed in April 2008 at thefollowing repositories:

l Pennsylvania Historical & MuseumCommission (PHMC), Harrisburg

l Montgomery County HistoricalSociety, Norristown

l Wissahickon Valley Public Library,Ambler Branch.

Review of files at PHMC revealedthere are no historic resources inAmbler listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places. In 2002,PHMC determined the AmblerCommercial Historic District, specifi-cally 1–12 W. Butler Avenue and 1–70 E. Butler Avenue, was eligible forinclusion in the National Register ofHistoric Places. A National Registernomination for the AmblerCommercial Historic District wassubmitted to PHMC in 2003 byPowers & Co. PHMC issued its com-ments and request for additionalmaterials later that year, but no addi-tional updated material was found inthe file. While the AmblerCommercial Historic District remainseligible for the National Register, thefile for this resource includes a notestating: “Re-evaluation of NationalRegister eligibility may be necessarydue to the date of the initial evalua-tion” (CRGIS 2008).

Several buildings directly associatedwith the Keasbey & MattisonCompany were documented as part ofthe Historic American BuildingsSurvey (HABS). However, not all ofthese buildings have been evaluated todetermine their eligibility for inclu-sion on the National Register ofHistoric Places. These buildingsinclude:

l Company Garage: 125 – 127 W.Butler Avenue

l Row Houses: 5- 15, 100 – 114, &214 – 228 South Chestnut Street

l Worker’s Houses: 5-15 SpringGarden Street

l Ambler Boiler House: 201 SouthMaple Way [Note: This buildingwas determined ineligible for theNational Register of Historic Placesby PHMC in 2005.].

The Ambler Railroad Station, locatedon W. Butler Avenue, was also docu-mented by HABS. It is unclearwhether or not it has been evaluatedfor the National Register. In addition,a comprehensive Historic ResourceSurvey was completed for AmblerBorough in 1999 by the Conservancyof Montgomery County. As a result,nearly all buildings in the boroughover 50 years of age at that time weresurveyed.

As a result of the 1999Comprehensive Historic ResourceSurvey, there were no additionalresources within the project area toidentify.

If any of the entities undertaking rede-velopment within the Borough wishto use the 20% Federal RehabilitationInvestment Tax Credit in the rehabili-tation of historic buildings, thebuilding must be listed on theNational Register, either individuallyor as a contributing building within aNational Register Historic District, orbe a contributing building to aCertified Local District (a locally des-ignated historic district that has beencertified by the National ParkService). Since a nomination for theAmbler Commercial Historic Districthas already been submitted andreviewed, the finalization andapproval of this nomination should bea priority. The Borough will have topursue historic designation to do so.Further recommendations relating tohistoric properties are included in theTWT Appendix document.

16 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Environmental impactsand land use suitabilitiesThe following discussion includesproperties that are not included in thefinal TRID boundary, but that werestudied in the earliest phases of theplanning process. This informationhas been included because any devel-opment of the properties in questionwill have an impact upon the TRID.

Low impact properties are suspectedto contain little to no contamination.If contamination exists, it is anticipat-ed to be minimal and would notsignificantly hinder redevelopment ofthe property. Complete remediationshould be feasible without significantcapital expense or imposition of insti-tutional or engineering controls. Itwould include properties with historiccontamination which has been reme-diated to State or Federal standardswithout institutional controls.

Low impact properties pose minimalpotential for restrictions on futureland use. These properties are expect-ed to be suitable for all potential landuses and any contamination is expect-ed to be readily cleaned up underlocal, State, and Federal regulations tothe most stringent criteria without theuse of institutional or engineeringcontrols. Based on the age of thebuildings and the historic characteris-tics of an industrial Ambler during theearly to mid-1900’s, asbestos-contain-ing building materials are suspected tobe present in most of the buildings.However, these ACMs are safe and donot pose a hazard to human or ecolog-ical heath as long as they are properlymaintained and their use remainsappropriate. The majority of proper-ties in the TRID redevelopment areaappear to be low impact.

Low impact properties include resi-dential, office facilities, and retail

properties along Butler Avenue andconnecting local roadways.

Medium impact properties are knownor suspected to be contaminated fromhistoric or current land uses.Remediation should be feasible withlow to moderate capital expense andpossibly with institutional or engi-neering controls. These properties arebest suited for non-residential landuses. However, if consistent with zon-ing requirements and localregulations, they are likely suitable forresidential land uses provided thatinstitutional controls are established.

TWT identified three propertieswithin the original TRID planningarea which appear to be mediumimpact properties.

Former Nicolet Industries Site(Westrum)TWT recommends that all proposedimprovements on-site be subject toPADEP approval and the completionof remediation on-site. Therefore,based on the current status of theproperty, proposed land development,and historic land use, TWT has iden-tified this property as a medium

PARK

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LOC

UST

MATTISON

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NIS

ORA

NGE

HIGHLAND

CHESTN

UT

WALNUT

WILLOW

LINDENWOLD

REIFFS MILL

SCHOO

L

LEM

ON

SOUTHERN

GREE

NW

OO

D

HENDRICKS

EUCLID

YORK

HECKL

ER

BANNOCKBURN

AINSW

ORTH

WISSAHICKON

SPRING GARDEN

CENTER

UNN

AMED

ALL

EY

SHO

RT

WOODLAND

CAVALIER

AMBLER

RACE

WALNUT

MAIN

WILLOW

RACE

POPLAR

SPRING GARDEN

Source: See Section 8 of TWT Environmental Assessment, May 2008 Carter van Dyke Associates December 2009

AmblerBoilerHouse

AmblerWarehouse

Borit

Montgomery County, PA

Ambler Borough0 1,000 2,000500 Ft

formerNicolet site

AmblerAsbestos Piles

medium impact

high impact

low impact

EnvironmentalAssessment:

Redevelopment Impact

Ambler TRID Study

Boiler Erection and Repair

Existing Conditions

TRID STUDY 17

Existing Conditions

impact. Residential land uses are cur-rently proposed at the former NicoletIndustries site. These residential usesare anticipated to be the most suitableuse to promote a rail oriented commu-nity. A high degree of imperviouscover and deed restrictions on subsur-face disturbances to open space areasare proposed on the former NicoletIndustries property to limit the risk ofon-site exposure to contamination.

Ambler Boiler HouseCommercial land use is anticipated tobe the most suitable redevelopmentuse for the Boiler House. The BoilerHouse currently has Final LandDevelopment Approval from theBorough of Ambler for the renovationof the former facility into Class Aoffices. This use is considered to bethe most suitable based the necessityto cap in place impacted soil anddeed-restrict future subsurface distur-bances.

Ambler WarehouseAerial photographs and Sanborn®maps for the Ambler Warehouse indi-cate the property was historically usedfor manufacturing asbestos-containingmaterials (ACMs) by the Asbestos,Shingle, Slate, & Sheathing Companyowned by Keasbey & Mattison. Areservoir, utilized during manufactur-ing, was formerly located north of thewarehouse facility on portions of theTRID study area. Part of this area iscovered with concrete paving and usedas a parking lot and staging area bywarehouse employees. The westernportion of this parking area is notpaved and soil is exposed.

The property is suspected to be medi-um risk to the TRID planning areasince there is a lack of environmentalinformation on-site and the property

is currently in use. No evidence of dis-posal was noted during the sitereconnaissance. Therefore, ACMs insoil could likely be addressed similarto remediation efforts on the formerNicolet Industries site. Non-residen-tial uses are suspected to be the mostsuitable redevelopment uses for thisproperty since an environmentalassessment and potentially remedia-tion may be conducted on-site,especially in the area of the formerreservoir. Deed restrictions may benecessary if contamination is on-siteand cannot be remediated to currentState and Federal regulations.

High impact properties are suspectedto contain extensive contaminationfrom historic or current land use.Remediation may be feasible, howeverhigh capital expenditure and institu-tional and/or engineering controls arerequired to facilitate reuse. Typically,high impact properties have not beenremediated and there is potential forhuman and/or ecological exposure tocontaminants if the property is dis-turbed.

High impact properties pose the high-est amount of restrictions on futureland use. These properties restrictdevelopment potential based on cur-rent environmental impacts andfinancial requirements to remediate.Institutional and engineering environ-mental controls including deedrestrictions are probable due to theextent and degree of contamination.Two properties appear to be a highimpact properties .

Ambler Asbestos PilesTWT has concluded, based on his-toric data, the Ambler Asbestos Pilespose a high impact to the TRID rede-velopment project. Due to the

engineering controls placed on-siteand the desire of the EPA to placeinstitutional controls on the wastepiles, limited redevelopment uses areanticipated on-site.

Based on the existing topography,extent of contamination, and pro-posed institutional controls,development potential is low.Additional studies will be required toassess suitability for any proposed landuse.

BoRit PropertyThe BoRit property currently ownedby Kane Core, which is not locatedwithin the proposed TRID district,consists of six acres of asbestos-con-taining waste. Though the EPA doesnot believe there is an immediate riskto human health based on NESHAPregulations requiring fencing, signageand no visual emissions, the EPA ismoving forward to remediate itthrough capping or other controls.Based on the above information pro-vided by both the PADEP and EPA,impact to future development appearsto be high due to necessary remedia-tion and probable development ofinstitutional or engineering controlson-site. These controls limit land useon-site and therefore impact the rede-velopment potential of the property.Any land use is suitable for a propertysuch as BoRit so long as proper fund-ing is obtained and State and Federalregulations are followed. However, thebest suited land use for this propertyis non-residential. This would enablecapping of the waste piles and allowfor additional parking facilities withinthe Borough.

