A Sigh of (Zoning) Relief: Love Won

By Jackson De Guzman and Mike Hays

Those seeking poignant storytelling would likely not conjure up a municipal zoning meeting as a hot spot of source material. 

Yet it was a packed room in Norristown at 11:30 Wednesday night that provided an unlikely backdrop. During an emotional public hearing that pitted advocates for the homeless against NIMBY neighbors, testimony went on for over five hours. Zoning hearing board meetings tend to proceed like trials – complete with a stenographer and speakers sworn-in under oath. 

In the end, the board approved a variance by a 4-1 vote that allows the reconfiguration of part of the building on 1430 Dekalb Street into a supportive housing facility for the unhoused. Montgomery County will enter into a 4-year contract with Resources for Human Development.

Among the supporters during a spirited and lengthy public comment portion were....

Council President Rebecca Smith  – At the local library, she met an autistic young man living out of his car. He confided that his grandmother fell and was hospitalized. As an indirect result, he lost her income to help pay the rent. He now spends most of his days going to different places to complete basic tasks like laundry and charging his phone. Wouldn’t it be nice to do those things all in one place, Smith wondered. 

She added that among all the government agencies and nonprofits she has worked with on Council, Montgomery County has been the most engaged and forthcoming. Perhaps that is partly due to one commissioner’s family experience. 

Commissioner Jamila Winder has been open about her brother in recovery, Randy. Clean for 18 months now, she has witnessed a “will” to recover and get back on his feet. It’s that story of redemption that she hopes can fill the 50 available slots at any time, Winder said. 

Commissioner Jamila Winder testified as an official witness, shown here next to Montgomery County Assistant Solicitor Yvonne Montgomery.

Similarly, Raphaela Huff spoke about her family’s Italian immigrant roots and a loved one’s experience with schizophrenia. That experience gave her the empathy to better understand the challenges facing those with mental illness. 

Shireee Crosby-Weeks – An educator who was once homeless in Montgomery County, Crosby-Weeks testified that she has homeless students. She volunteers at TLC for the People in Plymouth Meeting and sees "regular folks," not dangerous people (as some speakers alleged).

Norristown Constable David Biesecker  – Works at the “beginning of the injury of someone becoming unhoused.” His goal is to ensure the safe “separation of someone from a property.” Constables serve official eviction notices from judges in Montgomery County.

“These services are vitally, desperately needed," he said, speaking about emergency, supportive housing. He’s heard a lot of concerns, but most are rooted in fear. 

Denisse Agurto, the president of Unides Para Servir Norristown, persisted after her “connection to the proposal” was initially questioned by Board Chairman Dennis Matthews. (Mike Hays of Montco 30% had the same experience, despite being a board member of the Your Way Home Coc Board, which works to ameliorate homelessness in Montco)

Agurto said her organization wants to ensure that everyone in Norristown has a place they can afford. 

“It’s not about charity. It’s about doing what is right,” she said.

The remainder of this article is a recap of the application and proposed use for supportive housing.

The Initiative: 

The building on 1430 DeKalb St. 

The property currently houses Montgomery County’s Human Services Center, and has historically been used for similar purposes, notably as an assisted living facility for the elderly. 

This project will include short-term housing for up to 50 single adults who pass a rigorous screening process. From there, they would spend an average of 45-90 days getting job search assistance, rehabilitation from substance abuse issues, mental health services, and other programs organized by the county and partner organizations. The end goal is to empower unhoused citizens to regain their footing and stability and act as a transition towards permanent housing. 

The proposal is very clear on what the project will entail. It will not be a drop-in shelter; in fact, intake is not handled by the building itself. Rather, a series of adjacent programs will funnel eligible residents into the program. The site will include tight security measures and will be intolerant of behavior disruptive to the program. The project is also just one part of a comprehensive plan to address the homelessness crisis in Montgomery County, and will accompany similar projects in Pottstown and Lansdale. The specific programs within the building will be carried out by the nonprofit Resources for Human Development (RHD).

Variances with the Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB):

The Municipal Hall

As the building on 1430 Dekalb St. falls within an Office Commercial Retail (OCR) zone, the proposed project is not considered appropriate use under the Norristown code. Rather, the use falls under the R2 or general residential zone. In order for this project to be considered a correct use of the facility, a variance (or individual exception to the standards of use) would have to be granted by the Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB). 

Variances, as per their description in the Norristown General Code, are granted when provisions of the zone create "unnecessary hardship upon the applicant.” In this case, the hardship falls under § 320-357 1. b because the variance is “necessary to enable the reasonable use of the property.” Variances must also not alter the essential character of the neighborhood, be reasonable in scale, and consider impact on adjacent activities. 

The Hearing:

Representatives from the county, RHD and the security advisor testified to the board of five: (Chair Dennis Matthews, Danielle Pierce, Jason Dennis, Kelly Devine, and Andre Hayes)

From left: Danielle Pierce, Dennis Matthews, and ZHB Solicitor Robert Saraceni Jr.

Among the many questions asked of the witnesses, these stood out:

1. What will the screening process entail?

The county and RHD representatives explained the process as being multi-level. It involves checking docket sheets, Megan’s Law, HMIS, criminal record, current residency, and telephone screening. Individuals who may threaten the safety of other residents, who are not likely to make meaningful progress during their time in the program, or who would benefit from other programs would be deprioritized. There are not universal standards because the nuance required for fair and effective intake requires case-by-case evaluation.

2. What safety measures will be in place?

The county, RHD and security representatives explained how on-site security will be present at all times and places in the building. There will be high-definition cameras and motion-activated lighting systems in place. Entrance and exit will be controlled by staff, and verification will be required for reentry.

3. What is the county’s argument that this project meets the standards required for a variance?

Since the use of the building for this purpose does not fall under the use case of an OCR zone, the county cannot continue without a variance. Since the OCR zone exists within a large section of a R2 zone, the change to R2 parameters would be congruent with the surrounding neighborhood. The parameters of the variance are also minimal; similar uses have taken place in the building previously, just at a smaller scale that fell under OCR use cases.

The zoning of the surrounding area

There is always a risk of consequences to property values when creating services for the unhoused. However, the county and the Montco 30% Project believe that the project takes sufficient steps to prevent and negate this effect and will benefit the character of the municipality as a whole.

RHD stated that they plan to be operational in early 2026.