This issue focuses on: Blue Point Grill to Open in July with Bigger Patio, Business Commons "Mixed-Use" Mix-Up, LED Streetlights Study Approved, Recent Meeting Notes, More...
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Newtown News of Interest
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Newtown News of Interest
These Scoops are excerpts from articles published in local newspapers and other sources that may be of interest to Newtown area residents. Please click on the "From" link to access the full original article. Any opinions and "insights" appended to these article summaries are solely those of John Mack and do not represent the opinions of any other person or entity. Curated by johnmacknewtown |
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From
patch
The Blue Point Grill (BPG) on Monday, May 1, 2023, asked the Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board for relief to build an outdoor paver patio to accommodate additional seating at the soon-to-open seafood restaurant at 3 West Road.
UPDATE (May 1, 2023): In a unanimous vote, the Newtown Zoning Hearing Board granted the owners of Blue Point Grill permission to expand its outdoor dining area on the north side of the building by 960 square feet, enough to fit an estimated 12 to 16 additional tables. BPG will now need to amend the conditional use application, which means one more appearance before the board of supervisors. More...
The 976 square foot patio would increase impervious surface at the site by .10 percent, which the planning commission determined to be a de minimis impact and recommended against any opposition.
The supervisors followed the recommendation of its planning commission agreeing not oppose the variance request.
johnmacknewtown's insight:
There is already a small patio at the side of the building. It currently seats 36. The expansion will
- Add 64 more seats than current patio
- Total outdoor seating = 100
- Total seating outdoor and indoor = 245
Related Content:
- “24 April 2023 Meet Mack Monday Presentation” (Video); https://sco.lt/8pptMe
- “Newtown Planning Commission is OK with Blue Point Grill's Conditional Use Application. Liquor Will Be Served!”; https://sco.lt/82MA0e
- “Blue Point Grill Seafood Restaurant Coming To Newtown Township. Owner Says There Will Be No Parking Problems & No Single-Use Plastics”; https://sco.lt/60VF9E
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From
www
Welcome to the April 24, 2023, Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting! I am John Mack, your host and a Newtown Supervisor. Each month I host a Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting to inform residents of items that are of interest to them and to get feedback and comments from them. This helps me keep better informed of residents’ concerns when voting on important issues at supervisor meetings.
This short 14-minute presentation focuses on the following topics:
* Single-Use Plastics Ban – What McCaffery’s Market had to say about it at April 3, 2023 EAC meeting. Some survey results will be presented.
* Business Commons Overlay – Specifications for “Mixed” Residential/Business use presented to Newtown Planning Commission by Bucks County Planning Commission
* PFAS In Our Drinking Water: EPA is proposing drastically lower safe limits. How do these limits compare with measured amounts in our water?
* Lower Dolington Road Trail Fiasco: Residents are disappointed in the progress or lack thereof.
* LED Streetlights Feasibility Study
* New Plan to Fix Villas of Newtown Detention Basin – Another project that has been plagued by delays. Bids accepted for new solution. Will It Work?
* Tractor Trailer Trucks Parked on Lower Dolington Road Are An Eyesore & Hazard – What Can Be Down About It?
* Deluca Construction of 2 single-family houses at 70 Twining Bridge Rd - Seeking relief in connection with a proposed subdivision of a 3.08-acre parcel into 2 lots where the lots will not comply with the dimensional regulations of the CM district. Another potential “historic resource” threatened?
* Wawa Update – Decision by ZHB regarding Amended Challenge to Validity of the JMZO put off to May 4, 2023. Why?
* Blue Point Grill Patio Expansion – The owners are seeking relief to install a 976 sq.ft. patio which will exceed the max. allowable impervious limitation for Newtown Shopping Center. More seating, less accessible parking space?
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Agenda Items:
- Consideration to send a letter in accordance with the BCATO request related to the potential BCWSA sewer sale
Public Hearing - Blue Point Grill (BPG), 3 West Road - Conditional Use
- Piccolo Trattoria, 32-34 West Road – Conditional Use
- Consider approving zoning enforcement settlement agreement re Gun Shows at the NAC Sports Training Center
- Consider adopting a Resolution authorizing the placement of a referendum on the November 8, 2022 general election ballot seeking voter approval of an additional one-half mill of real estate tax annually to support ambulance, rescue, and other emergency services
- Authorization to draft a Resolution supporting Abortion rights
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The News of Interest (NOI) e-newsletter features content curated from articles published in local newspapers and other sources.
The August 2022 issue of NOI topics include: No Gun Shows at NAC, Yes or No to EMS Tax Referendum? Pedestrian Safety, No Sewer Sale? Abortion Rights Resolution, More…
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From
patch
On Wednesday night, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors gave conditional use approval for the family-owned [Princeton-based Blue Point Grill aka BPG] to open at 3 West Road next to the TD Bank at the Newtown Shopping Center.
