Rydal Waters Development
This area is behind Rydal Park and behind the Baederwood
Shopping Center
going almost up to York Rd.
Please feel free to
send
info on this issue or opinions about it -
Please incude the
words RYDAL WATERS in the title /subject box of your email .
Please be sure to correct any errors you may see by
letting us know about
them
Commissioner Steven Kline and Commissioner Ernie Peacock
are the go-to guys on this issue. Please do not take any
information below as fact without checking with them. We
thank these Commissioners for keeping their constituents regularly updated.
Please visit their
sites for more useful township information .
_______________
12-4-08
Hearing held at Township Building . A presentation
of the newest plan was given - Proposed are 96 units
approximately ( could be fewer) The old Harbison Estate
will become a clubhouse and a swimming pool is planned.
The units are to Lease for life - under a contract - they
will be 1750sq ft to 2400 sq ft - each with a two car garage.
Some are twins - some are singles.
The units will have no more than two occupants with no
dependent children & at least one of whom is 62 . (
If caretakers are involved additional occupants are allowed)
The occupants will have use of the amenities at Rydal Park - -
Except that they are a separate piece of land, Rydal Park &
Rydal Waters are a single integrated community.
The community will be gated and closed at night
completely. In the day time, Abington residents are allowed to
use the grounds for walking.
No one spoke in opposition to the plan.
___________________
8-08
At the Planning Commission Meeting 7:30 on the 26th at the
Township Bldg Rydal Waters will present a sketch plan to request
additional units . They now want 97 instead of 85 single
family units. The 85 was recently gained by requesting zoning
changes and/or variances and now that is being expanded again.
The last variance was approved for detached units - the 97
are apparently not all detached and a "reverse subdivision " is
being requested where they will all be on one parcel instead of
having individual lots.
5-08
Rydal Park has bought the Rydal Waters property ( price
thought to possibly be in the $14 -$19 million range - not sure ) and
will be expected to close on the property by early June
Zoning is currently NR (Neighborhood Residential) and approved
for 84 single family dwellings
Rydal Park's original proposition : 97
age-restricted dwellings ( 64 duplexes, 33 single homes)
That proposition can be found on
http://www.erniepeacock.com/rydal_2008_0206.pdf.
Another proposal has been raised, keeping development more to the interior
of the property &
open space closer to Old
York Road, Brook Road and Huntingdon Road ( a zoning change would
be required. )
This more desirable Open Space placement would come with a
request, if we understand correctly, to allow the 97 instead of
the already approved 84 homes. But we will have to wait & see -
anything at this point is speculation.
_______________________________
HISTORY - up to 5-08
The ground that we know
as Rydal Waters once was part of 36 - 38 acres that
belonged to the Harbison family and was a farm.
Robert Harbison's house sat on 2-3 acres and is still there.
Rydal Park bought the rest of the acreage over 20
years ago.
Rydal Park once had approval ( in the 80's) to build 280
apartments or more on the part of the property that was zoned A0.
Another part - zoned R1 residential would have been untouched.
That proposal met with difficulties including issues with
neighbors.
Circa 2004- 2005
The Elliot Group purchased both Rydal Park & Bob
Harbison's home - joined the parcels and then the zoning
was changed to NR Neighborhood Residential - and 84 units
( the Harbison house making the 85th) were approved .
The Original
Plan-
20.44 acres ( Zoned AO would
accommodate 75 units )
+ 14 acres ( Zoned R1 Residential
would accommodate 9 units )
1
unit was existing
=85 units plus 10 Acres Open
Space (located on R1 Portion)
Special exception needs - steep slope disturbance
__________________________________
Circa
2006 -2007
: Alternate plan
proposed - to rezone the entire parcel
to NR - Neighborhood Residential
This would accomplish
several things, including a larger buffer area for neighboring
homes , preservation of more large trees and open space moved
closer to the existing homes. In other words the units
were distributed differently. The re-zoning went through
construction got underway .
By summer 07 , the Elliot Group, filed for bankruptcy and all progress on the development
halted- but this of course after the whole beautiful wooded area
had been virtually clear-cut. The parcel was purchased by the
bank holding the note. And then purchased by Rydal Park (
or it's owners) 5-08
|
