Doug Heller for Commissioner, Springfield, PA

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Source: Announcement
Date: March 12, 2008
Byline: Kristen Ford Brown & Keener Bressi

Chestnut Hill Regional Area Study

Please join us for the first public workshop for the Chestnut Hill Regional Area Study. This event has been scheduled for 7:30 to 9:00 pm on Wednesday, March 12 at the Social Room of Fournier Hall, Chestnut Hill College, 9601 Germantown Avenue.

At this meeting we will provide an overview of the project and will gather information about important travel and commercial corridors in the Study Area, including Bethlehem Pike, Paper Mill Road, Germantown Avenue, Stenton Avenue and Ridge Pike.

We look forward to seeing you there!

kristen ford brown & keener bressi

Study Area Committee Meeting, 2/28/08

Chestnut Hill Regional Area Study

Attendees:

    Roger Kern- Philadelphia Commerce Department
  • Karen Cilurso- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
  • Mike Zeock- Whitemarsh Township
  • Martha Sharkey- Chestnut Hill Community Association
  • Bonnie Greenberg- Chestnut Hill BID
  • John Haak- CHGA/LUPZ
  • Sister Rosemary Scheirer- Chestnut Hill College
  • Lauri Strimkovsky- Chestnut Hill College
  • Robert Gutowski- Morris Arboretum, Springfield Township PC, Chair
  • Mary Morrison- Montgomery County Planning Commission
  • Doug Heller- Springfield Township Board of Commissioners
  • Maura McCarthy- Friends of the Wissahickon
  • Anthony Santaniello- Philadelphia City Planning Commission
  • Veronica Aplenc- Chestnut Hill Historical Society
  • Adrienne Eiss- Orth-Rodgers Associates

General Comments on Study Outcomes

  • Look at TreeVitalize and Green Plan Philadelphia
  • Remember to include Wisssahickon and Cresheim Trails
  • Incorporate Philly Car and Bike Share parking lots
  • Look at how pedestrian modalities link with stormwater management
  • Important connector links: Ivy Hill Ave, Cheltenham, Shelton
  • How to link rail stations and ped connections
  • Which demographicgroups use different modes of transit?
  • Schools are being designed for cars- this should be addressed in the study
  • Schools are where people travel every day
  • There should be better marketing of all transportation options
  • Green space can help to define corridors

Priority Corridors

  • In Whitemarsh- lots of traffic to Metroplex, trying to divert traffic from Germantown to Ridge Pike- there is a grant to study how truck traffic can be moved off Germantown Pike
  • Lincoln Drive and Bell's Mill Drive are dangerous for park users
  • Between Wissahickon and Fort Washington, the Dixon Farm is a missing link
  • New subdivision requests coming in from Wyndmoor and Oreland
  • Germantown Pike has re-striped for bikes
  • Priority corridors should radiate from SEPTA stations out to commercial corridors
  • This should be derived from overlays of public transportation, trails

Bethlehem Pike

  • Not easy to bike on
  • There is a Bethlehem Pike Master Plan under way
  • Should Beth Pike be composed of several centers or should it be a continuum
  • Old Wawa to close and new Wawa to be built
  • Striping of the roadway is a major issue- we should get PennDOT at the table
  • A new Home Depot is being built behind Ginardi's- this will bring a different kind of traffic- will it take business away from smaller businesses?
  • Restoration of the tavern by the township
  • People use CVS, Starbucks, Farmer's Market

Stenton Avenue

  • It's a speedway!- Because of this it is a barrier between two neighborhoods
  • This road is exclusively residential, yet it is not pedestrian friendly AT ALL
  • In Whitemarsh, a better connection to the Blue Route is being constructed, which may increase traffic on Stenton Avenue even more
  • The central median is helpful for pedestrians

Germantown Avenue

  • At intersection of Germantown Avenue and Hillcrest is major accident cluster- arboretum wants to open a pedestrian entrance here- there should be better signalization
  • Residents from County concerned about parking in Chestnut Hill- perception that car could get towed, not sure where to park
  • Plans are in the works to install better signs and info kiosks
  • What about no thru truck traffic in Chestnut Hill
  • Could Route 23 trolley be revived? SEPTA is looking at the success of Girard Avenue trolley to see if successful
  • Concern that trolley could hold up traffic- is this true or a perception
  • Does trolley have more of a "romantic appeal" than the bus? Would more people from Chestnut Hill ride the trolley than the bus?
  • The trolley is a real and viable form of public transit
  • Trolley should link historic segments of Germantown Avenue

Chestnut Hill Regional Area Study

Purpose of the Study

The Chestnut Hill Regional Area Study focuses on land use and transportation connections between Chestnut Hill and the surrounding areas of northwest Philadelphia, Springfield, Whitemarsh and Cheltenham Townships. The Study Area includes Mt. Airy, Erdenheim, Flourtown, Lafayette Hill, Barren Hill, Wyndmoor, Upper Roxborough and Andorra. The intent of the study is to define priority land use and transportation improvements that will serve local residents and businesses, while accommodating the economic development, mobility and open space needs of the region.

Study Outcomes

  • Greater awareness by communities in the region of commercial, institutional and residential development plans within and affecting the Study Area
  • New ideas for public officials and property owners of how design and development tools can be used to transform places into thriving communities
  • A system-wide analysis of mobility and commuting patterns within, to, from and through the Study Area
  • Recommendations for community improvements designed to get people to and from their destinations
  • Implementation strategies for the recommended transportation and land use development projects

Project Consultants

The project is being managed by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Brown & Keener Bressi, a Philadelphia-based design and planning firm, is the lead consultant. They are working with the transportation planning firm Orth-Rodgers, engineers Pennoni Associates and Urban Partners, a real estate and economic development specialist.

The Steering Committee

The Steering Committee consists of stakeholders from the Study Area, including residents, business owners, community leaders, government officials and city and county planners.

Public Involvement

You are welcome to give feedback and ideas at any time by calling one of the project contacts. In addition, there will be two public meetings that will be held at 7:30 pm in Chestnut Hill. On March 12, we will introduce the project and discuss several priority corridors, including Bethlehem Pike, Germantown Avenue and Stenton Avenue. Another public meeting will be held in late April.

Contact

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