Marc D. Jonas, Esq. Prevails in Zoning Appeal Involving Adaptive Reuse of Vacant School in Springfield Township
Marc D. Jonas, Esq., prevailed in a zoning appeal before the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, filed by a neighboring property owner attempting to squelch the adaptive reuse of the former Wyndmoor Montessori School in Springfield Township, Montgomery County.
The building, no longer an operating school and in need of significant repair and updating, has been vacant for almost one year. The former school had eight classrooms with an enrollment of 95 children.
The Zoning Hearing Board of Springfield Township approved zoning variances in to permit adaptive reuse of the school building for eight luxury apartments, along with 2-single-family detached homes on the property.
Mr. Jonas, along with Michael E. Peters, Esq., successfully argued on appeal that the Court should accord deference to the zoning hearing board, which is uniquely knowledgeable and situated to determine whether the developer had met its burden with respect to the zoning variances. Mr. Jonas and Mr. Peters cited a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision, contending that the zoning hearing board appropriately considered the preservation of a notable structure, adaptive reuse, and community support for a project.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Mr. Jonas has been named a Leader in Real Estate/Land Use law by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. His peers have recognized him as a Pennsylvania “Super Lawyer,” and he has been selected repeatedly by U.S. News as a “Best Lawyer” in both Land Use and Zoning Law and Land Use and Zoning litigation for the Philadelphia Metropolitan area.
Mr. Peters is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and George Washington University Law School, and has been recognized by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as an “Associate to Watch” in the area of Real Estate/Land use Law.
