14 Units Proposed in Chestnut Hill
Senior-focused, five-story building would wrap around historic Detweiler House
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that the residents of Chestnut Hill absolutely love change. Additional density and height are welcomed with open arms as those who live in the area embrace the new neighbors who are joining this cozy corridor.
Lol.
Um, the above couldn’t be further from the truth. But despite the constant pushback - sometimes legitimate, sometimes not - we continue to see projects pop onto our radar in this sough after NW Philly hamlet. And today, at 8226 Germantown Ave., we see yet another new proposal that could soon surround the historic (and protected) Detweiler House, which dates all the way back to 1760.
As you may have guessed, plans here call for a new addition to the property, rising five floors as it wraps around the existing building - which will remain and see a refresh. Plans from Vich Properties call for 14 units and 15 surface parking spaces for this senior-focused community called The Weiler. The design from Morrissey is in context with the surrounding buildings, with its throwback design looking shockingly ornate compared to most new construction today.
A surface parking lot would be accessed between the new construction and the existing building, which would be home to a new cafe. A roof deck will sit atop the mansard roof, which will be covered in the same dark metal panels as the bays that project from the side of the structure. Dark shutters will frame the Germantown Ave.-fronting windows against the red brick, referencing its sister building. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the nature of the project, but the 14 units will consist of 12 two-bedroom units and two additional three-bedroom units.
This project is looking for conceptual approval only, so we expect to see some changes between now and when something finally rises. Additionally, this plan looks to change the zoning from RSA-3 to CMX-2.5, seemingly requiring a variance for this to move ahead. Overall, this looks like something that should hopefully appease the near neighbors, though we would guess that there will be some concerns around the look of the party walls and the lack of parking, despite the greater than 1-to-1 ratio. Expect to hear much more in the coming weeks, as we assume this will be presented at the July 25th Architectural Committee meeting, even though the agenda is not yet posted. So, if you like it or hate it, you’ll have an opportunity to share your opinion soon enough.
As long as the front yard, rusted metal fence is removed, I'm all in.