Agenda for Joint PC and BC meeting

Agenda 

Joint Working Session of the Collegeville Borough Council and Planning Commission  

Monday, Aug. 23 at 6:30 p.m. 

Meeting will be held both in-person at the Borough Hall and via Zoom. PLEASE NOTE: Per CDC recommendations we are requesting that masks be worn by all persons in attendance. Thank you for your cooperation.

Join Zoom Meeting  
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87393840299?pwd=QXE2eGZxQldWM005M3drV1VZeWlNQT09 

1.  August Planning Committee Items 

• WB Homes – Freeland Square request to amend plan to add parking on 3^rd Ave 
• Collegeville Car Wash ZHB scheduled for September 9 @ 5 

2.  Joint Meeting purpose, assumptions, goals, and what we believe we need to create a successful Main Street district—Cathy Kernen 

Purpose of the meeting: 

• To present the recommendations of the Borough’s Business Development Committee to revitalize the 400 block of Main Street 
• To find out what aspects of the recommendations the Planning Commission and Council support or do not support, and to provide a forum for their suggestions and ideas. 

Assumptions: 

• The 400 block of Main Street is a mix of mainly residential homes and about 10 commercial properties.   
• Ursinus College owns seven properties in the 400 block currently used as dormitories. Over time, the College wishes to move all the students to their campus and Residential Village in the 500 and 600 blocks.  That will leave the buildings available for renovation or tear downs.  This would make way for new builds with first floor commercial spaces for retail and restaurants and apartments or offices in the floors above. 
• Our goal is to create a “College town” feel in this block that will appeal to both students and residents.   

• The positioning for our Main Street based on our demographics is “family-friendly”:  A destination that should include things to do and entertainment options for young and older kids through adults.  
• The Ursinus campus is open to the community.  We see the richness of the College’s music, theater, art, dance lectures and more as one of the most valuable assets to Collegeville Borough. 
• The College has taken the first step in revitalizing our Main Street by building the Schellhase Commons.  The bookstore and Café 2020, along with the campus, is now permanently open to residents. 

Community and Economic Development Goals 

• Jumpstart development at the top of the 400 block of Main Street to increase both commercial and residential density.  
• Attract vibrant businesses and amenities that residents can walk to, which increases the desirability of living in the Borough.  Over time, this will result in an increase of property values, and a higher tax base for the Borough in the future through rising house prices. 

What Collegeville Needs for a Successful Main Street Business District 

• A public outdoor space where people can meet and enjoy music, and dining.  With global warming, there is increasing emphasis on the importance of shade, seating and the preservation of green space.   
• More restaurants, entertainment and retail rather than service businesses. Over 60 percent of our businesses are hair salons, fitness studios, and medical and insurance offices 
• More people patronizing businesses both during the day and the evening. We need some office presence in order to have lunchtime clientele for the restaurants, along with our local and regional residents who have dinner there.  
• Keeping our “Village” feel by preserving the significant buildings that matter 
• Sufficient parking with wayfinding 

• A pleasant pedestrian experience:  Green verges to separate the sidewalks from the street, wider sidewalks, street trees and streetscapes 
• Uniformity for building setbacks, and the addition of infill or use of functional green spaces to create density 

2.  Visual examples of some of our Main Street challenges—Mike Lowrey  

3.  Zoning changes needed—Cathy  

• Create a College District Mixed Use Zone, “the College Gateway Overlay District” for the transitional area at the corners of Fifth Ave. and Main Street, which connects the campus to the business district.   
• Update the zoning for the Main Street Commercial District 
• Change the zoning of Borough Hall side of the 400 block from residential/office to an overlay that includes Main Street Commercial  

3.  Draft zoning for the “College Gateway Overlay District” –Mike 

4.  Application for the borough’s RACP grant–Tamara  

5.  The importance of awarding LERTAs to incentivize development—Tamara 

6.  Wrap up–All