Consider for recommendation to the Board of Commissioners approval of a Lot Consolidation and Preliminary Land Development Plan and Historical Commission application. The Land Development Plan consists of the consolidation of 382 Bala Avenue and 327 Levering Mill Road, including the renovation of the two existing structures, and the construction of a two-story glass atrium with an 860 sq. ft. footprint. The atrium will connect the Hall and Library buildings at both the upper and lower levels and serve as a centralized entrance for both buildings. Both properties contain Class II Historic Resources. This Historical Commission application consists of the proposed atrium addition and the replacement of windows and relocation of doors in the east wing.

The applicant is also requesting the following waiver from the Township Code:

•  §135-3.2.A(1) to not provide a Tentative Sketch Plan.

Expiration Date – 08/31/2025.....................................................................................Zoning – IC3

Owner & Applicant: Zav Eleff

Township Engineer’s Review:

1. The Township Engineer’s review letter dated, July 22, 2025, shall be incorporated by reference into these conditions of approval to the extent the same is not consistent with these conditions of approval.

Permits:

2. Permits shall be required from the Public Works Department for the proposed driveway and work within the Township right-of-way.

3. A permit from the Public Works Department shall be required for the proposed sanitary sewer lateral modifications. If the existing lateral is to be reused, a video inspection shall be required to verify acceptable conditions are maintained.

Stormwater Management:

4. Additional information shall be provided detailing how the existing roof drainage system will be integrated with the proposed stormwater collection for the expanded building.

Fire & Safety:

5. The applicant shall work with the Fire Department to ensure the existing buildings and proposed vestibule comply with an NFPA 13 compliant sprinkler system prior to time of occupancy.

Sidewalk, Curbing, and Driveway:

6. The applicant shall coordinate with the Public Works Department to phase the construction of the intersection improvements, including ADA curb ramps and updated ADA-compliant crosswalks, in a manner that prioritizes the installation of the ADA curb ramp and crosswalk at the corner of Bala Avenue and Levering Mill Road (crossing Bala Avenue). This phasing shall ensure that a safe and accessible pedestrian crossing is available prior to the closure of the adjacent sidewalk.

7. Temporary pedestrian circulation routes shall be provided for the duration of construction.

8. The sidewalk and curb shall be repaired/replaced at the direction of the Township.

9. The applicant shall bring all curbing along Bala Avenue up to Township standards. In particular, the section of curbing that runs along Bala Avenue that goes from Levering Mill Road to the current driveway apron shall be restored.

10. The applicant shall remove and provide an alternative location for the existing dumpster located at the end of the driveway from Levering Mill Road.

11. The proposed site parking shall be approved by the Zoning Officer. It shall be confirmed that no additional parking is required to support the proposed building expansion.

Landscape and Buffer:

12. The applicant shall coordinate the selection, placement, and planting of the proposed three (3) street trees along Bala Avenue with the Township Arborist to meet SALDO Code §135-5.1.C(7).

13. The applicant shall work with Township staff to add additional plant material within the existing buffer to meet the minimum species requirement for SALDO Code §135-5.8.A.6, TABLE 5.8.1

14. The applicant shall undertake an annual program to remove vines from all plant material on the site. Vines shall be removed to the ground. The program shall be included on the landscape plan and on the maintenance and operations (M&O) plans.

15. All trees in the right-of-way shall be trimmed to improve site distance and pedestrian access on the sidewalk. Dead or diseased trees shall be removed.

16. The applicant shall comply with Chapter 59-1 to remove the invasive species on site prior to a certificate of occupancy issuance.

17. A revised landscape plan complying with SALDO Section 135 Article 5, and conditions herein shall be prepared and sealed by a Registered Landscape Architect and submitted with the Final Plan.

18. The applicant shall provide native or non-invasive adapted plant species on the landscape plan.

19. A maintenance and operations plan shall be submitted for the proposed and existing landscaping and other amenities installed as part of this project.

20. Landscape improvements provided for this application shall be perpetually maintained in a healthy and/or sound condition in compliance with Natural Features Code Section 101-11. The applicant shall record a covenant on the property in a form acceptable to the Township Solicitor to guarantee this requirement. A draft covenant shall be submitted with the grading permit.

Architecture/Building Elevations:

21. The stair tread, riser and railings final design shall comply with the applicable building code.

22. The existing and proposed mean grade of the structure shall be calculated and shown on the plan. The architectural plans must be coordinated with and must comply with the grading proposed with this application.

23. Architectural elevations and renderings of all sides of the proposed building shall be submitted with the Final Plan, including the proposed materials.

24. The proposed building shall be constructed substantially as shown on the architectural elevations and plans prepared by OZ Collaborative dated March 25, 2024, last revised July 11, 2025, with the exception of any de minimis changes, including those mutually agreed to with staff.

25. The proposed ADA building entrance/exit ramp at the atrium shall be approved by the Building Codes Officer. Details on the plan shall be coordinated with the building permit plan. Final dimensions shall be approved by the Building and Planning Department.