The complete environmental review isincluded in the TWT portion of theAppendix document.

18 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Transportation and circulation

RydalNoble

Roslyn

Ambler

Colmar

Dresher

Ardsley

Hatboro

Oreland

Penllyn

Fortuna

Glenside

Lansdale

Chalfont

Crestmont

Pennbrook

Link Belt

Doylestown

North Hills

North Wales

New Britain

Willow Grove

Willow Grove

Gwynedd Valley

Fort Washington

Fort Washington

Plymouth Meeting

Jenkintown - Wyncote

Delaware Valley CollegeSEPTA rail lines

SEPTA rail stations

registration addresses

Ambler R5 SEPTA StationLicense Plate Survey

Ambler TRID Study

Ambler Borough

Carter van Dyke Associates April 2009

MontgomeryCounty

BucksCounty

Source: DVRPC License Plate Survey 2004

0 1 2 3 40.5 Miles

R5 Lansdale-Doylestown

Regional Rail Line

SEPTA RoutesLansdale/Doylestown Regional Rail Line

Route 94 Bus

Route 98 Bus

License plate survey at the Ambler Lansdale/Doylestown rail line stationparking lot (2004) indicates that the majority of riders seem to come fromoutside the Borough.

Three SEPTA routes serve the Borough and the TRID site.

Montgomeryville

Chestnut Hillvia Ft.

Washington

Norristown via Blue Bell and Plymouth

Meeting

Existing Conditions

A study of circulation, transit, andtraffic conditions within the Boroughwas conducted by Orth-Rodgers &Associates. The complete assessmentis included in the Appendix.

Public transportation The SEPTA Lansdale/Doylestownrail line, running northwest to south-east through Ambler, linksPhiladelphia to Lansdale and beyond.The line, served in the Borough by anewly constructed train station south

of Butler Avenue, provides relativelyfrequent service to its riders; theCenter City ride is approximately onehalf hour in length. Two SEPTA busroutes serve the Borough:

l Route 94: Chestnut Hill–Ambler–Montgomeryville

l Route 98: Norristown–PlymouthMeeting–Ambler–Willow Grove

A shuttle service run by TempleUniversity connects the train stationto the Temple/Ambler campus.

Traffic and roadwaysButler Avenue, which extends in asouthwest to northeast direction, isthe most important street within theTRID. Classified by PennDOT as aprincipal arterial, it is the only arterialroadway within the Borough. Theonly other higher-order roadway with-in the TRID is Main Street, acollector roadway. (For the purpose ofthis study, Butler Pike/Avenue will bereferred to as an east-west roadway,and Main Street as a north-southroadway.) Like all streets within the

TRID STUDY 19

Existing Conditions

TRID, Butler Pike is primarily a two-lane roadway, although left turn-lanesare provided at the intersections withall prominent secondary roads. Thefollowing intersections are signalized:

l Butler Avenue and Main Street

l Butler Avenue and Spring GardenStreet

l Butler Avenue and Ridge Avenue

l Butler Avenue and LindenwoldAvenue

These intersections are synchronizedwith one another to abet efficient traf-fic flow on Butler Pike through theBorough.

The street layout in Ambler providespatterns that allow traffic to parallelthe commercial main streets of ButlerAvenue and Main Street. However,the SEPTA track crossing on ButlerAvenue—the only crossing point foreast-west traffic—is a major bottle-neck to efficient traffic flow in theBorough. Almost every vehicle travel-ing east to west must use theintersection of Main and Butler.Currently there are approximately1,500 vehicle trips at the intersectionof Butler and Main during the eveningpeak hour. Closing this grade crossingwhen trains pass through or stop atthe Ambler train station (as do mostLansdale/Doylestown trains) clearlyimpacts traffic; currently, there are

three inbound and four outboundtrains during the evening peak hour.Train station reconstruction south ofButler Avenue means that crossinggates will open after inbound trainspass, but they must remain closed foroutbound trains.

The existing level of service( LOS) forvehicles at the intersection of ButlerAvenue and Main Street is good in alldirections except northbound onMain Street, which operates at a levelof service “E”. Overall, the intersectionis at LOS C, with an average vehicledelay of 22 seconds. The SEPTAparking lot on South Main Street (seebelow) is a major contributor to thelow LOS on Main Street.

ParkingFinding Spaces: A Parking Action Planfor the Borough of Ambler (March2008) analyzed the parking situationin the Borough, especially as it isimpacted by the residential, commer-cial, and entertainment revitalization.One of the main themes of the reportwas the potential for conflict generat-ed by competing uses, as well as thequalitative and quantitative differ-ences in parking in small towns versusmalls. The report found that therewere enough spaces for existing uses,but that as uses and demand changeover time, especially in light of anydevelopment on the TRID site, the

need for an effective management sys-tem will increase. A number ofstrategies for strengthening theBorough’s parking system, includingthe use of shared parking immediateand long-term actions, and adminis-tration and enforcement policies, areincluded.

There are 496 parking spaces forSEPTA that are accessed from SouthMain Street and 92 parking spaces forSEPTA located at the corner of Mapleand Butler. Parking activity forSEPTA differs somewhat from that ofthe commercial core of the Borough.The highest demand for parking forSEPTA users is during the week,Monday through Friday from 6:00 amto 6:00 pm, while the commercial corewith its cultural, arts and restaurantuses comes alive at 6:00 pm on week-days and is active during the weekendalso.

Recently some restaurants that haveopened in Ambler have requested thatthey have parking spaces reserved forvalet parking drop-off locations. Asmore restaurants open in theBorough, the valet option couldbecome more popular. Additionalparking in the core may be required,or shared parking in the core mayneed to be formalized, to facilitatethis current and possibly growingtrend.

20 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Pedestrians andBicyclistsThe current walkability of the pro-posed TRID area (as opposed tomany other areas in the Borough) isless than ideal for several reasons.While there are crosswalks acrossButler Avenue at Main Street, thetrain tracks, and at Maple Street, onlythe intersection of Main Street andButler Avenue has a signalized cross-ing. When the train is crossing ButlerAvenue, gates stop foot, as well asvehicular, traffic. On weekdays thetrain gates are down 64 times a daywith the current train schedule.

Intersections within the proposedTRID area do not meet new ADAstandards for pedestrian ramps.Sidewalks vary in quality, appearance,and width, and would benefit from amore uniform treatment and compli-ance with newer design standards..Provisions for bicycle riding or com-muting are quite limited. There are nobicycle lanes and no significant for-malized bicycle parking areas.

The Borough has undertaken a num-ber of planning studies to help clarifyapproaches to solve the problemsposed by underutilized properties inAmbler, as well as defining an overallvision for revitalizing the Borough.

The Ambler BoroughComprehensive Plan Update (1995) The Comprehensive Plan Updateincluded a Revitalization Plan thatstressed the need to improve theimage of the asbestos piles, andAmbler itself, by working with poten-tial investors and developers. It alsosuggested that the addition of sub-stantial new office space in Amblerwas not warranted by market condi-tions, but that any demand would befrom small users and businesses need-ing flexible space. The Planencouraged that more intensive usesbe located on the Keasbey & Mattisonsites. That area was also earmarked forpossible residential uses such as con-dominiums or loft apartments, or amarketplace.

Industrial Revitalization: A Guideto Potential Opportunities inAmbler Borough (1998)This study, produced by theMontgomery County PlanningCommission, was an inventory of landparcels adjacent to the SEPTA RailCorridor. The document was to serveas an adjunct to the ComprehensivePlan, guiding officials in decisionsregarding future zoning and proposeduses. Data for each site includedowner, lot size, zoning, tax parcel,assessment, site plan, and use or devel-opment potential. The Boiler Housewas commended for both redevelop-ment and reuse potential, citing itssolid condition and ample interiorspace. The lack of on-site parking wasnoted. The possibility of combiningthis site with others on Maple Avenue,closer to Butler Pike, was addressed.

Ambler Vision Plan (2000) Carter van Dyke Associates, UrbanPartners, Brown & Keener, andCarroll Engineers prepared theAmbler Vision Plan, in cooperationwith the Ambler Vision SteeringCommittee that had been formed in1998. The Plan called for a commit-ment to strengthening the Borough byreinventing the Rail Corridor as anemployment center and rejuvenatingthe downtown by emphasizing its cul-tural and commercial uniqueness. Thearea along the Rail Corridor was seenas a location for offices, some of whichwould have ground floor retail. Animportant point of the Vision Planwas the need to control property spec-ulation that could inhibit acoordinated redevelopment plan.

Previous Studies

Existing Conditions

TRID STUDY 21

Existing Conditions

Redevelopment Area Plan for theAmbler Borough Rail Corridor(2001)This plan, by Gilmore & Associatesand Keystone Heritage Group, evalu-ated statutory and legislative steps thatcould assist the redevelopment of theRail Corridor area. In March 2001,resolutions of the Ambler BoroughPlanning Commission and theMontgomery County PlanningCommission certified the area asblighted. The objectives of theRedevelopment Area Plan include allthose enumerated in the AmblerVision Plan, and called for aRevitalization/RedevelopmentCommittee, appointed by Council, toguide and oversee the Plan and anyfuture redevelopment proposals.

