An Upper Gwynedd attorney told an outdoor audience that his clients expect to construct a hospital at a busy intersection of Douglass Township. According to Frank Bartle, a ruling on a zoning ordinance amendment request will determine the footprint and location of that facility.

            Earlier this month, during a zoning hearing, Bartle asked the board of supervisors to approve an amendment that would extend the approved height of a structure from 45 feet, to 65 feet. As part of a proposed medical center on a 21.3-acre property behind the Wawa at 1111 Grosser Road, the developers want to construct a four-story hospital with 85 beds measuring 65 feet tall.

            During an Aug. 18 meeting, Bartle argued that Ken Brier, of Bala Cynwyd, and Ted Drauschak, of Exton, can develop the property in compliance with all existing zoning and land development requirements at the proposed square footage. However, the lawyer explained that increasing the height requirement would allow the developers to offer a superior plan.

            "What these gentlemen are proposing will be an asset to the community," Bartle said, standing in front of an empty engine room at the Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue, facing East Philadelphia Avenue.

            Bartle told the audience that a rejection of the amendment would lead to a three-story structure on a larger footprint and closer to the proximate homes, and might facilitate the need for a parking garage. He said none is currently proposed as part of the development.

           According to the attorney, approval of the amendment would allow the hospital to be constructed closer to Route 100 than is currently proposed and farther away from the closest residences. He said it would also eliminate the need for a parking garage on the property, though none is currently planned, according to a video posted on the township's Facebook page. The developers would like as much flexibility as possible in their search for a tenant.

            Nathaniel Carter, a resident of Summer Hill Drive and a spokesperson for Summer Hill development, asked the supervisors to pause the project until all the township's ordinances are in proper order. He also expressed concerns about the projected increases in traffic the medical center would draw to the area.

            "We're asking for what's appropriate," Carter said.

            The proposed hospital could include a heliport. Bartle described the odds of that inclusion as small, stating that he doesn't expect the future tenant to include a trauma center.

            "My clients will not make that determination," the lawyer said.

            The supervisors did not rule on the request. They might issue a decision at their next public meeting, according to supervisors Chairman Joshua Stouch.

            Kathryn L. Moore, with a Schwenksville mailing address, purchased the property at the intersection of Grosser Road and Route 100 from Edward and Kathryn Moore in March of 2016 for $1 according to property records posted on the Montgomery County website. The proposed use is permitted in the non-residential development portion of the Route 100 Corridor Overlay District by right according to the meeting minutes.

            An official plan has not been submitted, according to Manager Peter Hiryak. A sketch drawing provided in July by the manager shows three pad sides north of the convenience store along Route 100 identified as "Retail 1," "Retail 2" and "Retail 3."

            Separated by a large parking lot, the proposed medical center is identified on the eastern side of the property. It is surrounded by two structures identified as a medical office and as a "senior living facility or an MCB." The plans show a new township road farther east.