More Apartments, More Restaurants, More Congestion

Newtown Township supervisors will consider enacting an amendment to the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO) to establish an LI/O-LI "Overlay District" at the 12 June 2024 Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting. Overlay Zoning is a regulatory tool that creates a special zoning district, placed over an existing base zone(s), which identifies special provisions in addition to those in the underlying base zone.

At the February 16, 2021, Newtown Board of Supervisors Work Session, Supervisors discussed an Economic Development Committee memo that proposed zoning changes for the LI (Light Industrial) and O-LI (Office-Light Industrial) districts in Newtown Township. The ultimate goal was to attract new, high-paying businesses to the area.

A lot has happened to change the focus of the Overlay, which now includes uses that are beyond what was originally intended, including multi-story mixed use apartments/high density housing and drive through restaurants. 

Why is this a problem? Read what residents have to say...

“We are looking for ways to revitalize the Newtown Business Commons, to both preserve the business office district and address the recent changes in the business environment, where workers are increasingly working from home,” said Peggy Driscoll, Chair of the Newtown Planning Commission NTPC, at the April 26, 2023, Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting.

The most recent proposal by Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC) laid out the details for “Mixed Use” newly constructed apartment buildings in the OLI/LI Overlay Zones; e.g., in the Business Commons area, like the ones shown here in this video (source: BCPC).

“We are optimistic that we will be able to add some residential uses to the Commons to help us attract and retain younger residents to the area,” said Ms. Driscoll.

The problem, however, is that the NTPC and BCPC seem to be at odds about how to implement “mixed-use” residential/retail in the business commons.

In my opinion, food trucks offer an alternative to brick-and-mortar "eating places" recommended by Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC).

Newtown Township hired the BCPC to develop an “Overlay Zone” in the OLI/LI district that would allow more uses in certain areas of the district, especially in the Business Commons area.

Of all the proposed uses, I am most concerned about “Eating Place.” we have many eating places in Newtown and residents are getting weary of seeing them come and go – but mostly keep coming along with parking and traffic issues.

Read why I think food trucks are a better alternative...

At its November 1, 2022, public meeting, the Newtown Township Planning Commission (NTPC) members reviewed the proposed Strategies & Actions of Principles 1 through 8 of the 2022 Draft of the Newtown Area Comprehensive Plan (CompPlan), which was prepared by the Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC).

Each Commission member was assigned to focus on one Guiding Principle. Learn more about the Plan and its Guiding Principles.

• Principle 1: Promote Smart Growth (covered at the last PC meeting)
• Principle 2: Promote Sustainable Development and Protect Natural Resources – Terry Christensen
• Principle 3. Provide Mobility and Connections   - Shelley Howland
• Principle 4. Preserve Open Space and Promote Agriculture – Peg Driscoll
• Principle 5. Build and Maintain Livable Communities - Warren Dallas
• Principle 6. Provide Parks and Recreation – Mary Donaldson
• Principle 7. Sustain and Support our Commercial and Jobs Base – Joel Raab
• Principle 8. Protect Historic Resources – Craig Deutsch
• Principle 9.      Preserve our Villages – Not applicable to Newtown

This is my personal summary of the discussions at this meeting. The NTPC will create an official summary and continue its discussion of the CompPlan at its next meeting scheduled for November 15, 2022.

More...

Highlights

• Report on Bucks County Planning Commission LI/OLI Review: On May 19, 2022, Jeremy Stoff, Planner at Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC), met Newtown Economic Development Committee (EDC) members via Zoom to present an outline of BCPC's plan for a LI/OLI Overlay District; LINK: https://bit.ly/389pMiz
• Lower Dolington Road Multi-Use Trail – Change Order No. 2: Another delay! This time 60 days. What’s going on? Listen to the Township Engineer’s explanation... 
• DVRPC Regional Streetlight Procurement Program Update
• Consideration of Newtown Shopping Center (Bucks Newtown Associates, Inc.) Settlement Agreement. Read “Newtown Supervisors Approve Chick-fil-A Settlement Agreement: Traffic Improvements On the Way!”; https://sco.lt/7QecRU
• Authorization to purchase 3 Police vehicles & Dump Truck utilizing ARPA funds. How much ARPA Fund money is available? See this chart: https://bit.ly/ARPspendingPieChart
• Consideration to send the proposed wireless JMZO amendment back to the Jointure with recommendations. Supervisors Table Decision on 5G Wireless JMZO Amendment (Audio Podcast): JZC Solicitor agrees to work with supervisors to hammer out suggested changes. Listen... 

For more details, read my Meeting Notes. 

A [plan for a] Wawa convenience store with fueling stations on the Newtown Bypass at Lower Silver Lake Road is expected to [be reviewed by] the township Planning Commission on March 1.

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NOTE: At the request of Wawa, this review is rescheduled for April 5, 2022, Planning Commission meeting. In the meantime, the Township will have its consultants review the revised plans and issue review letter. 

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The project is planned for the southwest corner of the intersection, and calls for a 5,585- square-foot store with an additional canopied area having six fueling stations with a total of 12 pumps, according to information on the project provided by township Supervisor John Mack. The 4.9 acre site is not big enough to offer more fuel stations, as stipulated by the township code.

Pedestrian Safety a Concern

The Bucks County Planning Commission reviewed the proposal and sent a letter of recommendations in January to the Newtown supervisors who will ultimately decide on the project. Chief among their consideration is pedestrian safety for those walking to the convenience store along or across the busy, high-speed Newtown Bypass.

“Facilities meant to provide safer pedestrian connections, such as pedestrian refuge islands, timed traffic signals for pedestrians, and crosswalks with flashing beacons, should all be considered. Additionally, a complete sidewalk network along Newtown Yardley Road, from Upper Silver Lake Road to the bypass, should be considered," the county planners wrote to the supervisors. The sidewalks also would provide "a pedestrian connection between the proposed convenience store and the Newtown to Delaware and Lehigh Trail that is currently under study."

"We're thrilled to have this project moving forward," said Michael Cooley, Provco vice president. "This project has been very well received." [Although not by everyone. Read

“Newtown Planning Commission Versus Wawa”;  “Wawa's Request for Zoning Variances Denied!”; “Wawa Survey Results”]

He hopes construction will start in late summer. When it opens, the store and fueling station will have about 50 full and part-time employees.

At the February 3, 2021, Bucks County Commissioners meeting, Evan J. Stone, Executive Director of the Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC), presented a summary of an Alternative Energy Ordinance that BCPC put forward as a model for Bucks County municipalities to use when adopting their own ordinances. Currently, only about 55% of Bucks County municipalities have some kind of alternative energy ordinances on the books.

Listen to the 7.5 minute audio recording of this presentation...

Download the Ordinance

[Image from BCPC presentation shows Newtown-Yardley trail corridor]

Bucks County planners are seeking the public's help to study the viability of new outdoor trails connecting the Newtown area to the Delaware & Lehigh trail system.

The trails will provide a connection between the Newtown area — where the future Neshaminy Greenway Trail, Greenway Trail, Newtown Rail Trail and Newtown area trails converge — and the Delaware River, including Yardley Borough, Washington Crossing and Delaware Canal State Park.

The new trails would essentially bind the communities of Newtown, Washington Crossing and Yardley and may eventually serve as part of the Sept. 11 National Memorial Trail, Bucks County planner Christian Regosch said in a virtual presentation. http://bit.ly/BCPCtrailpreso

Planners are taking community input through Oct. 30. Click here to take the survey. http://bit.ly/BCPCtrailSvy