198 Elmwood Avenue — Narberth Borough Council History

Property: Former site of the Baptist Church of the Evangel
Owner/Applicant: 198 Elmwood Avenue Partners
Current Status (as of June 2026): Vacant lot; identified by Planning Commission as a prime candidate for by-right apartment development under proposed zoning reform

Older History

More history of the original site here

2016 — Initial Land Development Application

April 2016 — The subdivision and land development application for 198 Elmwood Ave is first presented to the Building & Zoning Committee (caucus meeting, April 6). The proposal: demolish the existing Baptist Church of the Evangel and replace it with a single apartment building.

April–June 2016 — Sketch plan reviewed across multiple caucus meetings (April, May, June). The proposed building has a 42-ft × 114-ft ground-level footprint, 18 residential units, parking for 10 cars within the building at ground level, 6 surface spaces, and 2 on-street credit spaces. Three zoning waivers are applied for, justified in part by alignment with the new form-based zoning code. Sidewalk/curb disrepair at the property is flagged; the Borough Solicitor notes that active land development proceedings defer any immediate requirement for repairs, but a temporary fix is agreed to with the owner.

June 30, 2016 — Council votes to grant a 90-day extension of review for the sketch plan (Resolution motion; application designated 2016-001).

August 15, 2016 — Council adopts Resolution 2016-027, granting tentative sketch plan approval for one version of the proposal (designated 2016-004). Councillor Weisbord leads the discussion, noting that council is approving the building envelope as presented (18 units) and cannot later reduce it unilaterally. Applicant’s engineer: Chris Yohn; applicant’s solicitor: Fred Fromhold.

September 19, 2016 — Council adopts Resolution 2016-029, granting tentative sketch plan approval for the other proposal version (designated 2016-001).

2017 — Preliminary & Final Plan Approvals

April 5, 2017 — Building & Zoning Committee briefed on preliminary plans (information only). Borough Solicitor makes a formal statement regarding impropriety/self-dealing concerns unrelated to the applicant.

May 3, 2017 — Caucus meeting. Engineer Chris Yohn presents updated plans. The original 18-unit / 16-parking-space scheme has been revised. The Narberth Planning Commission reports its conclusions: it does not recommend approval of the preliminary plan due to limited building capacity and parking, but indicates a slight reduction in units and footprint would resolve the issues. Public comment includes residents opposed to the waivers and in favor of preserving the church building.

May 17, 2017 — Council adopts Resolution 2017-010, Consideration of Preliminary Plan for 198 Elmwood Avenue. Moved by Weisbord, seconded by Fortner. Passed.

August 16, 2017 — Council adopts Resolution 2017-016, Final Plans — 198 Elmwood Avenue Land Development. Moved by Wegbreit, seconded by Tevlin-Moffat. The Borough Engineer (Dan Malloy) identifies 13 outstanding items in the plan requiring correction before construction can begin. Motion passes unanimously with the understanding corrections will be made.

2018 — Redevelopment Plans Revisited

August 15, 2018 — Jason Gordon, listed as a resident of 198 Elmwood Avenue, speaks during public comment about potential updated redevelopment plans for the property. No further detail recorded in the minutes.

2021 — Demolition Permits & Bridge Easement

February 17, 2021 — Councillor Rickards asks for the status of demolition permits for 198 Elmwood Avenue in the Engineer’s Report. Borough Manager West suggests following up with the Building Code Official.

August 18, 2021 — Council considers Ordinance #1035, taking of a portion of 198 Elmwood for a Bridge Easement (related to the Narberth Avenue Bridge project). This is a condemnation proceeding.

2022 — Condemnation Settlement & Start of Demolition (Stalled)

April 21, 2022 — Council approves the Post Condemnation Settlement for 198 Elmwood as part of the consent agenda. The deed has been submitted to the courthouse and is being followed up; anticipated recording by April 15, 2022. (This is for the Parcel 2 ROW required for the Narberth Ave Bridge project.)