Ambler Borough ComprehensivePlan (2001)The new Comprehensive Plan by theMontgomery County PlanningCommission included sections onboth commercial and industrial revi-talization, encouraging the uses thatare regional draws, and calling for bet-ter design integration of all of thecommercial section of Butler Avenuethrough streetscape improvements. Itcalled for improvements to pedestrianand vehicular access and circulation.The area addressed in the strategicplan for Central Business District andIndustrial Area revitalization is rough-ly similar to the area proposed for theTRID. Additionally, it was noted thatthe development of a CommunityDevelopment Corporation (CDC) orBusiness District Authority hadpotential for the Borough.

Ambler Borough Open Space Plan(2005).

Ambler Vision Plan Update (2005)Prepared by the Ambler RevitalizationCommittee with support from theMontgomery County PlanningCommission, Ambler BoroughPlanning Commission, Gilmore &Associates, and Ambler Main Street,this report was an adaptation andupdate of the Vision Plan of 2000. Itdetailed specific projects and probablecosts by year in a Priority, Phasing andCost Summary. It recommended thatthe Borough incentivize redevelop-ment in the Rail Corridor area toprovide for transit-oriented uses.

Finding Spaces: A Parking ActionPlan for the Borough of Ambler(2008)This report by TownShapes LLCexamined the parking issues that havegrown out of the increased economicactivity in the downtown area, includ-ing concerns of both residents andbusiness-owners. Existing parkinganalysis, parking management, imme-diate actions and managementstrategies, and long-term actions andmanagement strategies were present-ed. The plan recommended acomprehensive, GIS-based inventoryof land uses and parking facilities,coordinated with TRID plans andstudies, to provide the Borough with ausable database for on-going parkingmanagement plans and actions.

22 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Market Analysis

Economic profile

Urban Partners completed a marketanalysis to understand current dynam-ics for housing, office, retail, andother relevant markets within thepotential Transit RevitalizationInvestment District Planning Studyarea.

Community profileLocated in the southeast portion ofMontgomery County and approxi-mately 16 miles from Center CityPhiladelphia, the TRID study area inAmbler consists of the SEPTARegional Rail Station and associatedsurface parking lots, a retail shoppingdistrict on Butler Avenue, severalsmall office buildings, a few lightindustrial/warehouse facilities, and asmall residential neighborhood on thesouthwest.

There are significant development andredevelopment opportunities in theAmbler TRID study area, includingthe environmentally impacted parcels(the property adjacent to the lake andthe “Ambler Asbestos Piles” property)and the reuse of the underutilized sur-face parking lots. In addition, theremay be infill and redevelopmentopportunities on Butler with shop-ping, dining, and entertainmentestablishments. Competing moderndepartment store-anchored enclosedmalls (especially in Montgomeryville)have contributed to the gradualdecline along Butler Avenue, but sev-eral factors have positioned the study

area for successful revitalizationefforts. Among the most important ofthese factors are:

l The major regional transportationcorridors pass through Ambler. TheSEPTA Regional Rail line easilylinks riders to Philadelphia and therest of the region, and ButlerAvenue serves as a major artery forautomobile traffic.

l SEPTA has modernized the trainstation with raised platforms tofacilitate boarding and to attract agrowing number of train com-muters.

l There are two sizeable residentialdevelopments being planned. TheCrossings by WestrumDevelopment Company is antici-pated to have 288 units. StationSquare by WB Homes is under con-struction and will have 58 units.These developments will providethe area with new customers for thecommercial district.

l Momentum is gathering for newshops and services along ButlerAvenue. Many new restaurants andpersonal service businesses haveopened in the last few years.

l The Boiler House is under renova-tion to become a 36,400 sf officecomplex, adding jobs to the studyarea.

The revitalization of the AmblerTRID study area must build on the

synergy created by recently openedbusinesses and capture new and differ-ent market opportunities. This reportpresents a market assessment of hous-ing, retail, commercial, andentertainment uses that may be appro-priate for the study area.

Depending on the market being ana-lyzed, trends that occurred both in thearea immediately surrounding theredevelopment area, such as housingand retail, which are affected by localsupply and demand, and also up to 13miles from the site for such categoriesas movie theaters, which generatedemand from a greater distance, wereanalyzed.

Demographics & incomeThis synopsis of demographic andhousing data is more fully detailed inthe Urban Partners section in theAppendix of this report.

The total population in the Boroughof Ambler was 6,609 when the U.S.Census was taken in 1990. It is one ofthe smaller municipalities withinMontgomery County, comprising lessthan one percent of the total popula-tion of the County. In the 2000Census, the total population inAmbler showed a decrease by 184people, which marked a 2.8 percentdrop during that period. In contrast,the surrounding townships all experi-enced population growth during the1990’s.

TRID STUDY 23

Market Analysis

The Delaware Valley RegionalPlanning Commission forecasts a sig-nificant change in Ambler’sdemographic trend. DVRPC esti-mates that in 2005, Ambler’spopulation was 6,450, which indicatesa slight increase from 2000. Between2005 and 2015, Ambler is forecastedto start outpacing the populationgrowth of the County and the sur-rounding townships, eventuallyadding 1,222 individuals by the year2035.

Within the Ambler TRID study area,the per capita income increased by37% between 1990 and 2000, withoutadjusting for inflation. The pace ofgrowth was slower than the Countyand the surrounding townships, withthe exception of Lower GwyneddTownship.

Housing conditionsAccording to the U.S. Census, thenumber of housing units in theAmbler TRID study area droppedduring the 1990’s, losing 24 units dur-ing that time. The vacancy rate forAmbler in 2000 (3.6 percent) was inkeeping with the rest of MontgomeryCounty as well as the surroundingtownships, but the percentage ofowner occupied units was far smaller.Only 58.2 percent of all housing unitsin Ambler were occupied by owners.As reported by Win2Data, which is acomprehensive real estate databaseservice that was utilized for this study,there were 53 single family residentialhomes sold in Ambler Borough andanother 814 in adjacent townshipsbetween April 2007 and May 2008.

Within the Borough of Ambler, theprices of homes sold ranged from$80,000 to $400,000, with the medi-an sales price of $243,000. Themedian sales prices in surroundingtownships were significantly higher.

The average size of the homes beingsold was also significantly smaller inAmbler than in surrounding town-ships. Homes sold in Ambler hadabout 1,500 sf of living space whereasthe homes being sold in surroundingtownships had about 2,400 sf of livingspace. A disproportionate percentageof single family homes for sale inAmbler were smaller than 1,400 sf (44percent), whereas the percentage ofsmaller single family homes in adja-cent townships comprised a muchsmaller number.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s data on thenumber of authorized residentialbuilding permits indicates significantnew construction activity near theBorough of Ambler within the last sixyears but very little activity inside theBorough. Since 2002, a total of 1,345permits have been issued in the area,but only 12 permits were issued fornew home building in Ambler.

New housing development within the Borough Ambler is currently showing signs ofreinvestment in the housing marketthat will change this trend. Prior tothe recent economic recession twodevelopments were in the pre-devel-opment phase before the Borough.The first was the WestrumDevelopment Company’s TheCrossings at Ambler—a 288-unit vil-

lage style development on an aban-doned industrial site. Earlier in theproduction of this TRID study aWestrum representative had indicatedthat the recent economic downturnhad prompted a slight modification ofthe project. Initially, The Crossingsplanned for larger units of 1,700 sfselling for more than $400,000, orabout $235 per sf. As of May, 2008,Westrum reduced the size of the units:larger units of 1,450 sf are projectedto sell in the high $300,000’s (or $259per sf ); smaller units of 750 sf are pro-jected to sell for $250,000 (or $333per sf ). Despite a regional market forrental housing, this project is now onhold. The other major developmentwas Station Square proposed by WBHomes. This development initiallyincluded 58 townhouses of between1,900 and 2,200 sf, with starting saleprices of $360,000 (or $189 per sf ).Development began in 2008.

Both developers reported thatAmbler’s strengths, and thus the majorselling points for their respectivedevelopment projects, remain the con-venience of public transit and the“Main Street” amenities located alongButler Avenue. Many new home buy-ers are looking at quality of life issues,as related to their daily commutes towork and the availability of shops andrestaurants within walking distance totheir homes. The addition of 316 newfamilies in these two developmentswould significantly add to the retailpurchasing power of Ambler residents.As far as new developments in adja-cent townships, our research showsthat homes being marketed are gener-ally bigger and more expensive.

24 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Summary of development potential

Market Analysis

New home developmentpotentialAfter the overall national economyrebounds, the Ambler study areacould absorb 30 to 50 units of newsales housing per year. Appropriatehousing types for this area are town-houses, condominiums, andage-restricted condominiums of 1,300sf to 1,800 sf and priced in the $190per sf to $260 per sf range.