Utilities:

26. The location of all existing and proposed utilities shall be shown on the plan from the structure to the mains.

27. The location of all transformers and utility boxes shall be shown on the Final Plan.

28. Additional utility improvements resulting in material changes to approved plan including but not limited to the loss of required parking, changes to circulation patterns or the alteration of the quantity or location of proposed landscaping shall require an amendment to the approved plan.

29. The proposed HVAC/mechanical equipment shall be screened on all sides whether on the roof of the building or on the ground. If located on the roof, the screening shall be integrated into the architecture of the building to improve the appearance and better mitigate noise from the unit(s).

Lighting Plan:

30. The lighting plan shall be designed to comply with the IECC or the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 that is in effect at the time of the application and shall be approved by the Director of Building and Planning before recording the final plan.

31. An updated outdoor lighting plan, sealed by a responsible design professional, that includes illuminance patterns shall be submitted with the Final Plan. The location, luminaire type, wattage, means of control and pole height shall be indicated. Lighting shall be designed to minimize the off-site transmission of light, to shield the source of illumination and to prevent glare on adjacent properties. Exterior luminaires shall be full cut-off unless it can be demonstrated that cut-off luminaires are more appropriate and will result in less off-site light trespass.

32. Any damaged or broken light fixtures shall be repaired or replaced as part of this project.

33. The current depiction of the light levels for the site indicate that there are 0.0 footcandles across some locations of the sections of the entire site beyond the limits of the existing driveway/parking area. The applicant shall work with the Township Lighting Consultant to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the lighting for this application prior to recording the final plan.

34. The applicant shall revise lighting plan sheet E001 to align with the landscape and civil plans by removing the existing pathway from the front door of the building at 327 Levering Mill Road to the Bala Avenue sidewalk as well as removing the existing driveway apron from Bala Avenue.

Construction Details:

35. The applicant shall provide additional construction details for the proposed “bike bollard” located behind the proposed atrium to ensure that the bike would not extend across the pathway to the back of the stairs.

36. All proposed impervious surfaces and impervious areas to be removed shall be dimensioned on the plan prior to the issuance of any permits.

37. Top and bottom of curb elevations shall be provided on the civil plans.

38. A temporary circulation plan to maintain pedestrian connections during construction shall be provided prior to issuance of the grading permit.

39. The applicant shall conduct regular street cleaning of all roadways adjacent to active portions of the construction site. Staff shall have the right to order street cleaning more often if there is evidence of construction-related debris in the roadway during the project.

40. The applicant shall submit a parking plan with the permit plan detailing where construction vehicles will be parked. The plan shall be subject to the approval of the Township prior to the issuance of any permits.

41. All construction-related vehicles shall be parked on site or at an off-site location. No construction-related vehicles may park on the street. This includes personal vehicles operated by construction workers or vehicles operated for construction workers, material suppliers, product vendors, and all construction trades engaged in the project.

Standard Conditions of Approval:

42. An as-built plan shall be submitted certifying the amount of impervious surface on the lot prior to finalization of the permit.

43. All signage shall be subject to a separate review for compliance with the Zoning Code by the Zoning Officer.

44. The applicant shall install a Knox Box entry system at the exterior of all commercial, institutional and multifamily residential buildings at or near the main entrance to the building and/or at other locations as determined and approved by the Fire Marshal.

45. If required by a Township Public Safety Agency, all new buildings shall have approved radio coverage for emergency responders within the building based upon the existing coverage levels of the public safety communications systems at the exterior of the building.

46. Any changes to the approved plans shall require the submission of an as-built plan prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. Building and Planning staff can waive this requirement if the changes are determined to be insignificant.

47. New and existing buildings shall have approved address numbers, building numbers or approved building identification placed in a position that is plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting on the property. The address numbers shall be a minimum of four (4) inches (102mm) high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch (12.7mm).

48. A copy of the revised plan shall be submitted with any changes highlighted. A letter shall also be provided with the revised plan indicating how each requested revision has been addressed in the re-submission.

49. The Final Plan, complying with all applicable conditions of approval, shall be filed with the Department of Building and Planning within twelve (12) months from the date of the Preliminary Plan approval by the Board of Commissioners.

50. The owner shall make payment of fees and expenses of the Township’s professional consultants who perform services on behalf of the Township with respect to these plans and the work contemplated thereunder and will establish and maintain with the Township those escrows for the payment of such fees required by Township Code. Owner agrees that any statement from the Township for such fees which remain unpaid for a period of 30 days may be recorded against the property as a municipal lien.

51. The owner shall make payment of the Township Engineer’s inspection fees within 30 days of presentation. A penalty of 1.5% per month will be due for late payments from the date of presentation. If any shares are not paid within 60 days of presentation, the Township may elect to suspend any outstanding permits until all pending charges are settled.

52. The property owner(s) shall comply with all applicable federal, state, county, local and Lower Merion Township ordinances and laws regardless of specific mention herein.