Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on February 24, 2015

By Cheryl Allison callison@mainlinemedianews.com @cherylmlmn on Twitter

In earlier decades it was the warehouse of a theatrical lighting supply company. More recently, it filled a need as offices and a storage facility for the Lower Merion School District during construction of the new Harriton and Lower Merion high schools.

Now it will play a role in the spiritual life of its community.

In a final vote Feb. 18, township commissioners approved the Lower Merion Synagogues preliminary plan of land development for the parcel. The building will be converted to house a mikvah or ritual bath facility.

In other action that night, commissioners also confirmed earlier committee votes to approve development plans for a twin- and townhouse project in Ardmore and a major new apartment complex in the City Avenue district in Bala Cynwyd.

The action on the Union Avenue application is the final public step in a process that began in May 2014, when the Lower Merion School District sought approval to sell the property it had purchased six years earlier. It announced it had reached an agreement of sale with the synagogue, located nearby on Old Lancaster Avenue, the high school projects having been completed.

According to Director of Operations Patrick Guinane, the purchase price under the agreement was $880,000. The school district had purchased the less than half-acre parcel, occupied by the 8,200-square-foot warehouse building, for $975,000 in 2008, according to Montgomery County land records.

Last fall, the townships zoning hearing board granted a special exception for the synagogue to use the property as a non-residential religious use in its R4 residential district, with some other relief from lot requirements. It denied a request to provide an on-site caretaker apartment.

In its plan for use of the property, the synagogue will remove some of the existing parking lot, retaining 17 parking spaces. Just under 3,000 square feet of impervious surface will be removed to provide new landscaped buffers with adjoining residential properties. Total impervious surface will be reduced from 95.9 percent to 78.6 percent.

In earlier meetings to review the plans, the synagogues use has been welcomed as a low-intensity use. Neighbors have supported the plan, having worked out provisions for the location and screening of mechanical equipment. Continued...

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Synagogue plan for mikvah use on former Lower Merion School District parcel moves ahead

Category: Synagogue
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