Rental housing marketpotentialRental housing represented 42 percentof the housing market in Ambler in2000. This housing stock is relativelyold, with 95 percent of the units beingbuilt prior to 1979. Furthermore,renter occupied structures are relative-ly small. A majority of the renteroccupied units (71.4 percent) arelocated in structures that have lessthan 10 units, with only 16.4 percentof the units being in structures largerthan 20 units. The research shows astrong market for higher quality apart-ment complexes that feature a fullrange of amenities. Urban Partnersestimates that newly built apartmentcomplexes with one and two-bedroomunits (750 sf to 1,050 sf ) can be rent-ed at $1.45 to $1.60 per sf per month.

Office developmentpotentialTo analyze the potential for officeproperty development within theAmbler TRID study area, UrbanPartners inventoried all non-retailcommercial users in the study area andassessed market conditions in an area-wide office trade area that includesFort Washington.

Inventory of commercial uses(excluding retail uses)As of April 2008, there were a total of84 commercial businesses located inthe study area. Of these, 16 werefinancial services, nine were auto relat-ed businesses, eight were constructionor building services, eight were healthrelated, and eight were light industri-al/other. The remaining users in thestudy area include a beauty school,two theaters, a social club, and othermiscellaneous professional offices.

Multi-tenant office spaceUrban Partners assessed multi-tenantoffice market conditions in an officetrade area that includes FortWashington. In 2006, multi-tenantoffice space within the study area andsurrounding communities totaled2,630,000 sf (Black’s Guide, 2006).The total vacancy rate for the area was17.3 percent with rents ranging from$17.50 to $23.00 per sf plus utilities.Nearly all of the multi-tenant officespaces, or 94 percent, were located inFort Washington, with Ambler’s officespace totaling 167,000 sf. Recentlyplans were announced to renovate theBoiler House into Class-A officespace. Once completed, this complexwould add another 36,000 sf toAmbler’s office market.

Because of the close proximity to FortWashington that offers close to 2.5million sf of office space and the plansto add another 36,000 sf in Ambler atthe Boiler House, we estimate that alimited number of smaller profession-al offices can be supported in thestudy area.

Entertainmentdevelopment potentialWhile our research indicates that thearea is underserved for movie theaters,development of an additional theaterin the Ambler TRID study area is notadvised at this time. Current success-ful movie theater developmentsconsist of 12 to 24 screens requiring50,000 to 95,000 sf of space, whichwould be very difficult to develop inAmbler.

The area is also underserved for bowl-ing centers and opportunities fordevelopment of additional centers inthe Ambler TRID area could be pur-sued at this time. In the past few years,bowling centers have reemerged asstate-of-the-art entertainment facili-ties that include not only bowlinglanes, but also full-bars, full-servicerestaurants, and a chic design. Newbowling alley developments typicallyrequire 2 to 3 acres of land and occu-py about 20,000 to 35,000 sf. Inaddition to space requirements, abowling center will most likely need aliquor license in order to be a success-ful center.

Retail developmentopportunitiesA retail market analysis was conduct-ed to describe the currentperformance of the Ambler TRIDstudy area retailers and to identifyopportunities for the further develop-ment of retailing in the area based onthe capture of area residents’ retailpurchases. The retail trade area forAmbler retailers is a 1.5 mile radiusfrom the SEPTA train station atButler and Main. It consists mostly ofbusinesses located along Butler

TRID STUDY 25

26 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Avenue and a few on the side streetssuch as Lindenwold.

The 82 operating retail businesseslocated in the Ambler TRID studyarea provide products and services in15 different retail categories andchiefly serve customers from theimmediate area as well as vehiclespassing through the area on ButlerAvenue. As of April 2008, the 82stores occupied over 176,800 squarefeet of store space and generated over$30.3 million in sales. Almost 60% ofthese stores provide a full array ofcommunity-serving goods and servicesto meet the needs of the residents ofthe surrounding communities. Thecommunity-serving store mix includ-ed: the recently-closed Acmesupermarket; a convenience store; 11limited-service restaurants; 2 jewelrystores; 15 hair salons/barber shops;and 5 dry cleaners or laundromats.Some retailers, such as DenneyElectric Supply Company, KC’s Alley,Shanachie, and Bridget’s 8 West, mayattract a customer base from beyondthe surrounding community ofAmbler.

In estimating the potential for expan-sion of retail businesses within theAmbler TRID study area, we are espe-cially concerned with understandingthe purchasing characteristics of resi-

dents living within this broader retailtrading area. Since most businessesalong the Ambler TRID study areaare successfully attracting customersfrom this trade area, one key develop-ment strategy focuses on encouragingthese customers to make additionalpurchases in Ambler. The retail mar-ket analysis undertaken in this reportidentifies the purchases being madeoutside Ambler and targets some ofthese purchases for capture by Amblerbusinesses (see Appendix).

Based on our research data, shopslocated within the Ambler TRIDstudy area are capturing 19% of theretail purchases made by the tradearea’s estimated 17,850 residents.Supportable new retail opportunitiesin the Ambler TRID Study Area bysquare footage are shown in Table 19(Estimated Retail Sales CaptureAmbler TRID Trade Area – 2008) inthe Urban Partners section of theAppendix. It is estimated that up to atotal of 464,000 sf of new retail arecompatible with the characteristics ofthe TRID study area. The AmblerTRID area could reasonably capturekey portions of this potential, includ-ing a replacement for Acme at 55,000to 65,000 sf, a drug store of 12,000 to16,000 sf, and another 100,000 sf ofinfill retail stores.

Market Analysis

TRID STUDY 27

The public meetings that were held tointroduce the TRID idea and to elicitcomments from residents and propertyowners raised questions about a num-ber of issues in Ambler. Common toboth meetings was a concern aboutwhat makes Ambler “Ambler.” Thereare clear differences in the “fabric”—the way the street looks—between thecommercial core and the more residen-tial neighborhoods of the Borough. Butthe commercial core, although it has awide range of architectural periods, stillhas a very identifiable “Ambler” style,with pedestrian-oriented storefrontsand one-, two-, and three-story build-ings that are built directly on the street.

The importance of an active street life,not just at night, was discussed, citingthe bandshell that had once beenlocated on the site of the currentMcDonald’s. Other concerns wereraised about what would happen ifsome of the larger parcels, such as thatoccupied by the Acme Market, wereabandoned. In the course of this study,the Acme closed, leaving the Boroughwithout a supermarket. The lack ofmedical facilities in Ambler was alsomentioned.

Recognizing and responding to com-munity concerns as well asincorporating the objectives of theenabling legislation, the basic goals ofthe TRID process in Ambler, as iden-tified in the public participationprocess, are as follow:

l Re-use abandoned and under -developed properties to revitalizethe heart of the Borough.Identify the best strategic opportuni-ties for public-private partnerships.

l Enhance the area immediately sur-rounding the Ambler SEPTALansdale/Doylestown rail line station.TRID-generated funds could beused to provide easier and saferpedestrian access on Butler Avenue;new central public/communityspaces in the vicinity of the station;new gateways into the community;streetscape improvements.

l Provide the amenities that promotetransit use and support local neighborhoods. The presence of a variety of storesnear the Station can help reduce theneed for auto use. Work with stake-holders to replace the closed Acmewith a new larger supermarket thatmeets the highest quality standards.

l Provide adequate parking for theSEPTA station and any new development generated by redevelopment. Work with SEPTA and individualproperty owners to maximize park-ing availability withoutcompromising traffic circulation,transit use, or walkability. Provideadequate parking to support regionalusers of Ambler’s retail and culturalestablishments. Develop a parkingstrategy to resolve residential andcommercial parking conflicts.

l Ensure that any new developmentfits into the character of Amblerand strengthens community identity. Provide design guidelines for bothlarger and infill development tomaintain the “feel” of the Borough,while allowing for new types ofstructures. Take advantage of the his-toric character of the commercialcore and consider establishment of ahistoric district (with listing on theNational Register if possible).

l Provide a variety of housingoptions and housing costs to cur-rent and future Ambler residents.The area near the train station couldoffer opportunities for residents ofdifferent ages, for example, youngrenters or down-sizing empty-nesterswho wish to move to or remain inthe Borough.

l Provide a stable tax base for theBorough by increasing the amountof mixed-use development and sustainable residential, retail,office, and commercial uses.Use existing infrastructure for newdevelopment to decrease costs andincrease sustainability. Focus com-mercial development in the core areato create a “critical mass.” Provideamenities that support residents andvisitors of all ages.

l Enlist the support of all stake -holders, including SEPTA and theSchool Board, in ensuring the suc-cess of the TRID

Planning goals

Recommendations

Streetscape amenitiesand pedestrian andbicycle accessWalkability is about having someplaceto walk to, as well as the ease and safe-ty of walking. Ambler is lucky in thisregard: its sidewalks link its residentialareas directly to its commercial andentertainment center. The streetscapeimprovements that are found in thecommercial core of Ambler should beextended to create a continuous expe-rience along Butler Avenue and Northand South Main Street. Street furnish-ings (benches, pedestrian-scalelighting, etc.) add comfortable func-tionality for pedestrians and createvisual interest and a sense of place.TRID value capture can be a sourcefor the funds needed to develop thepedestrian and bicycle amenities thatwill increase the quality of theBorough’s streets.

One thing that the center of Amblerdoes lack is an obvious public focalpoint of a park or plaza. The walkwaywith the kiosk and the arts environ-ment along the Cavalier alley could bea good place to begin creating suchpublic spaces. A pedestrian plaza isproposed at the intersection of ShortRace Street and Butler Avenue to pro-vide a green, inviting location for usersof all transit, and shelter for theSEPTA customers waiting for buses.

