Zoning change approved for Valley Forge museum, hotel complex

Controversial plans for a museum, hotel and conference center on 78 acres of privately owned land within the boundaries of Valley Forge National Historical Park took a step forward Wednesday night when the Lower Providence Planning Commission voted to support a zoning amendment the developer said was necessary for the project to succeed financially.

Thomas M. Daly, president and CEO of the American Revolution Center, said that the 99-room hotel, conference center, and other amenities would generate money to support museum programs.

Township residents at the meeting were nearly unanimous in their opposition, fearing that the project, with an estimated 725,000 visitors a year, would bring too much traffic to the residential area and disturb open space. Many said that the museum should be moved back to its original site near the park's Welcome Center.

The American Revolution Center, along with Montgomery County and the township, has a deal to buy 125 acres from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for $7.1 million.

The supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed amendment for the $150 million project on Sept. 6, and possibly vote on it that night. Due to the expected crowds, the hearing will be held in the Arcola Intermediate School.