Miscellaneous

There werer plenty of marching bands in the annual Saint Patrick's Day parade in Conshohocken on Saturday.   The big event also featured the members of several local school groups as well as marching veterans and plenty of fire trucks.   The Ancient Order of Hibernians organizes the parade.   Harleysville resident Tom Coughlin was the Grand Marshall this year.   He's been an active member of the Order for more than 30-years, serving with chapters in both Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Robert Powelson says the state must take the lead in getting more compressed natural gas vehicles on the road.   Speaking in Bucks County on Friday, he said it is cheaper and cleaner than gasoline and the state has an abundant supply in the Marcellus Shale.   Powelson also said Pennsylvania is the Saudi Arabia of natural gas but only about 150,000 compressed natural gas cars are on the road in the United States.

There was standing room only Wednesday night as the Lansdale Parking Authority took a look at the latest sketch plans for the Madison Lot.   Developer Equus Capital Partners wants to put up two multi-story buildings with 250 high end apartment units and almost 20,000 square feet of retail space between them.   The buildings would be constructed one at a time to avoid saturating the market.   A parking garage is also part of the vision for the seven-and-a-half acre site but only after the larger of the two apartment buildings is finished.   The Parking Authority will vote on the plans March 27th.

A Giant-to-Go could be coming in Montgomery Township.   That's a convenience store with gasoline pumps operated by Giant Food Stores.   The township supervisors Monday night granted conditional use approval for fuel sales at the one proposed in the vacant retail strip center adjacent the old Schoolhouse Fabric Store on Bethlehem Pike near Five Points.   It would measure 5,000 square feet and have ten gasoline filling stations.   The vacant building currently on the 2.25 acre site would be demolished as part of its redevelopment.   The project must still get land development approval from the township supervisors before construction can begin.