One of the goals of both TOD andTRID development is to increase theuse of non-auto transportation,including walking and bicycling.Studies show that an optimum widthof the pedestrian portion of sidewalk(walking zone) is 8 feet, with atree/furnishings zone of 5 feet. In theTRID area (and specifically theRedevelopment Overlay andCommercial and RSC zoning dis-tricts) sidewalks should be aminimum of 13 feet and 15 feet wherepossible. Ambler has created very dis-tinctive crosswalks along ButlerAvenue; the TRID area should alsouse these crosswalks. Additionallythere should be another signalizedcrossing for pedestrians at ButlerAvenue and Maple Street.

Bicycle facilities should be incorporat-ed into the TRID development andthroughout the Borough, includingparking facilities for commercial usesand the SEPTA train station.Additionally Ambler Borough shouldconsider marking Butler Avenue,Main Street, and Maple Street withbicycle symbols called sharrows on thesurface of the road (in the 2009MUTCD update). The goal is to pro-vide SEPTA riders with the ability tosafely incorporate bicycle transporta-tion into their daily commuting.

TransitThe TRID process provides a mecha-nism to create incentives to reclaimunderused or vacant parcels near tran-sit stops. Strategic redevelopment ofsuch parcels in Ambler will benefit theBorough by creating new tax ratableswhere infrastructure is already in placeand will benefit SEPTA by creatingnew markets for increased ridership.In the following section of the report,more specific recommendations relat-ed to parking facilities and supportiveretail will be discussed.

The Ambler train station has beenrebuilt during the planning process forthis TRID study; any infrastructureupgrades for the train system (asopposed to scheduling or passengerseat changes) have been completed.Improvements to the bus system thathave been identified as needed includea covered waiting area incorporatedinto a proposed public plaza .

General recommendations for TRID study area

Recommendations

28 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Recommendations

ParkingThe SEPTA train station is at the cen-ter of the community; parking forSEPTA consumes more than four acresin the heart of the Borough’s commer-cial core, where parking is at apremium. In fact, over 12% of the landarea in that core is dedicated to SEPTAparking. For this reason, a significantamount of the parking required forTRID redevelopment should be withinstructured lots and will serve a varietyof uses on the same lot. Althoughdevelopment around the train stationemphasizes mixed uses to reduce auto-dependency, the fact remains thatAmbler will continue to be a major des-tination for auto drivers, as they ridethe train, shop, and dine within theBorough.

A major parking structure is proposedon the existing SEPTA parking lot onSouth Main Street. The scale of such astructure has the potential of over-whelming in the context and scale ofthe Borough. In order for the parkinggarage to fit the character of SouthMain Street’s residential and non-resi-dential buildings, it is recommendedthat the structure be fronted with com-mercial and residential uses so that it isnot visible from the street. The netresult is a facade that matches thestreetscape on the opposite side ofSouth Main Street. For the side of theparking garage that faces the SEPTArail lines, it is recommended that agreen wall created with cables for vinesor a planted structure be placed to cre-ate an inviting gateway seen from thecommuter line. The parking garagewould be over 300 feet from ButlerAvenue; since the facade would be cladwith residences and stores, it would not“read” as a parking garage, however.

When parking occurs on surface lots, itis recommended that these lots belocated behind buildings wheneverpossible, so their presence does not

interfere with the continuous place-ment of buildings and interruptstreetscape rhythm and diminish thewalkability of the street. Where build-ings cannot be strategically placed tohide the surface parking, such as alongNorth Maple Avenue, there should bescreening requirements, such as a wallor decorative fencing to significantlyreduce the visual impact of this parkingon the public right-of-way.

As part of the analysis it is recommend-ed that specific quantities of parkingwithin the parking structure be dedi-cated to individual uses. However, themajority of the parking would bereserved for the use of SEPTA. Animportant concern for transit riders isfinding open parking spaces quickly.This can be easily facilitated by interac-tive signs along the main streets thatwould display space availability at thedifferent parking garages and lots.

There are significant opportunities forshared parking within the TRID areabecause there are different peak hoursfor different uses—especially importantbecause of Ambler’s popularity as anight-time destination. Increasing theamount of shared parking will ultimate-ly reduce the amount of land that is

consumed by parking elsewhere in theBorough and free it for more advanta-geous uses that will allow for moreratables. The highest demand forSEPTA parking is from Monday toFriday, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, whilethe highest demand for entertainmentand restaurant uses occurs after 6 pmon weekdays and during the entireweekend. Some of the parking spacesthat are dedicated to SEPTA couldbecome available for commercial usesduring off-peak hours.

Finding Spaces: A Parking Action Planfor the Borough of Ambler called for theformal establishment of a parkingauthority or agency as well as defining aparking management area.Recommendations regarding sharedparking and specific management issuesshould be implemented, especially asthe TRID proceeds and parking needsand volume grow. However, to accom-plish this there will need to be a formalshared parking arrangement made withSEPTA. Such a mixed use of the park-ing structure and parking lots willincrease the financial viability for devel-oping such structures. This sharedparking will benefit not only the devel-oper financially, but the community aswell.

TRID STUDY 29

Artist’s concept of development at the SEPTA site.

30 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Because a large amount of new con-struction is anticipated when the TRIDis adopted, it is crucial that the Boroughhave clear guidelines as to how infillstructures, both large and small, inte-grate into and are sympathetic to theadjacent existing fabric of the commu-nity. This can be addressed throughseveral regulatory means, includingstandard zoning or form-based zoning(a type of zoning that regulates theform—height, mass, shape—a buildingcan take rather than its use.)

[Since the completion of an earlier draftof this report, many of the following rec-ommendations have been incorporatedinto Zoning Ordinance 1053 (DesignStandards for Non-ResidentialBuildings) adopted in 2011.]

Building form

Building heightThe transit-oriented development pattern that is envisioned for the railcorridor of Ambler includes residentialdevelopment as well as commercial andoffice uses. Currently the maximumbuilding height in the Borough is 65feet (the height of the Wyndam Hotelin the center of the Borough). By ordi-nance, height regulations in thecommercial district are limited to 40feet with the Zoning Hearing Boardable to accept an increase of up to 70feet; the additional height is predicatedon one-foot of setback for each foot ofincreased height.

We suggest that when an infill buildingin the rail corridor area has internalstructured parking, the height of thebuilding be allowed to reach 65 feet byright. However, there should be addi-tional requirements to minimize theimpact of such a height at street level.

First, any structured parking of thisheight must be clad with other uses(for example, housing or stores) on atleast 65% percent of the sides of thestructure that front onto public road-ways. Second, there should be specificstep-back requirements; for instance, abuilding might be limited to 40 feet inheight if it is less than 15 feet from apublic right-of-way, but parts of thatbuilding could be 65 feet high if far-ther back from the street.

Thus, if a portion of a building is high-er that four stories, that portion mustbe set back at least 15 feet from thebuild-to line. If a facade is more than100 feet from a public right-of-way, thefacade may be 65 feet in height with-out the required setbacks.

Buildings without internal structuredparking should be limited to four sto-ries in height, provided that each facadedoes not exceed 115% of the averageheight of the three closest buildings onthe same public right-of-way.

Setbacks

Because the pedestrian experience is sosignificant to the success of Ambler’score, special care should be taken topromote a streetscape that forms acoherent visual whole to support retailuses and street life. The use of “build-to lines” rather than “setbackrequirements” will ensure that thestreetscape is not broken up by emptyspaces in front of structures that dis-rupt pedestrian sidewalk flow.

All structures should be constructed toa build-to line on at least one streetfacade.

In the existing Commercial Districtordinance, parking structures are to belocated at the rear of the properties.

Consideration should be given toallowing parking structures to be with-in 15 feet of the build-to line providedthat the building is clad with commer-cial or residential uses on the first floor.

Building massingWhile some of the structures schemat-ically proposed in the rail corridorcould be large, they must neverthelessfit into the streetscape. Facades alongpublic rights-of-way should respectAmbler’s eclectic building dimensions,massing, scale, and fenestration. Thereshould be no blank walls nor any sin-gle long wall that faces any publicright of way without architecturaldetails such as windows and doors.

For example, front facades should bebroken into a rhythm of vertical unitsthat reflect existing building widthson the street, with a maximum widthof forty feet per unit. Townhousescladding an internal parking structurecould be forty feet wide, with a 12foot break between units, with thedepth of the break (from build-to lineto parking structure) of 15 feet.

In cases where there is front yard park-ing, the building can set back from theroadway but there must be either agreen buffer or an architectural ele-ment such as a screening wall on thebuild-to line (see below).

Recommendations

Zoning and design guidelines for new development

TRID STUDY 31

Lot coverageThe lot area coverage of 80% for boththe Commercial and Retail and ServiceCommercial (RSC) Districts is appro-priate, but bonuses may be suitablewhen the developer uses green tech-nologies relating to stormwater issues.These may include green roofs, porouspaving, rain gardens, bio-filtrationswales or other similar technologies.

Structured parkingParking structures are allowed in theRedevelopment Overlay (RO) district.Parking structures should also beallowed in the Retail and ServiceCommercial, the Commercial, and theRO districts. There are defined uses,limits and location definitions thatshould be considered for inclusion ofparking structures within these dis-tricts.

