Home Care In North Wales, PA

A Perkiomenville non-profit no-kill cat rescue and surrender is bringing new life back to the old North Wales Pharmacy location in North Wales Borough as a thrift shop and adoption center.

Feline Frenzy Cat Rescue will hold a grand opening for its Feline Frenzy Thrift Shop & Adopt on April 1 at 107 South Main Street. All proceeds from the thrift shop will go to the rescue.

Anyone who comes out to the grand opening will be entered to win a Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia night out package valued at $409, which includes overnight accommodations at the hotel in a deluxe king room and a $100 property dining credit.

The rescue is now accepting donations of unwanted clothes, knick-knacks, household items, jewelry, kitchen items, furniture and more, according to its Facebook page. Donations can be scheduled for drop off by emailing [email protected]. The same email can be used to reach out for sponsoring a kitten.

According to its Facebook post, customers can peruse gently-used items while drinking complimentary coffee and petting all the cats.

At present, Feline Frenzy Cat Rescue is looking for volunteers to help at the new location by watching over the cat area to ensure kittens are happy and being treated properly. A volunteer application is available through the website.

According to their website, Feline Frenzy Cat Rescue is a no-kill shelter for kittens and cats that have been rescued or surrendered. The felines live cage-free at the adoption center on Cepp Road in Perkiomenville and provide for homeless kittens and cats until they find a “furever” home.

Feline Frenzy also accepts donations of cat supplies, including dry and wet food, new or used toys, litter boxes, pet carriers, litter, cat beds, scratching posts, and cleaning supplies.

Contact Feline Frenzy at 267-797-2045 or via email.

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Flames and thick smoke could be seen coming from the clubhouse of a 55-plus community in Montgomery County Wednesday morning, leaving residents without one of the vital places in their lives.

Firefighters could be seen pouring water onto the fire at the community center at the Village of Neshaminy Falls off Stump and Horsham roads in North Wales, Pennsylvania.

There are hundreds of people living in the senior community, a resident told NBC10's Katy Zachry. Some of them witnessed flames coming from the clubhouse around 5:30 a.m. and called 911, Montgomery Township Fire Chief Bill Wiegman told NBC10.

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The rec center -- a lifeline for some residents where the people 55 and older gather do aerobics, play cards, gather for other activities and even vote -- had yet to open for the day when the fire began.

The structure was made mostly of wood and didn't have sprinklers installed so it went up fast, Wiegman said.

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"Crews went interior, at first, to try and put the fire out from the inside," Wiegman said. "While they were inside battling the blaze, the roof from the area where the most fire was came in and collapsed."

At that point, it became a defensive firefight, Wiegman said. Other Montgomery County fire departments joined the firefight as a second alarm was struck.

The fire continued to smoke as the sun began to rise. However, by 7:10 a.m., most of the flames appeared to be extinguished as firefighters continued to battle the fire.

Before 8 a.m., very little smoke was still rising from the gutted structure.

It took crews hours to get the fire under control. A backhoe was brought in to demolish some of the remaining walls and expose more hot spots.

There were no reports of injuries, county dispatchers and firefighters said.

The black smoke was still wafting in the air Wednesday morning as resident wondered how quickly the vital part of their lives would be rebuilt.

"That was our social life," resident Patti Klei said. "It's very important to the community, we have events there everyday and in the evenings. And, for some people it's the only activities they get to do."

NBC10 reached out to McKee Builders - the company that owns the village of Neshaminy Falls - but have not yet heard back.

There is no word yet on how quickly the community center can be rebuilt.

A new zoning map for North Wales could pass key steps in September, while town officials are already looking at what’s next.

Council heard an update recently on the next steps toward updating the town’s zoning map, and another public discussion that could follow.

“We’ll have a public hearing, and then assuming that all goes as planned, we will then ask council to vote on the September 12th agenda, to put the new text amendment into an ordinance, which would be effective October 1st,” said borough Manager Christine Hart.

