Challenge
Media, Delaware County is an affluent suburb of Philadelphia consisting primarily of low density, single-family homes, many priced above $500,000. Having acquired a vacant five-acre parcel in South Media, Progressive New Homes proceeded to plan a ten single family home development in accordance with the site’s R-3 zoning. That is, until Sarah Peck was approached by local resident Nannette Whitsett who challenged her to build higher-density, more reasonably-priced homes that would fit in architecturally with the surrounding homes. She relayed residents’ concerns that the South Media neighborhood was starting to gentrify, threatening the stability of those who had lived in the neighborhood for generations. She promised neighborhood support for a more compatible type of plan. The developer was intrigued but understood the challenging task of a rezoning, especially since Nether Providence Township had seen minimal new development.
Adding to the difficulty, the property was bisected by a stream which, during heavy rain events, caused flooding to larger homes downstream. Those neighbors had concerns about the impact of the new development on flooding conditions, causing more resistance to a zoning change. As well, the site included a two-acre swath of woods north of the stream which lay contiguous to an existing wooded park; all surrounding neighbors wished a new development to preserve that open space buffer.
Solution
In support of a rezoning, Ms. Whitsett formed a community organization, South Media Neighbors United (SMNU), and proceeded to acquire over 100 signatures on a petition. In turn, the developer designed a product type consisting of two homes in each building footprint. The lower home would be a flat with no steps and the upper home above would be a two-story townhome. The site plan was designed to cluster the units south of the stream, leaving the wooded land north of the stream undeveloped. With an increased number of units, the developer was able to lower the development costs and therefore the ultimate purchase price.
To ensure that some of the units would remain affordably priced, Ms. Peck promised SMNU that the base price of the lower units would be capped at $300,000, escalated only by inflation. The homes were first offered exclusively to South Media residents before the general public could purchase them. The developer also agreed to various contributions to the South Media neighborhood, including a significant donation to renovate the nearby Martha Burton Park. To address the chronic flooding conditions downstream from the site, the developer engineered the site plan to include major storm water management facilities.
SMNU and Progressive New Homes worked in partnership throughout the approvals process, eventually convincing the Board of Commissioners that the community did, indeed, wish to see this rezoning. The case was strengthened by the fact that South Media’s adjacent zoning was already R-5, the same zoning that would permit the developer’s proposed housing concept. After a relentless campaign by SMNU, Progressive New Homes was granted the rezoning and approval to construct 25 units: 22 stacked duplexes and three single family homes. Media Walk sold out in just 18 months, despite the COVID 19 pandemic. The community is an appealing, walkable community that enhances the fabric of the South Media neighborhood and has fostered a thriving relationship of the new owners with the South Media residents.
Missing Middle Housing Meets a Strong Market Demand
Media Walk exemplifies how a developer, the surrounding community and the local government can work to create housing opportunities in higher income geographic locations. It also showcases the concept of “Missing Middle Housing,” a term coined by Seattle planner Daniel Parolek, who advocates for creative, gently dense housing designs that fit compatibly between low density and higher- density land uses. Such Missing Middle
designs integrate visually with adjacent lower-intensity land uses, helping to diversify housing options.