Narberth Borough Zoning, Housing & Community Issues
Changes to Zoning- 198 Elmwood
Residents of Narberth, the Narberth Borough Council is planning to defy the will of the voters and impose zoning changes that will irrevocably change Narberth’s small-town character
Narberth Planning Commission has already recommended zoning amendments to “support additional housing.” These changes risk permanently altering our small borough’s scale, charm, parking, and neighborhood feel.
They propose major changes to Elmwood Avenue and Montgomery Avenue zoning. These will be voted on soon by Narberth Borough Council. On May 7th, 2026, in the working session, it was made quite clear that the Council will vote in favor of this.
These recommendations are not balanced gentle density solutions. They represent aggressive up-zoning that prioritizes quantity of units over quality of life, with weak safeguards (e.g., only 10% affordable in density bonuses). Narberth is already a desirable, dense, walkable community — further density and reduced parking will erode what makes Narberth special without meaningfully solving regional housing issues.
A quick overview of what is happening…
Narberth already has a form-based zoning, and these are very divisive changes. Most of us residents in the the Commision’s own survey, are against this.
Join our active group in trying to stop this moving forward.