Two developers looking to construct a medical center in Douglass Township have withdrawn their application for a zoning text amendment. On Monday, Frank Bartle – the Upper Gwynedd attorney representing Ken Brier, of Bala Cynwyd, and Ted Drauschak, of Exton – appeared before the township supervisors to express their desire to eliminate a request to extend the approved height of a structure from 45 feet to 65 feet.

            Bartle also sent a letter expressing a similar sentiment to municipal officials, according to supervisors Chairman Joshua Stouch. He said Tuesday morning that the developers haven't given up their plan to construct a medical facility, which will include at the intersection of Route 100 and Grosser Road.

            According to the supervisor, the developers look forward to continue working with the municipal officials and the homeowners association of a neighboring community – known as for Summer Hill – to put forward the best possible design to serve the community.

            In August, Bartle told an outdoor audience that his client – Site X, LLC – expect to construct a medical office and a hospital on a 21.3-acre property at 1111 Grosser Road. According to Frank Bartle, a ruling on a zoning ordinance amendment request will determine the footprint and location of that facility.

            "We thank the board and the community for allowing us the opportunity to present our requested height amendment in the recent hearing," Bartle wrote in the letter, obtained from municipal manager Pete Hiryak. "We look forward to working with you as we move forward on that issue and others in the future." 

            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, 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 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.

            During an Aug. 18 meeting, Bartle argued that Brier and Drauschak 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.