Germantown has experienced a bit of a development boom recently, so we weren’t shocked to hear about another apartment building working its way through the City’s permitting process. Developers went to the ZBA this week, looking for approval for a 21 unit building at 70-80 E. Wister St., a short stroll from the Germantown Avenue commercial corridor.
While the lot has been vacant for decades, it does have an interesting history. Philomathean Hall, a lodge for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Germantown, once stood at this site. The building provided a space for social functions for the fraternity, cross-subsidized by the four adjacent rowhomes. It’s a shame that this nice looking building was lost, and we don’t imagine there’s anyone left who remembers it.
Last year, the developers tried for a proposal with 28 units and no parking. With Wister Train Station just up the street and Wayne Junction only a 15 minute walk away, this kind of density sans parking certainly makes sense to us, but the neighbors didn’t feel the same. As this is a multi-family proposal on a lot zoned for single-family use, the developers decided that compromise was better than chancing it at the ZBA without community support. The revised plans from 24/7 Design include 11 parking spots and 7 fewer units, but enjoy the support of three local RCOs. This makes ZBA approval considerably more likely, even though we’re not super jazzed about the double-wide curb cut.
Some of the other requests from the community have resulted in additional changes to the project. In reducing the unit count, some of the smaller units were combined into two and three bedroom apartments, which will make this building more family friendly. The community also pushed for the expanded use of brick, which will improve the aesthetic over the original plans. Finally, the inclusion of an elevator will make this building more accessible than other new developments in Philadelphia.
The ZBA didn’t rule at the hearing this week, so we expect to hear something in the coming weeks. After the extensive efforts from the developers to respond to concerns of nearby residents, we really hope this project can proceed. Assuming it does, we’ll be heartened to see more families move to Germantown in the years to come.