Cheltenham Township is planning to subdivide the Rowland House property at 300 Ashbourne Road (also known as the Shovel Shop) from the larger Tookany Creek Park, according to a memorandum in the Public Works agenda from March 4.
The property, which is on the National Historic registry, is to be subdivided for a potential sale.
The Rowland House was built around 1774. More information on the house and shop can be found via The Historical Markers Database.
From the memorandum:
The La Mott Community Center Renovation Project requires the installation of a large transformer in the front yard for the upgraded electric service and the design team is considering a fence or wall, in combination with landscaping, to help hide the transformer. The fencing and/or wall around the transformer may exceed the allowable height of four feet in the required yard. Additionally, to reduce future zoning and land development interpretation issues, it is recommended that the Township consolidate the two lots of this property through a lot consolidation process. Exterior work on the Community Center property falls under the requirement for a land development, and will be completed under an Earth Disturbance Permit.
Township staff has long recommended that the Shovel Shop be subdivided from the much larger Tookany Creek Park, as having discrete properties is advisable for better management of zoning issues on each property. While the Township is pursuing a lot consolidation for the La Mott Community Center, it is recommended to pursue the subdivision of this property at the same time.
Grant Updates
In related news, Cheltenham Township’s Finance Committee agenda for March 11 includes a memorandum announcing the receipt of a $1.5 million grant from the regional funds of the Transportation Alternatives Set Aside Program for the Tookany Creek Trail between Ashmead Road and Central Avenue.
The township was also awarded $500,000 through the federal Community Project Fund Program for
improvements to the Rowland Community Center, bringing the total grants received for the center to $1.5 million.
The memorandum notes that township officials have received grant applications for the following properties:
- Wesley Plaza Protective Streetscape Initiative, MontCo 2040 ($61,000)
- North Avenue Flood Mitigation Site Preparation, MonCo 2040 ($146,400)
- Tookany Creek Parkway Bridge at Carter Lane, PennDOT Multimodal Transportation
Fund ($2,792,000) - Rowland Community Center, Community Project Funding ($2,000,000)
The Finance Committee agenda also includes two resolutions.
The first resolution authorizes the submission of an application to the MontCo 2040 Implementation Grant Program in the amount of $160,000 “for the demolition and site preparation for the North Avenue Flood Mitigation Site Preparation project in connection with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Glenside Flood Control Project.”
The resolution calls for the demolition of the existing structures at 1 and 5 North Avenue, the removal of a portion of the impervious surfaces, and the restoration of the part of the site to green space in preparation for installation of future flood mitigation controls.
The second resolution authorizes the submission of an application to the MontCo 2040 Implementation Grant Program for the Wesley Plaza Protective Streetscape Initiative in downtown Glenside in the amount of $48,800.
The meeting’s agenda is below:
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Photos courtesy of Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Wikipedia