Montgomery County · Franconia · MCPC #26-0093-001
Living Branches - Derstine Community
Cowpath Road, Franconia, PA · 69 homes, 3,000 sq ft non-residential, senior living · 26.79 acres
About this project
The project proposes 69 age-restricted semi-detached homes and a clubhouse on approximately 27 acres at Cowpath Road and Kingsfield Drive in Franconia Township. The property requires rezoning to the Residential Living for Older Adults Overlay District and will include interior roads, community walking paths, and access infrastructure.
County planning commission: Supports, with comments
Issues raised: Rezoning to Residential Living for Older Adults Overlay District required for approval, Pedestrian crossing treatment needed at Cowpath Road and Kingsfield Drive intersection, Interior walking paths lack clear connections and crosswalks between segments, Interior path width should be 6-8 feet minimum, not 5 feet, to accommodate two wheelchairs
- Applicant
- Edward Brubaker
- Zoning
- R-130
- Approvals needed
- rezoning to Residential Living for Older Adults Overlay District
Filing history
- 2026-04-07 · MCPC #26-0093-001 · Land Dev Plan, Prelim Plan · 69 homes · 3,000 sq ft
County review letters
2026-04-07 · FRANC 26-0093-001r.pdf
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
Living Branches, a nonprofit senior-living provider, proposes 69 age-restricted semi-detached (twin) homes and a small clubhouse of about 3,000 square feet. The site is about 27 acres at Cowpath Road and Kingsfield Drive in Franconia Township. It is known as the Derstine tract, near the Souderton Mennonite Homes campus.
The land is not currently zoned for this use. The township would first have to rezone it under an overlay for older adults. Township planning records say the overlay would let the tract be used for residential living for older adults, and that it would work together with the existing retirement community. The plan includes interior roads, walking paths and access infrastructure.
No news coverage or opposition was found. The township planning commission listed the application on its April 2026 agenda, and again on its July 2026 agenda as continuing business.
What it could mean nearby
- Interior roads and a new access point on Cowpath Road would add some traffic, but no traffic study was found.
- The 69 homes are age-restricted, so they would add few or no school-age children.
- Community walking paths are part of the plan.
- The clubhouse is small, so few jobs are likely.
Where it stands
The rezoning and the development application were still under township planning commission review as of the July 2026 agenda. Next come a recommendation to the township supervisors, a vote on the rezoning, and then subdivision and land development approvals. No final decision was found.
- Jul 6, 2026 Planning commission agenda lists the application as old business
- Apr 7, 2026 Latest county filing
- Apr 6, 2026 Application first appears on the planning commission agenda as new business
- Dec 1, 2025 Planning commission discusses the proposed older-adult overlay ordinance for the tract
Want to weigh in? The Franconia Township Planning Commission reviews the plan first, and the Board of Supervisors makes the final decision on the rezoning. Residents can comment at their public meetings, and the township website lists the dates.
Who's behind it
Living Branches · Living Branches is a nonprofit senior-living system formed in 2008 from Souderton Mennonite Homes and Dock Woods. It runs retirement communities in Souderton, Lansdale and Hatfield.
Around the web
- Planning Commission agenda, July 6, 2026Franconia Township · Jul 6, 2026Lists the Living Branches Derstine Community application as old business, so review was continuing.
- Planning Commission agenda, April 6, 2026Franconia Township · Apr 6, 2026Shows the application listed as new business.
- Planning Commission minutes, December 1, 2025Franconia Township · Dec 1, 2025Records discussion of the older-adult overlay ordinance for the Derstine tract and the permitted home types.
Planning terms explained
- Overlay district
- An extra set of zoning rules laid over the existing zoning to allow a specific use, here housing for older adults.
- Rezoning
- A formal change to the land-use rules that apply to a property.
- Age-restricted housing
- Homes limited to residents above a certain age, usually 55 or older.
- Semi-detached (twin) home
- Two homes that share one common wall.
- Land development
- The township review of a site's layout, including roads, utilities and buildings.
Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.
Scope estimate for contractors
Estimated construction value: $16.1M
- ~345 roofing squares
- ~69 HVAC systems
- ~69 kitchens / 138+ bathrooms
- ~62,100 sq ft of finished living space
- ~30 roofing squares (assumes 1 story)
- ~7 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)
- ~26.8 acres of site work (grading, stormwater, landscaping)
- Community walking paths with pedestrian safety improvements
- Interior road network and access driveway
- Clubhouse facility