For example, any parking structureshould be clad with other uses (e.g.,residential units or stores) on at leastsixty-five percent of each side of thestructure that fronts directly onto apublic roadway. The existing ordinanceallows the proposed SEPTA infill park-ing structure on South Main Street tobe wrapped with office or commercialuses. Along South Main, it would alsobe appropriate to allow for residentialcladding of a parking garage on theground floor, as long as the develop-ment on that specific lot is a mixed-usedevelopment. There is a requirementfor a green buffer for parking struc-tures; it would be appropriate to addthat green walls and vertical trellis sys-tems can be allowed as a green buffer.

Residential use in CommercialDistrictCurrently, no residential uses are per-mitted in the Commercial District.This should be changed to allow formixed-use, including residential, tooccur.

Bicycle ordinanceA bicycle ordinance to define specificparking requirements should be con-sidered for adoption. For example, forevery 20 cars parking spaces requiredon-lot, one bicycle rack that accom-modates six bicycles should beinstalled. The location of the racksshould be prominent, in front ofactive uses where many eyes will seethe bicycles. The style of bicycle rackshould be defined by the Borough.Additionally, access drives to the bicy-cle racks should be markedappropriately.

Parking lotsBuffering requirements in the RODistrict should be expanded toinclude an architectural screen and/ora green screen that can include hedg-ing, trees, and groundcover designedto fully screen the view of cars to aminimum height of 31⁄2 feet wheninstalled.

Architectural guidelinesArchitectural guidelines should bedeveloped to guide the developmentthat will occur within the TRID area.The guidelines should include the fol-lowing:

l Facade widths, heights, and breakdepths

l Massing and scale

l Floor setbacks as described above

l Fenestration patterns, rhythms, scale

l Materials

l Lighting

l Green infrastructure goals

[See Appendix VII: Ordinance 1053(Design Standards for Non-ResidentialProperties), adopted January 2011]

Parcel rezoningThere are two areas on the west end ofAmbler that need to be rezoned toaccommodate the uses recommendedin this TRID study. The existing postoffice occupies the entire block atButler Avenue and Locust andChestnut Streets. It is recommendedthat this area be rezoned from officeto residential. On the post office site,a mix of residential uses is expected toinclude quadraplex units known asmanor or mansion homes, 2–over-2townhouses, and apartments on sec-ond floors above garages. This mixwill fit well into the existing residen-tial fabric of the adjacent blocks, butwill require an ordinance that specifi-cally allows these residence types

On the north side of Butler Avenueadjacent to the CornerstonePresbyterian Church, the Sons of Italy,and McDonalds should also berezoned to permit residential develop-ment to accommodate the proposedthree-story multi-family residentialuses.

Allow medical usesIn the Retail and Service Commercial(RSC) District, the ordinance shouldbe modified to allow medical officeuses by conditional approval, providedthat the location will not impact uponadjacent retail establishments. Medicaloffices are needed in Ambler, and anoutpatient use of 45,550 square feet isprojected as part of the TRID devel-opment parcels on North Maple,within the RSC district.

Recommendations

The original version of the TRID areaincluded underutilized parcels in thecommercial area as far as ½ mile fromthe train station that would have ben-efited from being in the TRIDboundary. However, there was areduction in the TRID study area onthe east side of Ambler due to marketchanges and property availability during the planning process.

Two areas were removed because theywere acquired by developers. One ofthese parcel is at the corner of EastPark Avenue and East Butler Avenue,the location of the Acme supermarket.During the course of the study a chaindrugstore acquired the property and itis now operating as a drugstore. In thepreliminary stages of the TRID planning process, the site was a candidate for redevelopment and fornew infill development along ButlerAvenue. A second parcel, bounded byLinden wold Avenue, Race Street, andButler Avenue, was originally studiedprimarily because of the closing of anautomobile dealership in the block.Commercial and office redevelopmentwas proposed for the site, but duringTRID planning a developer came toAmbler with plans to place a newsupermarket at this location.

In the original TRID study area therewere two tiers of priorities for devel-opment, core and contributingproperties. The core sites are thosethat were strategic to creating parkingfor SEPTA users while the existingSEPTA parking lot was under con-struction; the core properties remainin the TRID study area. Contributingproperties included the two removedparcels mentioned above that could bedeveloped independently withoutaffecting the SEPTA parcel.

SEPTA Parking Lot atMain Street and ButlerAvenueOne of the core areas for the TRIDredevelopment plans is the SEPTAparking lot adjacent to the relocatedTrain Station. Concerns about parkingfor current and future activities in theBorough have been a theme in manyof the planning studies produced forAmbler. Increased residential andcommercial development will generateneed for more spaces, above andbeyond what may already be requiredalong Butler Avenue.

As transit ridership grows, so will theneed for more parking. The limitedspace in which to expand surface park-ing, as well as the desire of transit usersto park as close as possible to the sta-tion, led the planning team to evaluatestructured parking on the SEPTA site.Several factors drove the investigationof the kind and location of structures:the height of other buildings in theimmediate vicinity, the need to fit intothe historic context of the Borough,the potential circulation conflicts withthe train line and additional traffic atpeak transit use times, where to putSEPTA parking while any structuresare being built on the site, construc-tion costs for multi-story parking, andways to finance the project. The out-come of this redevelopment projectmust produce more parking for theSEPTA station (which currently has496 spaces).

During the time of this study, theexisting Acme in Ambler closed, leav-ing a significant gap in the communityservices. The team had found that asupermarket would be well suited tothe SEPTA site, but because of the

recently proposed supermarket on theeastern side of the Borough mentionedabove, a supermarket on the train sta-tion property would not be feasible.

The SEPTA site is well situated tosupport a mix of uses and the TODconcept. Retail space, for single use orsubdivided, or leased to smaller busi-ness, has been proposed for this site; inaddition this site can support addi-tional residential uses, a Post Officerelocated from its current West ButlerAvenue site, and some parking forSEPTA. There could be a total of46,858 sf of retail use, 110 residentialunits, and 970 parking spaces on thesite. Approximately 780 of the parkingspaces could be within a parking struc-ture.

To support these uses, the entireSEPTA parcel and a few undervaluedadjacent uses would need to be devel-oped. The body shop and the oilcompany on South Main would needto relocate. To stage development andto have continuous service for SEPTA,dedicated SEPTA parking must be cre-ated at another location in closeproximity to the station prior to anydevelopment of the SEPTA parkinglot.

32 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Recommendations

Site-specific redevelopment strategies

TRID STUDY 33

Recommendations

Butler

Avenu

e South Main Street

Interior parking garage

2-story retail/storage

Townhouses

Residential (apartments,condominiums)

30K sf retail

2nd level

upper levels

3rd level

4th level

5th level

6th level

7th level

retail service area &PO vehicle storage

16.9K retail/Post Office

74 surface parking spaces

123 surface parkingspaces

Existing use496 parking spaces

Proposed useRetail: 30,000 sfRetail/Post Office: 16, 858 sfResidential: 110 units

Parking (approx.)Retail: @ 5/1000 sf 235Residential @ 1.5/unit 165SEPTA 570

Total (approx.) 970

SEPTA Station:Potential development scenario(schematic)

green roof

North Maple StreetThe study looked at many locationsand strategies to create parking forSEPTA. In the end the most efficientlocation for parking was found to beon the northeast corner of Maple andButler. In this location Trax Caféwould remain as a destination-orient-ed eating establishment. Additionalinfill development could include astand-alone building on the corner ofMaple and Butler, in scale with theTrax Café, that would include com-mercial uses with 4,800 square foot ofsecond floor offices and a separate45,550 square foot medical facility setback from Butler Pike that would bean outpatient outreach facility for amajor hospital in the region. Parkingspaces for SEPTA (approximately154) would be on-lot. Parking for themedical facility and the infill develop-ment would be located in front,behind, and in two levels on the roofof the medical building. The roofparking is schematically designed tobe accessed from the north side of theproposed medical building with aramp up to the roof. Parking for Traxwould be shared with the medical andinfill uses.

South Maple adjacent tothe Train StationThis site, occupied by LTK and theBP gas station, was studied to deter-mine its potential capacity toaccommodate private developmentand parking for SEPTA. The locationis excellent for SEPTA parking, butwas found to be complex from a pub-lic/private partnership perspective. Ifthe site should become available, itwould offer an excellent opportunityfor the Borough, the region, andSEPTA to provide parking for thetrain station as well as private com-mercial and office infill development .

34 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Recommendations

Computer rendering of possible residential andcommercial development at the SEPTA site,looking south from Butler Avenue.

Looking south from South Main Street.Townhouses line the street side of thedevelopment to reinforce a pedestrian scale.

The SEPTA site, looking southbound. A surface parking lot near Butler Avenue serves major retailuses in the main structure. A parking garage with a green roof for SEPTA and commercial uses,including a relocated Post Office, is located on the lower levels with townhouses and condominiumsand apartments above .

