West Norriton Township to advertise ordinance for zoning of Norristown State Hospital grounds
WEST NORRITON — West Norriton Township officials have authorized the advertisement of an ordinance related to a proposed state institution overlay district on the grounds of the Norristown State Hospital.
The unanimous decision Tuesday permits a 30-day advertisement period for the ordinance that if approved would implement a zoning change for “permitted uses” on the state-owned property. The site currently has the state hospital forensic unit on it.
The most immediate focus of the overlay would apply to the planned construction of a 420-bed forensic unit, also known as the Southeastern PA Psychiatric Treatment Center. The Norristown State Hospital Regional Forensic Psychiatric Center currently has 100 beds, but renderings show a phased approach to increase overall capacity.
West Norriton Township Manager Jason Bobst stressed the zoning updates must be approved before development can proceed.
“Once the zoning is in place, the commonwealth can submit land development plans to the township planning commission for the construction of the new forensic unit on that property,” he said.
Along with the forensic unit, other proposed “permitted uses” under the overlay district zoning on the 67-acre state-owned parcel include hospitals, mental health treatment facilities, practitioners offices, as well as offices for county, state, police, and other nonprofit entities, according to the ordinance, which stipulates that a “homeless shelter and related short term transitional residential uses” would also be allowed.
The concept of a homeless shelter or transitional housing brought a handful of residents out to previous public meetings to express their concerns. While no plan has been proposed, the township has been mentioned as a potential site for a shelter or similar housing, as well as Lansdale, Lower Merion, and Upper Moreland, in a county homelessness task force report.
Recommendations for a 30-to-35-bed shelter potentially within the West Norriton section of Norristown State Hospital land were suggested, aiming to help “those living in encampments,” according to county documents. The report projected a “desired open date” of the fourth quarter of 2024, but formal plans for a shelter have not been presented to the township.
Bobst has said the language in the overlay district proposal does not refer to a specific plan and is intended to ensure the township retains input into any future possibilities.
Other residents have lamented that the language in the ordinance is too vague.
When giving public comment on Tuesday, township resident Kimberly Haymans-Geisler implored elected officials to provide more details. She also inquired about halfway houses and homeless shelters previously on the grounds. The Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center, operated by Resources for Human Development, served as the county’s only shelter for homeless men before closing in June 2022 when the lease lapsed. No new facility has been rebuilt.
“The county planner, through our planning commission, provided the additional design standards that they felt (were) necessary. The state reviewed it and rejected it, and felt they would rather see that come in the conditional use resolution for the property,” Bobst said. “So they’re not rejecting the proposal, they’re just rejecting putting it into the actual zoning ordinance.”
Following Tuesday evening’s vote to advertise the ordinance, a public hearing is expected to follow with a vote at an upcoming meeting in June.
Youth sports nonprofit gets $10,000 grant
Township commissioners awarded $10,000 in federal COVID-19 relief dollars to the Norristown Youth Athletic Association.
The new nonprofit organization seeks to provide sports opportunities for children ages 5-to-13 years old in the Norristown Area School District. Planned programs include cheerleading, football, flag football, soccer, and track.
Norristown Area School Board Vice President Ingrid Parker and member Mao Howell serve as president and vice president, respectively. Leadership positions were also established for each of the participating municipalities of Norristown, as well as East and West Norriton townships. So far, Norristown Municipal Council Vice President Dustin Queenan and West Norriton Township Commissioner Martin Miller have signed on.
The township award of federal money will offer financial assistance to the fledgling enterprise as they aim to support hundreds of students with athletic opportunities. The grant was assigned through West Norriton Township’s share of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“West Norriton looks to build partnerships with organizations that can enrich our community and provide resources to our residents,” Bobst said in a statement to MediaNews Group. “The mission of NYAA aligns with the board’s goal of supporting our community’s youth by providing opportunities to succeed and having fun while doing it. This grant will help further (the) NYAA mission and we couldn’t be prouder to partner with them.”
The next West Norriton Township Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 11 at the township building, 1630 W. Marshall St. Those interested in attending can also do so virtually. Visit westnorritontwp.org for more information.
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