In March, council announced that the borough planning commission had started talks on text amendments to allow new uses in areas like the transit-oriented development district that was adopted in 2009. That TOD zone was the subject of an attempted update in 2014, which was voted down due to resident concerns about dense development and protecting historic properties, then was successfully updated in 2021 to modernize definitions and allow new uses in the area.

The planning commission and MCPC started a review of the town’s zoning map last year, hosted an open house in May to field feedback, developed a summary of the changes in early July, and created a dedicated page on the borough’s website detailing the changes later that month ahead of a final round of planning commission talks on August 2. Council then voted on Aug. 8 to advertise the zoning map update for action at a future meeting, after talks on how the new map and text were meant to update codes, expand the town’s commercial business district, encourage redevelopment and preservation, and streamline approvals for certain projects.

During the Aug. 22 council meeting, Hart gave an update, saying the legal advertisements had been done since the earlier August meeting, with an advertised public hearing slated for Sept. 12, during council’s meeting that night. Building on that effort, the manager said, the borough planning commission has started talking next steps.

“A spinoff of this text amendment is looking at the next phase for implementation of changes in our 2040 plan, and that is the possible expansion of the Historical Architectural Review Board district,” she said.

The “North Wales 2040” comprehensive plan is a document created by years of public discussion and feedback in 2016-18 that spells out a series of goals and recommendations for the town. The HARB district is an area of the borough roughly centered on Main Street that is subject to special provisions in the borough code, where exterior alterations to residences or businesses must be vetted by the borough’s Historical Architectural Review Board, which can make recommendations aimed at protecting “the distinctive character of North Wales Borough.”

Since the planning commission voted ahead the zoning map update earlier this year, Hart told council, she and the town’s HARB chairman have met with a state expert on such districts to see the current HARB area up close, and look at where it could be expanded.

“We did a complete walkthrough of the current district, and looked at potential expansion. We looked at areas that were once, back in the late ’90s, were suggested, and for whatever reason had not been part of the first HARB district,” she said.

“We all know the historic architecture of our community. The residents, and those who visit, have indicated that preserving that is important to the integrity of North Wales Borough,” Hart said.

As she spoke, the manager showed a map of the borough with the current HARB area shaded, and areas for potential expansion circled or highlighted in red, including near the intersection of Montgomery Avenue and Seventh Street, near Fourth and Summit Streets, between Church Road and Montgomery to Sixth Street, and blocks near Swartley Street, Shearer Street and Water Street.

“We want to go out to those other areas that once were identified as ‘Should be protected,'” Hart said. “Twent-five years now have passed, and we’re seeing architecture that is unique, and is part of our fabric.”

For now, that map is only a draft, and the HARB board and planning commission will continue talks before making any formal recommendations to council, and staff will contact residents in those areas that could be impacted, according to the manager. Resident Andrew Berenson asked if those residents would be contacted before any hearings or charges or after, and the manager replied, “Absolutely before.”

Berenson then asked for details of the scope of the expanded areas, and Hart said those are still very much up for discussion.

“We looked at going up to Washington Avenue, but only encompassing some corner properties that are of historic, contributing value,” she said.

“Some of the areas that we have squares around, they’re not 100 percent filled with homes, that would be what they consider contributing to a historic district. So, at times, you can kind of make a little L, or an extension,” to target certain properties but not full blocks, Hart said.

Berenson asked if those properties would be more formally spelled out in any map update for council to consider, and the manager replied that they would — and said some residents in those areas already know what’s in the works since they saw the walking tour.

“Several people did see a lot of us walking around, and asked what we were doing,” she said.

“Nothing’s been written in stone. We’re examining the potential. And the weigh-in of those residents, if we decide to move forward with this, will be very important.”

Councilwoman Wendy McClure added that she heard feedback from residents during the zoning map discussions who knew little of that ongoing conversation, even though the planning commission and council had discussed it for months beforehand.

