38
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
PLANNING ISSUE
Regionally significant land uses
impact a wide area that
crosses municipal and
sometimes county boundaries,
but it is the local jurisdiction
that controls these uses most
of the time.
What’s New
•
Retail growth exploded along the Route 422 corridor
with regional shopping centers such as the
Philadelphia Premium Outlets (605,000 sf) in
Limerick and Providence Town Center (755,000 sf)
in Upper Providence.
•
Most office and industrial development since 2000
has been stand-alone buildings or infill for existing
office parks. Two exceptions have been the
expansion of Merck and the Renaissance at Gulph
Mills Business Center in the first half of the decade.
•
The housing boom generated a lot of interest in
denser multifamily development, including
Shannondell (over 1,000 units) and Riverview
Landing (700 units) in Lower Providence and West
Norriton, respectively.
•
The Valley Forge Casino Resort opened in 2012 to
become the first casino in Montgomery County, and
the fourth in the Greater Philadelphia area.
•
The Willow Grove Naval Air Station was closed in
2011. All runways have been shuttered and much of
the 862 acre site will be redeveloped.
•
Montgomery Hospital closed in Norristown and was
replaced by a new hospital, the Einstein Medical
Center-Montgomery, in neighboring East Norriton.
Existing Land Use
Land Use Changes:
1970 - 2010
Regionally Significant Land
Uses
Types of Landscapes
Land Use Trends
Regionally Significant Land Uses
All land uses are not created equally, even within the same
category. The existing land use map only identifies land
use; it does not reflect the intensity or impact of these uses.
To get a better understanding of land uses in the county and
their potential impacts on abutting municipalities or
communities, it is necessary to identify existing regionally
significant land uses. These uses currently make and will
continue to make demands on community facilities, the
transportation network, and environmentally sensitive land.
In addition to existing uses, proposed developments can
have a regional impact and significance if they get
approved and built. Due to the economy, there have been
only a few proposed developments in the last five years
that are still active and would meet the standards for
regional significance.
LAND USE
REGIONALLY
SIGNIFICANT
STANDARD
NUMBER OF
EXISTING
FACILITIES
Large Multifamily / Attached
Residential Development
500+ units
16
Shopping Center
500,000+ sq. feet
14
Car Dealer Cluster
5 or more dealers
5
Office Campus / Park
1,000,000+ sq. feet
19
Convention Center
50,000+ sq. feet
2
Casino
Any
1
Industrial Campus / Park
1,000,000+ sq. feet
10
Hospital
100+ beds
10
Prison
Any
2
College and University
500+ students
13
Power Generating Station
50+ megawatts
1
Trash Transfer Station
Any active ones
6
Airport
Any
4
Quarry
Active with 20+ acres
7
National Park
Any
1
Incinerator
Any active ones
1
FIGURE 38:
Regionally Significant Land Uses Tally (2012)
Regional impact can come in many forms, including this nuclear power
plant and 605,000 square foot outlet mall in Limerick Township.
Sources: Montgomery County Planning Commission, Montgomery County
Board of Assessment Appeals
