Reference Card
Current zoning rules for Narberth's 4a and 5b districts, what the Planning Commission originally proposed, and what Borough Council's June 2026 draft direction actually changes
Aongus Flood
changesNarberth BoroughNarberth zoning changesrecodification4a5bparkingMontgomery Avenuereference
623 |2 Minutes, 49 Seconds
2026-03-31 20:00 -0400
Status: Council’s June 18 draft is a discussion framework directing Planning Commission on what to draft. It has not been through a Planning Commission re-review of the specific language and has not had a public hearing on the text. It has not been adopted as yet. Figures in the “Council Draft” column may still change before any final ordinance.
District 4a (General Urban Limited)
| Current Code | PC Recommendation (Feb 2026) | Council Draft (June 18, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max height | 35 ft. / 3 stories | 35 ft./3 stories by right; 45 ft./4 stories with density bonus (10 ft. sidewalk setback + 10 ft. additional stepback for the bonus story from any adjacent less-dense district) | 35 ft./3 stories — hard cap, no height bonus for apartment/condo buildings. The extra height PC proposed is redirected into a new “stacked townhouse” building type (up to 45 ft., by right, non-apartment). Apartment/condo buildings instead get a coverage/setback bonus: 10 ft. front/street-side setback, 70% impervious cover, 60% building cover |
| Parking | 1 space per unit | 0.7 spaces per unit, conditioned on SEPTA pass program participation; affordable and sub-750-sf units exempt | 1.0 space per unit maintained as the baseline — Council declined PC’s reduction. Visitor parking requirement (0.1/unit, added 2021) is repealed. A reduced-parking outcome is reachable only through a new conditional-use path (400-ft. parking study + 20-year Transportation Demand Management plan), available only for projects needing 10+ off-street spaces, and it bars residents from the on-street permit program |
| Apartments | Conditional use, no listed conditions | By right (as it was prior to 2018) | Not explicitly addressed. Council’s direction bullets for apartment/condo buildings cover only the height/coverage/setback bonus package; they don’t restate whether use classification moves to by-right. |
| Rowhouses | Not permitted | By right; 1,400 sf minimum lot, no minimum width; one-, two-, or three-family use | By right, confirmed — 1,400 sf minimum lot, no minimum width. Cottages get the same treatment. This is one of the few items Council adopted from PC without modification |
District 5b (Montgomery Avenue)
| Current Code | PC Recommendation (Feb 2026) | Council Draft (June 18, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max height | 45 ft. / 3 stories | 45 ft./4 stories by right (same envelope, 3-story cap removed); 55 ft./5th story with density bonus, 10 ft. stepback from front and rear façades | 45 ft./4 stories by right — confirmed. 55 ft./5th story bonus also confirmed, but with a stronger compatibility standard than PC proposed: 10 ft. stepback from the front façade, plus 35 ft. stepback from the property line of any adjacent lower-density (“triggering”) residential property — not a flat 10-ft. rear stepback. Includes a front-facade trade mechanism and an individual-neighbor waiver option |
| Parking | 1 space per unit | 0.7 spaces per unit, conditioned on SEPTA pass program participation | 1.0 space per unit maintained (same borough-wide baseline as 4a; see 4a row for the conditional-use alternative path) |
| Apartments | Conditional use, historic lots only | Not addressed as a standalone item in PC’s recommendations (see note) | Not addressed. Council’s June 18 draft only changes the ground-floor-residential rule for mixed-use buildings (residential permitted behind the first 12 ft. of commercial depth facing Montgomery Ave) — a different provision from the freestanding “apartment building, conditional use, historic lots only” rule. These shouldn’t be conflated; confirm the historic-lots provision separately before publishing a “proposed” status for it |
| Rowhouses | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
This card draws on the Narberth Planning Commission’s February 2026 Recommendations for Zoning Changes, Borough Council’s “Proposed Framework for Discussion of Zoning Amendments” (Draft Offered By Michael J. Gaudini, Revision No. 9, June 18, 2026 Business Meeting agenda), and the current Borough of Narberth Zoning Code (Chapter 500). The June 18 draft has not been adopted and may change. The author is a Narberth resident, not a land-use attorney — this is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.