Town Center Consistent Theme in Air Base Redevelopment Plans

Fifteen years, roughly $700 million.

That’s how long it’s expected to take and how much it will cost to redevelop 892 acres of land at the closing in Horsham.

Consultants for the Horsham Land Reuse Authority presented three potential redevelopment options Wednesday night with price tags in the $672 million to $741 million range, not including the estimated $40 million infrastructure costs for road creation, water and wastewater improvements.

W. William Whiteside, HLRA chairman and Horsham Township councilman, said the construction expenses would not be the sole responsibility of Horsham. Whiteside said the township prides itself on its ability to “encourage” developers to help cover such costs.

“These are basic estimates from the 30,000 foot level,” Whiteside said. “I just don’t want people to walk away thinking, ‘oh my God, these are giant numbers that we will have to incur.’ The effort will be to make sure somebody picks up those costs.”

HLRA Executive Director Mike McGee, the township’s former long-time manager, said Horsham has been a “leader” in charging development impact fees, which are then used to pay for road improvements and traffic mitigation. 

“Those new tenants will also be contributing to the solution as well as the problem,” McGee said.

For the various utility and construction expenses, Horsham, following the property’s expected 15-year build-out, will reap the benefits of a walkable, mixed-use development, which could include any or all of the following:

• Town center (proposed as either 14 acres, 48 acres, or 65 acres) 
• A variety of housing (proposed at a minimum of 99 acres)
• An office park (proposed in the 150-220 acre range)
• Open space and parks (150 to 175 acres)
• A school for Hatboro-Horsham School District (about 70 acres)
• A hotel/conference center (14 acres)
• Light industrial uses
• Retail 
• Medical offices 
• Continuing care facilities for the elderly 

Consultant Russell Archambault, of RKG Associates said a former 1,121-acre naval air station in Glenview, Ill., 20 miles north of Chicago - now called “The Glen” - is a model for what Horsham hopes to achieve.

The property, which had housed two runways, has been re-purposed into a mix of residential, business and open space. Its 45-acre town center features 19 restaurants, a movie complex, and retail shops.

The biggest lesson learned?

“Consensus building was vital to being successful,” Archambault said. “They needed upfront champions.”

In addition to what was presented in broad strokes Wednesday, the final plan could also include the last month for various requests ranging from homeless housing, to roads, to an expanded aviation museum as proposed by the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association.

Many of the common themes – including a town center, residential housing and an office park – were repeated on each of the three plans, with different configurations in terms of placement and parcel size.

“I think this is the presentation that everyone hoped to see in February,” Archambault said during the meeting. “We’re going to ask you all to consider all three and tell us which elements you like.”

Index cards were handed to the approximate 150 people who attended Wednesday’s meeting. All were asked to provide feedback on what they liked about the plans, what they didn’t like, and what, if any of the uses, should not be considered in the final redevelopment plan.

Whiteside said the comments would help RKG “formulate the next version of the plan.”

Those in attendance questioned the HLRA and consultants on everything from increased traffic flow – officials said morning peak traffic could increase 17 percent to 26 percent – to the number of housing units envisioned, to how the retail could compete with the handful of malls located 10 to 15 minutes away from the site.

Some worried that traffic from the already taxed Easton Road would be pushed onto residential roads. Others thought that the projected seven single family homes per acre made for too dense a development.

In terms of the 1,200 to 2,000 range of housing units proposed, Archambault said the community – and HLRA - needs to reach a “critical decision point” in terms of what is deemed acceptable.

“Do you want us to clamp down on the density?” Archambault asked. “It may be too much of a risk financially … If we can’t get the return, we’re going to lose money and that’s the worst thing that can happen.”

But, the question still remaining related to the airport. One woman asked if it was “dead.” Horsham resident Peter Steiert said he heard pro-airport people had hired lawyers to fight the HLRA’s decision not to include it in the redevelopment plan.

Whiteside said the HLRA has the “final word.”

“This is America. There’s all kinds of ways for people to continue to fight,” Whiteside said. “From our perspective, an airport’s dead. But, we don’t know what other people can and will do.”

If a legal fight is in the works, airport proponents are keeping mum. Two pro-airport people told Patch after the meeting that they were not involved in and did not know of any legal proceedings.

A woman said she worried that people in favor of an airport could sway the federal government, which must grant the final ok once the HLRA approves its plan in November. 

Whiteside and Archambault agreed that while the military has to approve the plan too, it would not override the local community’s decision.

“They want to make some money on it because they want to sell the property,” Whiteside said. “It’s unlikely that they’re going to say ‘we don’t like your plan.’ “

The HLRA's next meeting is Sept. 21 at 3 p.m.