Development Review Votes for Bowman Development

A crowd was gathered at Wednesday night to hear what most likely will be one of the final presentations from on 8200 Germantown Ave. before the next phase of the development.

Over the last several weeks, the Chestnut Hill Community Association subcommittee formed to discuss the matter has been working with the developers to negotiate some key aspects of the project.

Bowman presented the altered plans to the Development Review Committee Wednesday. Some changes have been made to the proposal for the mixed-use building that will be built on the former Magarity Ford dealership lot. The building will sit back an additional three feet from Hartwell Lane, creating more landscaped space between the property line and the sidewalk.

Another change, that was first mentioned at the public hearing before , is that the building will be five stories, instead of the six that was part of the proposal for a while. The building will also use concrete materials, which will allow five stories to come in at around 59 feet above grade, instead of nearly 70 feet, which was once discussed. The fourth and fifth floors will also be set back eight feet and 24 feet, respectively, from the property line, to be less imposing along Germantown Avenue.

A third addition to the plans was a small public park that will be located on Germantown Avenue at the entrance to the parking lot for the building.

Although the subcommittee working on the development voted 6-2 in favor of the proposal, some near neighbors still objected to the plan.

“I see the changes as minor. We are still looking at a five-story building with more density than before,” said Terry Halpert, a near neighbor who . “It is still radically out of scale with our beautiful community.”

Paul Roller, who called himself a “very near neighbor,” as his home and restaurant are adjacent to Hartwell Lane, said he was in favor of the development, but against . “It’s a silly idea,” Roller said.

Several neighbors spoke in favor of the development, as well, saying it could bring more people to Chestnut Hill’s business district.

After hearing from the audience, the Development Review Committee offered a three-part motion, stating formally that the committee hears and appreciates the community’s concerns about the project, that it recommends the proposal to the CHCA Board, and that the proposal is subject to the specifications and design review process outlined in a Community Development Agreement.

The motion passed 4-1 by the DRC and will come before the Monday, Dec. 12.