Land use committee likely to back Bowman’s 8200 Germantown Ave. project

The vacant Magarity property, located at 8200 Germantown Avenue, is becoming a sore sight for the community of Chestnut Hill. Bowman Properties has proposed a development that will include a grocery store, townhouses and condominiums that it hopes will restore the blighted parking lot.

The Chestnut Hill Community Association (CHCA) has formed a sub-committee to meet with the developers and neighbors of the property, some of who are concerned over how the development could impact the immediate neighborhood and the community at large.

The Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee chair, Joyce Lenhardt, addressed the group Thursday night with some concerns that the sub-committee had identified in the development process.

At the top of the list was a concern over how the traffic in and out of the site could affect traffic patterns along Germantown Avenue and neighboring streets. In addition to the traffic, Lenhardt expressed concern for the size of the proposed townhouses, which she said are unlike any other townhouses in Chestnut Hill because of a shared alley and “backyard” space, in the form of porches, situated above parking spaces.

In spite of these concerns, Lenhardt expressed confidence that the project could be done well and added that developer Richard Snowden, co-owner of Bowman Properties, has been very patient while working with the group.

Board Member Janice Manzi summarized the development as “a bold move for him (Snowden) and for us.”