The Montgomery County Commissioners and Planning Commission celebrated transformative, sustainable and innovative projects as well as those whose vision is having a measurable positive impact on their communities. (Credit: Montgomery County)
This annual program, sponsored by the Montgomery County Planning Commission, recognizes the best in planning and design, advocacy, and environmental stewardship in Montgomery County.
This week the Montgomery County Planning Commission announced the winners of the 2024 Montgomery Awards. Five outstanding projects and their creators, along with a community advocate dedicated to revitalizing Norristown’s institutions and investing in its citizens, were all honored Monday evening at a special celebration in the Schultz Community Center of Meadowood Senior Living.
This annual program, sponsored by the Montgomery County Planning Commission, recognizes the best in planning and design, advocacy, and environmental stewardship in Montgomery County and acknowledges the high-quality work and commitment of communities, organizations, and professionals.
The five projects receiving 2024 awards are:
“Congratulations to all of the award winners on their beautiful and inspiring projects,” said Jamila H. Winder, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “These projects are not only changing the landscape of our communities. They are also changing lives by fostering community engagement, sustainability, commerce, quality of life, and inclusivity.”
In addition to these outstanding projects, Al Zone, Executive Director and CEO at Elmwood Park Zoo, is the inaugural recipient of the Charles J. Tornetta Planning Advocate Award. This award honors the legacy of Charles J. Tornetta, who inspired planning excellence and served Montgomery County for over half of his life as a leader and member of the Montgomery County Planning Commission Board. Al received this award for his leadership in stabilizing and revitalizing the Elmwood Park Zoo and for his commitment to the Norristown community.
“This award has been renamed after Charlie Tornetta, who loved Norristown and devoted his life’s work to development in his community,” said Winder. “Al Zone, like Charlie, has dedicated his work to the Norristown community through the transformation of Elmwood Park Zoo.”
This year marks the 57th anniversary of the Montgomery Awards program. Since its inception in 1967, 245 awards have been presented throughout Montgomery County. Over the years, many types of projects have been awarded, including residential, office, and commercial developments; redevelopment projects; community revitalization efforts; transportation improvements; historic preservation projects; and open space and park planning. All of these winning projects are best practice examples of planning and design in the county.
“When we talk about making Montco a great place to live, work, learn, and invest, we mean it for all of our residents,” said Neil Makhija, Montgomery County commissioner. “This includes present and future residents, and also those that are part of our history.”
“I want to congratulate all of our award winners,” said Tom DiBello, Montgomery County commissioner. “These projects demonstrate the very best in planning and design for our communities.”
The details of the award-winning projects are as follows:
Freeland Square, an outstanding residential infill redevelopment project, received a 2024 Montgomery Award for collaborative planning process, creative design, and lasting community benefits. This outstanding project carefully fit a new townhome community into the existing street grid to add residential density within walking distance of the downtown, contributing to the walkability, neighborhood feel, and economy of one of Montgomery County’s iconic borough Main Streets.
Martha’s Community Farm, an innovative food bank garden and food forest riparian buffer project, received a 2024 Montgomery Award for community impact, environmental stewardship, and partnership collaboration. This exceptional project, which demonstrates creative vision and a unique approach to solving food insecurity challenges while implementing environmentally sensitive practices, provides a sustainable community asset that not only serves the community but also relies on the community for success.
Souders Station Square, an exceptional revitalization project, received a 2024 Montgomery Award for revitalization, historic preservation and adaptive reuse, and community destination. Through a collaborative effort led by community leaders, this successful project saved an essential cornerstone of the borough’s history and created a new, appealing commercial center that serves as a catalyst for economic growth and a popular destination for residents and visitors.
The First Avenue Linear Park & Road Diet, an ambitious road improvement project, received a 2024 Montgomery Award for multimodal design and planning, collaborative process, and innovative programming. This progressive project, which enhances an already vibrant King of Prussia District by incorporating open space, streetscape improvements, and amenities, exemplifies how a collaborative and context-sensitive site planning process can create an appealing destination for workers, residents, and visitors for years to come.
The Jenkintown Creek Restoration: Stormwater Retrofit at Alverthorpe Park received the 2024 Environmental Stewardship Award for its unique approach to retrofitting stormwater infrastructure into an existing township park with minimal site disturbance. This excellent project, which resulted in water quality improvements, habitat creation, and environmental education opportunities, exemplifies the benefits of interagency cooperation and site-sensitive stormwater design.
Al Zone receives the inaugural 2024 Charles J. Tornetta Planning Advocate Award for his commitment to the Elmwood Park Zoo, the Norristown community, and the vibrancy and growth of Montgomery County. Under his leadership, the zoo was saved from financial hardship and transformed into one of Montgomery County’s premier attractions and employers, annually drawing an impressive 800,000 to 1 million visitors to Norristown to experience the zoo and its top-level attractions.
Visit www.montgomerycountypa.gov/MontgomeryAwards for more on the 2024 winners, the awards program, and previous award recipients.