SEPTA Station:Potential development scenario (schematic)

TRID STUDY 35

Recommendations

Butler

Avenue

North M

aple Avenue

North Maple Street:Potential development scenario (schematic)

Existing useIndustrial building and parkingfor SEPTA/Trax Cafe

Proposed useMedical Center: 44,550 sfRestaurant: 2,649 sfOffice: 4,800 sfRetail: 4,800 sfResidential: 24 two-storycondominiums (1,500 sf ea.)located in Whitpain Township

Parking (approx.)Medical Center 297Restaurant 29Office 15Retail 21Residential 36SEPTA 154

Total (approx.) 552

Restaurant(Trax Café)

244 surfaceparking spaces

medical office buildingwith 2 levels of parking

1st floor: retail2nd floor: office

24 residentialunits

40 surfaceparking spaces

ramp

Post Office West EndSquare SiteThis location at one of the two pri-mary points of entry into the Boroughshould present a memorable introduc-tion to the community. Theimpression at this critical location,however, is currently pedestrianunfriendly and non-town like; theparking lot of the post office con-tributes to this. A major goal of theredevelopment plan is to relocate thepost office onto South Main Streetbehind the proposed commercialspaces on the SEPTA parking lot site.Replacing the post office building andlot would be 41 infill residences, link-ing the existing neighborhood southof the site to Butler Pike. In additionto developing a small townhouseneighborhood, this project would cre-ate a new gateway into Ambler fromWhitpain and Upper DublinTownships’ residential communities.(See also Parcel Rezoning above.)

Northwest GatewayThis location incorporates the proper-ties of the auto body shop on ButlerPike. Directly opposite on the southside of Butler Pike is the proposed res-idential infill development on theexisting post office parcel. The plan-ning process determined that the bestuse of this site was to blend residentialuses into the fabric of the westerngateway into Ambler. TheCornerstone Presbyterian Church andthe Sons of Italy are to be retained inthe redevelopment. Shared parking isenvisioned with new residential infilldevelopment replacing the auto bodyshop, creating up to 30 residentialunits in a three-story building. (Seealso Parcel Rezoning above.)

36 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Recommendations

Wissah

ickon

Butler Ave.

View westward at the Northwest Gateway, with schematic new residential development on the oldPost Office site on the left and new residential infill development incorporating the facade of thehistoric Keasbey & Mattison Garage on the right.

Post Office/West End:Potential developmentscenario (schematic)

Chestnut St.

TRID STUDY 37

Cavalier Parking LotThe Cavalier parking lot and its asso-ciated alleys and entrance roads couldbe upgraded to provide additionalparking and to become more aestheti-cally appealing by creating a singleadditional deck level of parking. Thiswould serve the business, cultural, andtransit community within the existingcommercial core of Ambler (right).

PlazaThe development of a plaza on thenortheast corner of Short Street andButler Avenue will create a publicopen space and destination that willserve as a focal point in this heavily-used pedestrian area. Amenitiesshould include shelter and points ofinterest (a water feature, for example)to serve the community and transitriders as a meeting place in the centerof the commercial core of the commu-nity.

Streetscape ExpansionThe wonderful style of ButlerAvenue’s commercial core streetscapeshould be extended to reach the west-ern gateway at the bridge over theWissahickon Creek. These improve-ments would include street lights andstreet trees. As adjacent parcels areredeveloped, the developer will beresponsible for replacing pavement tothe specific requirements of theBorough to complement thestreetscape design found in the com-mercial core.

Recommendations

Butler

Avenue

Spring Garden Po

plar

Northwest Gateway:Potential developmentscenario (schematic)

Cavalier lot: Proposed garage

Chestnut St.Wis

sahickon

Implementation of the TRID willbring redevelopment to Ambler. Theproposed development program forthe four identified TRID develop-ment sites includes the following:

SEPTA Station site:l 30,000 sf of retail and a 17,000 sfrelocated post office

l 110 condominium and townhouseunits

l 780 space parking garage and 190surface parking spaces (approximate)

North Maple Avenue site:l 44.550 sf of medical service officeand 6,850 sf of commercial space

l 270 space parking garage and 284surface parking spaces

Northwest Gateway site:l 30 condominium unitsl 60 spaces of surface parkingPost Office/West End Square site:l 41 townhomes and flats

TRID improvementinfrastructure phasingA variety of infrastructure componentsare required to encourage, facilitate,and provide a foundation for theTRID development program (Table 2below). The most important of theseis the construction of parking garageson the SEPTA train station and NorthMaple sites to reclaim the ground ofthe Station site for productive devel-opment. To bring this about, the firstthing that needs to happen is prepara-tion of alternate parking for SEPTAusers to allow the existing parking lotto be developed. This means that thedevelopment on North Maple Avenuewould become the first priority in thedevelopment process for the TRID.

The mixed-use development on theexisting train parking lot must happento allow the post office to relocate.Once the post office has been relocat-ed, the mixed residential unitdevelopment can occur at the WestEnd site on Butler Avenue.

Other TRID improvements couldinclude a parking deck at the Cavalierlot (to accommodate approximately 92cars), streetscape enhancements, gate-way plaza construction, lighting, andother public amenities.

Three stand-alone developments (thethree-story residential units next to theSons of Italy, the pedestrian plaza andthe Cavalier parking lot) do notrequire other developments to occur ina chain of events.

TRID economic/fiscal analysisThree of these four sites currentlyyield approximately $58,900 in taxesfor the Borough, School District, andMontgomery County. Propertyrecords for the North Maple siterequire further research, but the taxyield is recognized as very modest.The proposed development programfor these four sites will yield a total taxrevenue of $1.482 million for thethree jurisdictions based on current

Summary of Findings

Recommendations

38 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Table 1: Ambler TRID Development Program Summary

SEPTA Station North Maple Avenue Northwest Gateway West End(Parcel 1) (Parcel 2) (Parcel 3) (Parcel 4)

Retail Medical Center Residential: 30 units 20 townhomes 30,000 sf 44,550 sf

Retail/Post Office Commercial/Office 60 parking spaces 16 stacked townhomes17,000 sf 9,600 sf

190 surface parking spaces 284 surface parking spaces 5 flats

780 garage parking spaces 270 garage parking spaces Landscaped square

110 townhomes & condominiums

Table 3: Ambler TRID Development Program Job Creation & Income Impacts

SEPTA North Maple NorthwestStation Avenue Gateway West End Total

EmploymentCurrent estimated employment 50 48 14 43** 155

Estimated post-development employment 124** 224 4 1 353

Net employment gains 74 176 -10 -42 198

** Includes relocation of Post Office from West End site to SEPTA Station site

IncomeNet incremental income of residents $8,900,000 $4,100,000 $4,600,000 $17,600,000

Net incremental income of employees** $700,000 $19,900,000 ($400,000) $20,200,000

Net Incremental Income $9,600,000 $19,900,000 $3,700,000 $4,600,000 $37,800,000

** Excludes relocated Post Office employeesJob creation and economic impact figures provided by Urban Partners.

TRID STUDY 39

Recommendations

SEPTA Station site improvementsl Acquisitionl Demolition and filll Sidewalks, utility mainsl Pedestrian lightingl Parking areas and garages

North Maple Avenuel Acquisitionl Demolition and filll Sidewalks, utility mainsl Pedestrian lightingl Parking areas

West End Squarel Plaza constructionl Pedestrian lighting

Cavalier Parking Lotl Parking deck constructionl Sidewalks and curbs; street trees

Other streetscape enhancementsl Butler railside plazal Maple Avenue traffic signall Streetscape enhancements along andnear Butler Avenue

Design and contingency related toabove improvements

Table 2: Schedule of Potential TRID Tax Increment Financed Improvements

Table 4: Estimated Pre- and Post-Development Tax Summary

SEPTA North Maple NorthwestStation Avenue Gateway West End Total

Estimated current taxes*Total $34,000 ?? $15,100 $9,800 $58,900l Borough of Ambler $7,900 $2,800 $5,700 $16,400

l Wissahickon School District $22,700 $10,700 $3,800 $37,200

l Montgomery County $3,400 $1,600 $300 $5,300

Est. post-devel. taxes

Real Estate Tax $633,000 $292,000 $100,000 $247,000 $1,272,000l Borough of Ambler $102,000 $47,000 $16,000 $40,000 $205,000

l Wissahickon School District $460,000 $212,000 $73,000 $179,000 $924,000

l Montgomery County $71,000 $33,000 $11,000 $28,000 $143,001

Earned Income Tax $95,000 $32,000 $19,000 $46,000 $192,000l Borough of Ambler $47,500 $16,000 $9,500 $23,000 $96,000

l Wissahickon School District $47,500 $16,000 $9,500 $23,000 $96,000

Emergency Municipal Services $6,400 $11,600 $200 $18,200l Borough of Ambler $6,400 $11,600 $200 $18,200

Total $734,400 $335,600 $119,200 $293,000 $1,482,200 l Borough of Ambler $155,900 $74,600 $25,700 $63,000 $319,200

l Wissahickon School District $507,500 $228,000 $82,500 $202,000 $1,020,000

l Montgomery County $71,000 $33,000 $11,000 $28,000 $143,001

* figures based on 2009 estimates

40 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

tax rates and assessment procedures.This will also include revenue fromthe new commercial and residentialdevelopment on the SEPTA lot.

The tax increment is $1.423 millionannually, including $303,000 for theBorough of Ambler, $983,000 for theWissahickon School District; and$137,000 for Montgomery County.

