Proposed Norristown Apartment Building Denied Low-Income Housing Tax Credits

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  YAHOO!

NORRISTOWN ­­— The developer of a proposed $17 million, 96-unit apartment building slated for a Montgomery County parking lot in Norristown has been denied $1,020,581 in low-income housing tax credits requested from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).

The proposal from Pennrose Properties of Philadelphia was not included on a July 11 list of Cycle 2 awards from the PHFA, according to Jerry Nugent, the executive director of the Montgomery County Redevelopment Authority.

“I have no idea what effect this will have on the project,” Nugent said.  “My understanding is there was an appeal filed by Doug Seiler and other people for the (Norristown) variances granted.  I don’t know how long that will run.  The legal appeal could run for a year or more.”

The development company secured the zoning variances on March 26 for the proposed, four-story building and has not yet submitted site plans to the Norristown planning department.

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130721/NEWS01/130729944/proposed-norristown-apartment-building-denied-low-income-housing-tax-credits#full_story

Hundreds Sign Online Petition Against Norristown Apartment Plan

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  We totally agree!  Enough already with the “subsidized housing” in First Suburbs communities!

NORRISTOWN ­­— A change.org online petition against the proposed, 96-unit, mixed-income apartment building slated to go into a Montgomery County parking lot in Norristown has attracted more than 227 petition signatures. The developer, Pennrose Properties of Philadelphia, is waiting for a Tuesday evening decision by the Norristown Zoning Hearing Board on whether to grant requested variances for the project following a two-hour zoning hearing last month.

Under a headline, “Montgomery County Commissioners and Norristown Municipal Council: Stop the Subsidized Housing Project in Downtown Norristown,” the petition alleges that “Norristown has over 53 percent of all of Montgomery County’s subsidized housing units and it doesn’t need any more.”

“The project directly contradicts the 2009 Norristown Comprehensive Plan in three key ways.  It adds additional subsidized rental units.  It subtracts 204 critically-needed parking spaces from the Downtown Business District.  It is not a true Mixed-Use project, but instead, is a self-contained residential community,” the petition said.  “It is our belief that, if built, the project will have a negative impact on the entire Municipality.  It will cause the surrounding neighborhoods to suffer and hurt the Arts Hill and Downtown Business District.  As Norristown is the County Seat, the impact will be felt by the entire County.”

The petition concluded, “the third largest County in the Commonwealth and one of the wealthiest in the United States, can do better.”

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130325/NEWS01/130329666/hundreds-sign-online-petition-against-norristown-apartment-plan#full_story