Conshohocken Zoning Hearing Board approves variances for office building, garage

By Carl Rotenberg crotenberg@21st-centurymedia.com

An April 7 hearing on several zoning variance requests was continued by the board so Watson could address several construction and zoning issues raised by Zoning Officer Christine Stetler, Solicitor David Nasatir and board members.

The proposal for the 384-by-120-foot office building (Millennium Block A) would be connected to an existing 360-foot long shed office building called Millennium III on the 17-acre site at 200 Washington St. The plans presented by engineer Mike Engel include an open-air amphitheater between the new building and the riverbank and a new six-story parking garage for about 900 vehicles.

Attorney Edmund Campbell Jr., representing the developer, ONeill Properties Group of Upper Merion, said, The revised plans on May 3 have dimensions on the buildings as requested by the board. The parking structure is not fronting the Schyulkill River because we have a buffer lot between the river and the garage.

Stetler said, This is the open space required when Tower Bridge was built.

We worked with the staff to work on a skin for the parking garage to make it not be a garage, said Brian ONeill, the CEO of OPG. The metal mesh would be lit from behind to make the garage lighting less visible.

Zoning board Chairman Richard Barton said the buffer lot allowed the parking garage to be located in the proposed location.

Board members Russ Cardamone and Vivian Angelucci said it appeared the garage was located parallel to the riverbank. ONeill disagreed with that interpretation.

Board member Janis Vacca said the intent of the zoning was to make the garage less visible. Continued...

A cellphone image of a similar screen and backlighting on a Philadelphia building was shown to the board members.

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Conshohocken Zoning Hearing Board approves variances for office building, garage