Impact of new housing on schoolsAs noted in the development programs(Table 1), there are a total of 181 newhousing units proposed for the TRIDArea. To determine the potentialimpact of school-age children on theWissahickon School District, we devel-oped two alternative school enrollmentimpact forecasts: the first based on thewidely-utilized publication, Who Livesin New Jersey Housing? prepared byRutgers University; the second derived

from analysis of local attendance condi-tions within the Wissahickon SchoolDistrict.

Applying the models from thesesources to the TRID Area develop-ment program, we arrived at anestimated population of 359 in these181 new housing units, with a project-ed increased public school enrollmentof 21 children on the low side and 27on the high side. At current local costsper student for the Wissahickon

Recommendations

TRID STUDY 41

Recommendations

School District, this increased enroll-ment would be expected to raiseschool costs by $378,000 to $486,000annually. These increased costs repre-sent between 38% and 49% of theexpected increase in school districtrevenues resulting from this proposedTRID development.

Proposed TRIDimprovements financingprogramAs noted above, the potential com-bined tax increment from TRID Areadevelopment is approximately$1,423,000. The cost of requiredTRID improvements is estimated at$10,615,000. The financial model forthis analysis assumes that 40% ofrequired investment is providedthrough state and federal grant sourcesand 60% is funded from TRID sources.At this 60% level, funds to support$6.37 million of public investment forthe TRID Area would need to bereserved from the tax increment.Combined with costs of issuance (clos-ing and legal costs, etc.), this level ofinvestment would require debt serviceof about $487,000 annually for 20years—an amount equal to approxi-mately 35% of the anticipated taxincrement, or value capture, from thedevelopment program of the TRIDArea (Table 5).

There are two potential issues associat-ed with this public investment—the

timing of the tax amortization periodfor the value capture, and the upfrontgap in financing the public infrastruc-ture necessary to attract desired privatedevelopment. According to TaxIncrement Financing (TIF) legislation,on which TRID legislation is based, a20-year amortization period beginsonce construction of the project iscompleted. It is not clear, however, ifthe TRID legislation allows a local gov-ernment to amend the TRID to addnewly development property to theTRID over time so that the 20-yearperiod would restart each time newdevelopment is added. This is impor-tant because construction is likely to becompleted at different times for differ-ent properties in the TRID over severalyears.

The other public investment issue is theneed for bridge financing for the localgovernment. The collection of thevalue capture from the TRID will notbegin until the development is com-plete, which could take several years. Inthe case of Ambler, several million dol-lars worth of infrastructureimprovements, especially for garageconstruction, need to be completedprior to the generation of any tax revenues in the TRID.

Therefore, there is a need for an inter-im financing tool to bridge the gapbetween the time that the local government invests in the necessaryTRID infrastructure and the point

when the local government is collectingsufficient value capture to float a bondthat will pay for the infra structure.

Value capture phasingHaving determined an approximatevalue capture rate of 35% for theTRID district, we can estimate the taxrevenue generated over the entireTRID development period. As men-tioned above, an issue critical toTRID financing is the timing of thetax amortization period for the valuecaptured. While TRID legislationcalls for a 20-year amortization periodthat begins once construction of thedevelopment is completed, we suggestthat this period will be much longerdue to the necessity of phasing thedevelopment process because of mar-ket conditions. A more likelyamortization period is 25 to 30 yearsby the time all sites are developed.Therefore, we have estimated theTRID value capture over a period of26 years, when we estimate the TRIDtax increment will have successfullyfinanced the development infrastruc-ture in its entirety.

As the figure “Total estimated taxpotential over life of Ambler TRID”shows, there are three primary taxyields that will be generated withinthe TRID as a result of the new devel-opment: current taxes being generatedon all properties being developed inthe TRID; the 35% value capture ofthe tax increment being generated bythe new development to finance thepublic infrastructure of the project;and the remaining taxes being generat-ed by the development that go to theBorough, school district, and Countyas they normally would.

We estimate that TRID area taxes cur-rently being generated amount toapproximately $58,900 annually (in2009 dollars). This will continue overthe 26 year amortization period. Thepotential tax increment and value cap-

Table 5: Ambler TRID improvements finance

Estimated TRID improvements cost $10,615,000

Target grant contributions: –40% $4,245,000

Estimated TRID contribution $6,370,000

Annual debt service cost $487,000

Estimated tax increment $1,423,300

TRID tax increment @ 35% $498,155

ture from the TRID development willbegin as a modest amount oncephased construction commences. Byabout year 6, we anticipate full build-out of the TRID, causing the total taxrevenue generated to cap. At the sametime, the value capture from the devel-opment will peak. We estimate thispeak will continue for 14 more yearsto about year 20, when the value cap-

ture will begin to decline. This declinewill occur because increased value cap-ture will no longer be necessary as thecompleted public infrastructure willcontinue to be paid off.

Simultaneously, the Borough, schooldistrict, and County will begin torecover more of the tax increment asthe value capture decreases until

approximately year 26 when the valuecapture amortization period ends. Atthat time, the three taxing bodies willstart recovering all of the taxes generat-ed by the TRID development on anannual basis.

42 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

Recommendations

TRID STUDY 43

Recommendations

The Ambler TRID Planning Studyprovides an excellent opportunity forthe borough to realize an even morevibrant downtown, with mixed-usetransit-oriented development and ahighly profitable main street commer-cial district. The study process to datehas defined areas of underutilized and

undervalued lands that are contiguousto the commercial core and railroadstation, and developed schematicdesigns to determine the potential fordevelopment on these parcels.

As described above, there are threephases in the process of bringing aTRID to completion. The Planning

Phase has been completed in Ambler.The second Program ManagementPhase has been completed in part withthis report. The final ImplementationPhase will depend on completion ofrequired governmental actions as out-lined in Phase Two.

Next Steps

TRID Planning Steps

Planning PhaseStep 1 Municipality and Transit Agency agree to work cooperatively to create TRIDStep 2 Municipality undertakes TRID Planning Study to determine location, boundaries and rationale:

Process begun July 2007 with issuance of RFP for planning studyStep 3 Municipality and Transit Agency conduct community public meeting(s) on planning study:

Public meetings on June 10, 2008 and July 24, 2008Step 4 Planning Study is revised and completed: January 2010Step 5 Municipality and Transit Agency accept Planning Study’s findings and recommendations: October 2009Step 6 Municipality forms Management Entity (e.g., an Authority) to administer TRID implementation

To be determined between Montgomery County and Ambler BoroughStep 7 Municipality and Transit Agency prepare project lists of Public Sector Infrastructure Improvements, including

costs, phasing and maintenance: Spring 2008

Program ManagementStep 8 Municipality and Transit Agency coordinate with School District and County on Value Capture shares,

schedule and TRID Financial Plan: 2009Step 9 Municipality holds public meeting on TRID Implementation Program improvements:

October 22, 2009Step 10 Municipality and Transit Agency execute Agreement on roles, responsibilities, financial commitments, man-

agement entity and defined improvements:Non-binding resolution signed by Ambler Borough Council December 2009

Step 11 TRID Management Entity solicits Developer interest: to be determinedStep 12 Development proposal accepted by TRID Management Entity and municipality: to be determinedStep 13 TRID Management Entity executes Development Agreement with successful Developer, including Public

Sector Improvements and Private Sector Financial or Project Commitments: to be determined

Implementation PhaseStep 14 Project construction and completion: to be determinedStep 15 TRID Management Entity administers Value Capture revenues and expenditures in accordance with approved

Implementation Program: to be determinedStep 16 Amendments to Agreement or TRID Plan, as required: to be determined

44 BOROUGH OF AMBLER

This planning process has completedsteps 1 through 10 with a non-bindingresolution agreeing in principle to avalue capture percentage signed byAmbler Borough. This resolution ispending approval by the WissahickonSchool District.

Where do we go fromhere?

Community involvementKey to the success of Ambler’s TRIDis ongoing community interaction andinvolvement in the process throughpublic meetings to increase awarenessabout the TRID and the potentialdevelopment options. The public andBorough Council meetings specifical-ly on the TRID have offered anopportunity for members of the com-munity to be part of the process as itmoves forward; this practice shouldcontinue.

AdvocacyMunicipal leaders, community mem-bers, SEPTA, state legislators andMontgomery County need to worktogether to shape a more detailedvision of the future for Ambler as newordinances and development plans areformalized.

Tasks to be completedl The Borough and the SchoolDistrict need to accept the plan ascomplete and forward it off toMontgomery County as a FinalReport with the recommendationthat both the County and ultimate-ly SEPTA accept the report.On-going.

l Continue public meetings concern-ing the TRID enabling ordinance todefine the types of future develop-ment that are proposed: On-going.

l Write the TRID ordinance andmodify the existing planning docu-ments that must support the TRIDordinance: Fall/Winter 2012.

l Define the public entity that willbecome responsible for coordinat-ing the land and developmentarrangements: 2013.

l Define what public entity will beresponsible for ongoing financialoversight and physical improvementoversight prior to the TRID man-agement agency executing adevelopment agreement: 2013.

l Seek developer interest: Ongoing.

l Community interaction with devel-oper/s: Schedule to be determined.

l Ambler Borough Council acceptsthe land development program sub-mitted by the developer, includingall required public commitmentsand agreements/easements.

l Development completion.

l Value capture oversight.

With a sustained effort by all parties,Ambler’s TRID could become a reality in three years.