“A lot of people, during the zoning (discussion), said they never heard of anything happening. So, I think, starting today, we’re starting to talk about it,” McClure said.

“You’re here, so you’re interested, and you ask questions, but it would be great if we could have that not happen: people saying they never heard about it,” she said.

One more factor, Hart added: the current HARB has the power to make recommendations, but no requirements.

“A lot of times there’s a misconception of ‘Now I’m going to be in a HARB, and what my house looks like, I have to change it.’ That’s not the case. Everything will remain status quo, unless a property that’s in the district takes on a front, structural change. That’s where HARB weighs in,” she said.

“We don’t go through paint colors, we don’t make you change anything. If you want to add a structure or alter a structure that has a front-facing façade, then HARB will weigh in,” Hart said.

And council President Sal Amato added another qualifier: newer properties may not be impacted, only those with historic character as defined by the codes.

“If you’re in a historic area, and you have a house that was built in 2010, obviously it’s not going to come under HARB’s purview,” he said.

Councilwoman Sarah Whelan then asked if the HARB had authority over any side improvements, and Hart said the only such case would be on corner properties where a property has more than one frontage. Berenson then asked if roofs were also under HARB’s purview, and Hart said most are: “Yes — unless it’s flat.”

And for those interested in serving long-term, the HARB currently has a vacant position, for a term running through 2023 that must be filled by a licensed real estate broker. Other vacancies include three open slots on the town’s human relations commission, for terms running through each of the next three years, and one spot each on the Nor-Gwyn Pool commission through 2023, and on the civil service commission through 2025. Any resident interested in applying can send a letter of interest and resume to Hart at [email protected] or addressed to the borough manager, 300 School Street, North Wales PA 19454.

This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit www.thereporteronline.com.

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After almost 20 years of making artisan and bespoke sausage, it is time to bring home the bacon.

Brothers Bob Zimmerman, 56, of North Wales, and Karl Zimmerman, 54, of Souderton, along with friend Doug Perry, of Lansdale, established their sausage-making business in 2003. As time went by, they gathered more and more fans of their specialty meats.

Soul Brothers Meats — named after "Soul Brothers of Kung Fu,” a favorite 1970s kung-fu flick that Bob and Doug loved during their high school years at Lansdale Catholic — produces high-quality sausage, sourced from local farms, and mixed with local ingredients.

By Summer 2024, it will have a new brick-and-mortar retail and production facility behind Ten7 Brewing Company on East Walnut Street in North Wales Borough.

"The products we are producing there are intended to be USDA certified. We don’t have that yet, but we are still in the build-out process,” said Bob Zimmerman, who is also an Air Force veteran. "We want to ship it, not just to Pennsylvania, but New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and so forth. There are not a lot out there that are artisan style that are USDA certified.”

Soul Brothers Meats offers a variety of sausages, either fresh, dry or as charcuterie. All meats are made with locally sourced chicken, beef, or pork.

"Think of broccoli rabe with sharp provolone and roasted red pepper, or an Italian with Calabrian pepper paste with Italian parsley and parmesan cheese — these are very artisan-style items. On the smoked sausage side, we have kielbasas and summer sausages. Our third product is dried sausages, like capicola and prosciutto, like a charcuterie board,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said the quality of sausage is the most important. Their sausage, for instance, is made from pork shoulder, but fat is added because the meat gets too dry, Zimmerman said.

"What makes us different from a sausage-making standpoint is we focus on quality of protein we get. We source hogs from local providers,” he said. "Chicken, beef, and just about every protein you can think of, we have several recipes for what we can make.”

Even vegan sausage is on the agenda.

"From an owner standpoint, our mission is to break away from the whole standard sausage as Italian. There are Korean sausages, sausages that are Greek-based and ones from Africa and South Africa,” Zimmerman said. "Every time we talk to someone, they say, ‘Listen, where I came from, we had this sausage. I’d love to get my hands on it.’ Part of it is being able to introduce the local community to sausages that are country-based that a lot never tasted.”

