Townhome Plan Stirs Discussion on Affordability, Density

The old adage “If you don’t ask, the answer is always ‘no’” has some applicability to housing advocacy. 

Elected municipal officials often find themselves casting votes related to land development proposals from developers. In some instances, those developers ask for waivers or variances from certain code requirements. Currently in Lansdale Borough, council members and the planning commission are in active talks with W.B. Homes over a 74-townhome proposal at 1180 Church Road. 

A community group, Strong Towns, showed up in numbers at a recent council meeting to advocate for preserving a “mixed use” requirement in the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning associated with the 6.6-acre site – adjacent to the Pennbrook train station. Mixed use refers to commercial and residential within the same development. 

“We only get one chance to make this right,” resident and Strong Towns member Meghan Kochersperger said. “We should be building for the future, not ‘now.’”  

Kochersperger, second from the right, waits to speak at the March 18, 2026 Council meeting.

Other advocates with the group, including Alex Sickler, Dominic Frascella, and Dominic Vasturia, voiced support for additional density, bicycle and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, as well as a vibrant mix of affordable housing and businesses. 

To that end, Councilman BJ Breish engaged with W.B. President Chris Canavan, who presented the site plan. Breish asked if Canavan would be willing to consider offering a handful of homes in the development at below-market rates – perhaps in exchange for added density or reduced parking requirements. 

BJ Breish is serving his second term on Lansdale Council.

Canavan, who previously served on the Lower Salford Board of Supervisors, said that he is open to exploring such an arrangement. 

The conversation will now shift to the Lansdale Planning Commission for further edits and changes to the proposed amendment to the Transit Oriented Development overlay district. The property owned by W.B. Homes currently falls within the town’s industrial zoning with the transit overlay on top of that, which borough staff have said currently allows a mix of uses but requires a maximum 20 acre lot size to do so. The small size of W.B's lot necessitated their request for "relief."

Affordability is on the minds of borough officials, which could lead to the addition of “workforce,” attainably-priced townhomes in the final deal. 

“Families like mine are being priced out,” Mayor Rachael Bollens said.

The next regularly scheduled Lansdale Planning Commission meeting is Monday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m.