The Sanatoga Post

One of the lake features at Hallman Development's proposed Still Waters Community in Pennsburg

POTTSTOWN PA – “Retirement neighborhood” builder J. Wilmer “Wil” Hallman has plenty to keep himself busy these days.

His Sanatoga PA-based company, Wil Hallman Retirement Development, continues to operate and promote new occupancy of age 55-and-older housing at its well-established Sanatoga Ridge Community, 2641 E. High St. In April (2011) he won Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township zoning approval to erect a new, environmentally friendly apartment complex at Buchert Ridge Community, 2011 Buchert Rd.

And just 14 miles northeast of Sanatoga, Hallman is moving forward on creation of another retirement project called Still Waters Community, located along a five-acre lake at 800 Montgomery Ave., Pennsburg PA.

Unlike Sanatoga Ridge and Buchert Ridge, where one-story, connected single-family units so far comprise a significant portion of the available dwellings, Still Waters’ primary housing will initially consist of apartment homes like those proposed to be built in coming months as the second phase of Buchert Ridge.

Wil Hallman

The Pennsburg apartments, like Buchert Ridge, are expected to be certified by the U.S Green Building Council as meeting some level of its “Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)” rating system, as well as federal Energy Department “Energy Star” requirements. They also will also include a community center with its own library, entertainment areas, a catering kitchen, and offices.

Mass transit access is offered nearby, but unlike that at Buchert Ridge will not have a stop on the community grounds.

The 15-acre community is expected to consist of 50 units in its first phase, of which 42 are apartment homes and the remaining eight would be town homes. Its land development plan won unanimous approval from the Pennsburg Borough Council in February (2011).

Photos from Wil Hallman Retirement Development

This rendering, showing the proposed west end of Buchert Ridge Community, depicts the Creekview Apartments in dark brown. New units would be in the building closest to Buchert Road at lower right.

SANATOGA PA – What is being touted as one of the first development projects in Montgomery County (PA) that would include housing units created to meet the latest standards of a national organization which rates the energy efficiency of buildings has been proposed for Sanatoga. It was introduced Thursday night (Oct. 22, 2009) to the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Board of Commissioners.

To say board members liked the idea is putting it mildly. They publicly praised developer J. Wilmer Hallman for plans he presented, and gave their permission to begin work on adapting the already commission-approved and partially constructed Buchert Ridge Community to reflect  added housing that would be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Hallman must return to the commission and obtain its final approval, once changes to his plans are made, before the housing units can be built in the community at 2011 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA.

The proposal represents an expansion of Phase 2 at Buchert Ridge Community by eight more units than originally approved. The units would be part of a revamped garden-style apartment building of three floors, but it replaces three single story buildings planned for the same location with only a 6-percent increase in the land square footage covered by its foundation.

Retirement development representative Gary Gearhart, left, explains the apartments' energy efficiency during the commissioners' meeting, as township Solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway listens.

The units, Hallman said, would be fully certified under the council’s internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The units would qualify for the council’s LEED For Homes certification, and would allow their owners to save up to 60 percent on electric and gas utility costs, and would cut the community’s water usage by as much as 37 percent, Hallman estimated.

According to the council, LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. “This is good for everyone,” Hallman told board members. “It helps us sell units. It benefits our people by reducing their costs. And it helps the township” by reducing resource consumption. “We’re pretty excited,” the developer said.

So, too, were commissioners. They asked Hallman and Gary Gearhart, a representative of Wil Hallman Retirement Development, about how the new building – to be known as the Creekview Apartment Homes – would be constructed and positioned. They heard details on the various levels of LEED For Homes certification for which the project might qualify. They declared themselves impressed.

“I think this is super,” Commissioner James Phillips said. “You’re seeing a lot of nodding heads up here,” he said of those at the board room table. “I applaud the fact that you’re taking this initiative,” added Commission Vice President Jonathan Spadt.

Although no official motion was made, commissioners – at the recommendation of township Solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway – ensured their written minutes of the meeting reflected unanimous agreement that Hallman could engage his engineer to re-design the existing Phase 2 plans to be considered for future approval. Board President Bruce Foltz was absent from the meeting.

Related (to Buchert Ridge Community):

• Commissioners Warm To Energy-Saving Apartments
• Commissioners Get An Early Start Tonight
• Meeting Moved Up For Buchert Ridge Presentation
• Buchert Ridge Unveiling Final Phase

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ meeting of Oct. 22):

• PennDOT Offers Sanatoga Bridge Work Timeline
• Commissioners Get An Early Start Tonight
• Meeting Moved Up For Buchert Ridge Presentation

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The entrance to the Buchert Ridge Community on Buchert Road.

SANATOGA PA – A presentation, scheduled to be given by builder J. Wilmer “Wil” Hallman of Wil Hallman Retirement Development, has prompted the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Board of Commissioners to move up the start of its Thursday (Oct. 22, 2009) meeting in the municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA, by an hour, to 6 p.m.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

Township Manager Rodney Hawthorne reports Hallman will introduce a proposal, already discussed with township staff members, to build eight additional housing units in the Buchert Ridge retirement community on Buchert Road. If approved, the units would be included on an additional floor in a structure already accepted as part of the development, Hawthorne said. The public may attend.

An advertisement purchased by the township and published in today’s (Monday, Oct. 19, 2009) edition of The (Pottstown PA) Mercury newspaper, Lower Pottsgrove’s publication of record for legal notices, announces the changed meeting time and purpose but does not specifically name Hallman. Commissioners’ meetings usually begin at 7 p.m.

An agenda for the board’s meeting usually can be downloaded in advance from the township website. As of 5:40 a.m. today, only the agenda for its Oct. 5 (2009) meeting was available.

It is not known when, if at all, township planning commissioners will similarly see Hallman’s proposal. The planning board was scheduled to conduct its regular monthly meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the municipal building, but its agenda also was not yet available this morning. It is known that at least two, and possibly three, planning board members said they would be unable to attend tonight’s meeting, creating the possibility it will be re-scheduled.

Related:

• Meeting Moved Up For Buchert Ridge Presentation
• Buchert Ridge Unveiling Final Phase

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