Whitemarsh Township supervisors will vote Thursday, Oct. 8, on whether to spend $12 million to help preserve 67 acres of the Old Corson's Quarry Site 2 in Plymouth Meeting.

The township's share would be the largest piece of a $20.5 million deal to buy the development rights from property owner Highway Materials. If the deal falls through, a settlement approved in January 2013 permits 192 residential units on the land by right.

The money

The property, near Joshua Road and Stenton Avenue, is appraised at $31 million. Highway Materials has offered to sell it for $20 million, plus roughly $500,000 in transaction fees and financing, according to a Whitemarsh Foundation presentation to the township's Open Space Committee.

The proposed funding breaks down this way:

  • $12 million from Whitemarsh Township open space and general funds
  • $6 million in private donations raised by the Whitemarsh Foundation ($1.4 million secured so far)
  • $2 million from a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant
  • $500,000 from the Montgomery County Forever Green Fund

Whether the DCNR grant and the county contribution have been approved or are still pending is not stated in available public documents.

What happens without a deal

The quarry site's future traces back to a 2009 lawsuit Highway Materials filed against the township over a zoning dispute. In January 2013, supervisors approved a settlement that, among other provisions, established development rights on the land.

The stakes are significant. Under that settlement, 192 residential units could be built on Quarry Site 2 by right once quarry operations end and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) confirms closure. The Foundation's presentation estimates that is more than 10 years away.

The 67-acre parcel sits next to the preserved Erdenheim Farm Sheep Tract and an upcoming section of the Montgomery County Cross County Trail, which would connect to roughly 1,000 additional acres of protected open space, according to the Foundation's presentation.

Path to Thursday's vote

The township's Open Space Committee held a special meeting Sept. 9 at the Koontz Park and Recreation Building and voted to recommend the $12 million contribution. The township confirmed the vote in a Sept. 10 news flash.

MoreThanTheCurve reported on the proposal, noting the Foundation has called the acquisition a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The Foundation, a nonprofit created in 2001, has helped coordinate past open-space purchases including Erdenheim Farm.

To date, Whitemarsh Township has spent $28.7 million acquiring fee interests or easements to protect 350 acres across 15 transactions since voters approved the Act 153 Open Space Fund in 2006, according to the Foundation's presentation.

Residents who want to weigh in can attend the supervisors meeting at the township building or contact supervisors before the vote.