Horsham's Future Development Plans Omit Airport

The Horsham Planning Commission gave the green light Tuesday night to two documents that will guide the future development, particularly in and around .

If the advisory body’s recommendations are carried out and the Horsham Township Council adopts an and an , future runway use will be given a red light, at least in terms of township land use planning documents.

The comprehensive plan, which acts as a blueprint for Horsham’s future development, identifies the military property as being best used for “smart growth” initiatives featuring mixed-use developments including employment centers, key recreation areas, a central location for “limited retail, not big-box retail,” a variety of housing choices and a traditional town center, according to township planner E. Van Rieker.

Van Rieker said the idea is to “comment generally on the value of certain assumptions for the (892 acres of) surplus land and conclude very little.”

That, is, of course with the exception of the elephant in the room – the runway.

“We’ve concluded that the runway shouldn’t stay,” Van Rieker said, reasserting the and its hope to bordering the base. “If that’s the case we need to get some other roads through and across it.”

The township’s official map, the other document that goes hand-in-hand with the comprehensive plan, also identifies the roads that Horsham hopes to acquire and extend through the base property.

Horsham resident Mike Fitzpatrick, said Privet Road, one of the roads Horsham included in its proposal, is “already a problem.” 

“There’s no throughway,” he said, adding that people drive too fast and neighbors are concerned.

Planning commission member Tim John said he was disappointed that the comprehensive plan didn’t have language specifically prohibiting high-rise buildings.

“The thing that has saved us for the past 30 years from having any high-rise buildings in the township has been the runway,” John said.

And, while the township council is poised to hold a public hearing on both the official map and the comprehensive plan on July 13, it will be at best many months, if not years, before the future of the air base property is decided.

The Horsham Land Reuse Authority, the group tasked locally with weighing in on the base redevelopment, has until December to submit a plan to the Department of Defense. Although some residents – and elected officials – have been vocal about their wishes for those plans to not include an airport, the to continue use of the 8,000-foot runway for commercial purposes.

As outlined, the airport does not fit into the comprehensive plan and certainly does not jive with the official map. Planning Commission Chairman Heinz Heiduk said that’s ok. If the airport - or other uses not included on the plans - come to fruition, the documents can be amended. 

“We know this is a living document,” Heiduk said. “There’ll be some changes to it.”