Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Norristown public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
11 issues in zoning
Backyard chicken ordinance
Norristown residents in R-1 and R-2 districts could soon keep up to four hens — no roosters — under a new ordinance with strict coop, screening and enforcement rules. Existing rooster owners would effectively be grandfathered through the zoning hearing board.
R-2 Residential District Zoning Text Amendment
Ordinance 26-10 would change R-2 residential zoning to allow townhouse and multiplex dwellings, use of the UPCA for lot dimensioning, and revised parking standards — tied to a proposed 48-unit development at 600 E. Fornance Street.
Parking Permit Reductions and Enforcement Concerns
Council formally ordained no-parking signage along the High Street/Linda Lane curve near the Hancock Elementary pedestrian path — signs that had been up for years but were never legally adopted.
Faith Tabernacle House of Prayer relocation to 740 Sandy St.
A church displaced by a 2025 fire wants to build a 10,500-square-foot house of worship with a day care on the old Laborers Local 135 union hall site. The hearing stalled on a parking-advertising technicality, but community testimony was overwhelmingly supportive.
Multi-Unit Property Licensing at 524 Moore St.
Property owner Richard Gallo successfully sought a variance to officially recognize two separate houses on a single residential parcel, resolving longstanding municipal licensing discrepancies for the long-tenanted property.
Lapsed Rental Licenses for Existing Multi-Family Units
Residents expressed frustration over single-family homes being converted into rental duplexes and requested council help in addressing zoning variances and neighborhood impacts.
Multi-Family Residential Rowhouse Standards Amendment
Residents and board members debated the ongoing conversion of single-family homes into duplexes and multi-unit rentals, with residents voicing concerns about neighborhood stability and over-densification.
Chain Street Multi-Family Use Dispute
Property owners and municipal officials are locked in a debate over whether a large, fire-damaged building at 705 Chain Street can legally operate as a triplex or quadruplex or must be restricted to a single-family home.
Dead Storage Facility at 307 E. Airy St.
Red Badge Management is acquiring a former warehouse building across from a meat-packing plant to use for personal and office storage.
Zoning Regulations for Arcades and Amusement Devices
Council considered and adopted Ordinance 26-01, which restricts skill games and amusement devices by eliminating them as primary uses in several districts and requiring conditional use approval in the Commercial Retail district.
Significant Tobacco Retailer Zoning Controls
Council adopted Ordinance 26-03, establishing strict zoning definitions and conditional use standards for significant tobacco retailers, vape shops, and hookah bars.