The Urgency:  On Friday, March 11, 2016, the residents of Narberth learned that the Borough of Narberth had issued a permit for the demolition of Narberth’s Church of the Evangel at 198 Elmwood Avenue. The razing of our 125-year-old historic church would be a tragic loss to the fabric of Narberth. 

The Background:  In 2015, the Narberth Planning Commission unanimously recommended creating opportunities and incentives to preserve the Borough’s remaining former civic institutional buildings, including the Church of the Evangel, by permitting mixed residential and commercial uses within the structures. The Montgomery County Planning Commission and the Lower Merion Conservancy supported the recommendation. Narberth Borough Council passed Ordinance 984 creating these mixed-use opportunities by a 4-3 vote.

Although Ordinance 984 was vetoed by Mayor Tom Grady, Narberth’s proposed Form-Based Zoning Code presents another opportunity to save our beloved church that sits at the heart of Narberth as a gateway to downtown. The Form-Based Zoning Code embraces preservation and restoration of our former civic institutional buildings by providing the opportunity for mixed-use projects that re-energize buildings that have outlived their original purpose, while maintaining the look and feel of our community.

We firmly believe mixed use of the former Church of the Evangel is in the best interest of the Borough, due to its proximity to mass transit and downtown. The addition of more workers and jobs to the Narberth community continues Narberth’s tradition of home-grown, small-scale industriousness, and contributes to the well-being of our downtown shopping district.     

We remind the members of Borough Council that they represent all residents of Narberth, and we encourage each member to think through all aspects of this issue carefully. This may be the sole remaining way to guarantee this cornerstone of our community remains standing.

The Action:  We, the undersigned, urge Narberth Borough Council to pass a version of the Form-Zoning Code that allows our former civic institutional buildings to be used for limited commercial purposes by establishing a conditional use process to ensure that such uses are compatible with the surrounding area and that the historic character of such buildings is preserved. We ask Mr. Gordon to be patient while Borough Council works collaboratively to pass the Form-Based Zoning Code.