August 2022 — The Borough Engineer’s report notes the property owner/contractor has mobilized excavation equipment on site and installed erosion controls. A pre-work site meeting is held with Borough staff, the property owner, and the contractor. Work is not yet underway — the contractor needs to modify the erosion controls and provide notice to the Borough for inspection prior to starting demolition.

November 17, 2022 — Council goes into Executive Session to discuss a litigation matter related to 198 Elmwood.

December 2, 2022 — The first round of approximately 12 Notices of Violation is sent to the owner of 198 Elmwood via certified mail, covering property maintenance violations.

2023 — Enforcement, Litigation & Demolition

January 19, 2023 — The Borough Solicitor files 12 property maintenance complaints with the court. A court date is initially scheduled for February 24 (later corrected to March 9, then April, then June). Executive session held re- s litigation matter.

February–April 2023 — Ongoing executive sessions regarding 198 Elmwood litigation. Engineer’s reports each month note Borough staff and Solicitor are in contact with the property owner regarding code violations and demolition. No visible progress on site.

March 2, 2023 (Work Session) — Internal tracking document lists “198 Elmwood Code Enforcement” and “198 Elmwood Easement” as open action items.

May 18, 2023 — Solicitor reports monitoring the demolition permit process. Court date scheduled for June 7.

June 15, 2023 — Court continued from June 7 to permit the demolition to proceed. A pre-demolition meeting is held with the contractor and property owner. Borough field engineer begins monitoring work on site. Land development plans have also been resubmitted to the Borough.

July 20, 2023 — Engineer’s report confirms: demolition of the existing building is complete. The contractor’s equipment has been removed from the site. The site needs to be stabilized with vegetation and the construction entrance cleaned up before the demolition permit can be closed out. Borough is reviewing the resubmitted land development plans. Executive session held re ongoing 198 Elmwood litigation.

August–December 2023 — Each monthly engineer’s report repeats: demolition complete, site stabilization (vegetation/sidewalk crossing) still outstanding, no further update. Solicitor fees for 198 Elmwood continue to appear in the schedule of bills.

2024 — Post-Demolition: Plan Resubmission & Utility Coordination

January 2024 — Demolition still listed as complete but site not yet stabilized.

February 2024 — A Street Opening Permit (24-000032) is issued for 198 Elmwood Ave (completed January 26, 2024).

March–May 2024 — Solicitor reports coordinating plan resubmission with the applicant and Borough each month. No major milestones.

April 2024 — The Narberth Ave Bridge project team notes that PECO’s ROW group is having difficulty obtaining a signed ROW form from 198 Elmwood Avenue Partners — emails and voicemails sent. This is flagged as a risk to the bridge project timeline.

May–June 2024 — Street Closure Permit (24-000203) and Street Opening Permit (24-000205) issued, both completed May 10, 2024. Solicitor’s bills include “Final Plan Review — Land Development” for 198 Elmwood.

2025 — Zoning & Planning Context: TOD and Housing Opportunity

April 3, 2025 (Work Session) — A planning presentation on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) identifies 198 Elmwood as “a large vacant parcel” and “an excellent location for TOD”, situated directly across from Narberth station and adjacent to existing multi-family housing. Multi-family housing is described as appropriate for this site.

August 21, 2025 — The Narberth Planning Commission’s housing analysis names 198 Elmwood Avenue as one of the best opportunities in the Borough for new multi-family housing, given it is vacant, reasonably sized, and has no historic building protection.

2026 — Zoning Reform Targeting the Site

February 19, 2026 — During public comment, resident Carolmarie Scanlon (Sabine Ave) asks whether any Council members have spoken to prospective developers for 198 Elmwood (and 201 Sabine). No on-record answer provided.

May 21, 2026 — The Narberth Planning Commission’s proposed zoning amendments include allowing Apartment Buildings as of right (currently by conditional use only) on lots of sufficient size in the 4a district. The proposal would reduce the street frontage setback from 25 feet to 10 feet for apartment buildings. Only three lots in the 4a district would be affected, and 198 Elmwood is explicitly named as the one most likely to be developed in the near future. A Planning Commission member raises concern about the reduced setback, but it is noted the change would only realistically affect these three corner parcels.

Summary Timeline