When Soul Brothers Meats opens its doors, customers will see a retail section, a wholesale section, and a production area. With wholesale, Soul Brothers Meats can sell bulk sausage to local restaurants, wine makers and the like.

The retail portion will not be a butcher shop. It will be a simple grab-and-go situation.

"We don’t cook any food,” Zimmerman said. "You come in and buy and say thank you come again.”

Customers will be able to choose various types of smoked, fresh, and dry sausages, along with cheeses. About three-quarters of the building will be for production. The intention is to have a window into production so customers can see the whole clean sausage-making process.

"This was completely hobby-based. We never charged for anything,” Zimmerman said. "Why the brick-and-mortar is coming about is, we never sold it and didn’t want to sell it in a way that would somehow come back and bite me or do something detrimental to all of us doing it.”

For 22 years, the Zimmermans and Perry, as well as three other friends, would make 800 pounds of sausage at a time, and stuff it in the freezer. They would often use the meat to barter.

"After doing it for so long, and so many saying they love it, it became an opportunity to say I enjoy doing it, it’s fun, and it brings creative space to me to let that out,” Zimmerman said. "It’s a sharp move away from what I do every day for my primary business, which is credit card processing. This is being funded by BKZ Consulting Partners.”

There was no better location for their new business than North Wales Borough.

"Keeping it local was a part of it. I was born in Souderton, I grew up in Montgomery County, went to Lansdale Catholic, and I’ve been here the whole time,” he said. "I stayed in North Wales because being in my hometown is important to me. Community is important to me. And it’s also nice because I knew so many people, and to hear them say ‘Thank God you’ve started selling’ is neat and exciting.”

Visit their website to learn more about the business.

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Work on a long-planned renovation of a former church and office building in North Wales could start within weeks.

“We’re hoping to see some construction start in October,” said borough Manager Christine Hart.

The former church and adjacent offices at 125 North Main Street have been discussed since late 2016, when council bought both as the church faced declining membership and growing maintenance costs. Since then, the office space has been rented for art classes and use by local nonprofits, and the church area hosted several public concerts after the St. Luke’s United Church of Christ congregation held their final services there in April 2022.

That month, council started talks on a project to renovate and update both buildings, including upgraded HVAC systems, widened doors, natural gas heat instead of oil, and conversion into flexible space for shared use by local nonprofits or agencies, creating spaces to provide services in a local setting during emergencies like the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. "

Two grants were secured in July and October 2022 respectively, in September of that year the town hired outside consultant CM3 Building Solutions as an energy services company to oversee and detail the energy efficiency portions of the project, and in June 2023 council awarded a $2.7 million contract for CM3 to oversee the renovations and energy upgrades for a project expected to run through 2024.

At that time, CM3 presented a series of renderings showing what the 1908-vintage church and 1974 office addition could look like after renovations, with classrooms, office and storage space being converted into a banquet hall and accessible restrooms and facilities. A new chair lift would be added near the main staircase, energy-efficient LED lighting would be installed to cut down on utility bills, and wiring throughout both buildings would be replaced to allow for future upgrades; the roughly $2.7 million project would largely be covered by $2.2 million from the two grants and an additional $500,000 from a 2020 borough borrowing.

Council voted in August to grant roughly $33,000 in waivers for permit costs related to the project, and Hart gave an update Tuesday night on new developments since that vote. A pre-construction meeting has been held with CM3 and their project general contractor, materials have been ordered, and passersby may see a new addition at the church itself.

“We did erect the sign, that’s required from the funding: you’ll see that there’s a very big sign in front of 125 N. Main Street that talks about the project and the vendors involved,” Hart said.

The project’s architect is currently working on finalizing details, and staff will keep council’s buildings and ground committee updated on new developments, according to the manager.

North Wales borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the borough municipal building, 300 School Street. For more information visit www.NorthWalesBorough.org.

This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit www.thereporteronline.com.

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