[BPG will also have a bar and serve alcohol; read “Newtown Planning Commission is OK with Blue Point Grill's Conditional Use Application. Liquor Will Be Served!”; https://sco.lt/82MA0e ]
"We're not going to be a bar to drink. We're going to be a restaurant to eat," said Jack Morrison, the owner of BPG. "If you're coming for a cocktail at 10 p.m. that's not who we are."
Morrison is projecting that 75 percent of BPG's sales would be food with alcohol sales making up about 25 percent. "Our sales of alcoholic beverages will be to complement our food sales," said Morrison.
While the supervisors approved hours of operation of between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., Morrison said the restaurant will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and initially from 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with the possibility of lunchtime service in the future.
In addressing concerns over parking, Morrison's land development lawyer Mike Meginniss noted that the seafood house would be a complementary use to the neighboring TD Bank, which shares the 52 space parking lot.
"We believe this is a good synergistic use with the peak hours of the bank during the day and BPG being a dinner operation," said Meginniss.
Meginniss also noted that employees will be directed to park in the ACME parking lot across the street to keep the parking lot open to BPG customers.
"We also believe this will be a less intense use from a traffic standpoint than the Corner Bakery because the average customer will stay for about one and a half hours," said McGinnis.
johnmacknewtown's insight:
The Planning Commission report stated that the applicant will work with the landlord to enhance crosswalk markings for diners who may park on the opposite side of West Road.
In his testimony, Mr. Morrison said “Mr. Mack asked at … the meeting with the planning commission that we bring over New Jersey’s … really pretty stringent sustainability program of no single-use plastic, no straws. We've been working with that and Mr. Mack asks that we would bring that program over and we're happy to do that as well.”
Related Content:
- “Blue Point Grill's Liquor License Transfer Not Approved”; https://www.johnmacknewtown.info/bpgliquorfail.html],
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anti single-useThe applicant is seeking conditional use approval to open a seafood restaurant (Blue Point Grill aka BPG) at 3 West Road in the Newtown Shopping Center. This is the former location of the Corner Bakery, which is no longer in business at that location. The hours of operation will be 4 PM to 11 PM on weekdays and 11 AM to 10 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
Jack Morrison, the owner of BPG, confirmed that he is seeking approval for 145 indoor seats. Also, there are an additional 36 seats in an existing outdoor seating area, which will be used on a seasonal basis. Some PC members were concerned about the parking and traffic problems this number of seats would cause.
There was also crosswalk safety concerns as many patrons would have to cross West Road to get to and from their cars parked in Gap/ACME lot. It was agreed that these crossings would be made safer by repainting the bars to make the crossings more visible to motorists.
Liquor License
The floor plan includes an “Raw Bar” that seats 6 people and a regular "Bar" that seats 9 people. Recall that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) denied BPG’s application to transfer a liquor license from an East Rockhill Township tavern primarily because supervisors felt the Newtown was already over quota for liquor licenses (read “Blue Point Grill's Liquor License Transfer Not Approved”). Mr. Morrison informed the NTPC that BPG signed a contract to obtain a Newtown liquor license from Dolce Carini (Friends Bar & Grill), which has gone out of business.
Potential Environmental Impact
Recall that Newtown recently passed an anti-single use plastics resolution that urges the business community and residents to consider alternatives to single-use plastics (read “Newtown Township Anti Single-Use Plastic Resolution Makes Local News”). I asked in Mr. Morrison if BPG would comply with that resolution when packaging “doggie bags” for patrons to take home. He said he would have no problem with that.
Although some members were concerned about parking, the PC agreed that it will advise the NT Board of Supervisors to approve this conditional use application.
More details...
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From
darik
Wawa’s beer offering continues to expand in Bucks County, as the company’s presence in the liquor market in Pennsylvania continues to grow.
Wawa began selling beer in 2019, and is slowly expanding its locations with liquor licenses.
Beer is currently available at Wawa at 600 N. West End Boulevard in Richland. The Wawa store, which opens this summer at 639 E Lincoln Highway in Middletown and Bristol-Oxford Valley Road in Bristol Township, has safe keeping licenses, and will open alongside beer sales.
According to data from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, approval for a license is pending at Wawa 3659 N Easton Road in Doylestown.
Wawa’s licenses are in the “restaurant (liquor)” category, and an establishment must have a seating area in its store to sell these products, something that existing Wawa stores must enforce. [See Insights below.]
Wawa CEO Chris Gessens told the Philadelphia Business Journal 10 new beer-selling Wawa stores are planned for Pennsylvania in 2022.
Sean Kelly, press secretary for the PA Liquor Control Board, said that since Act 39 of 2016 came into law, “we’ve seen an increase in the number of grocery stores and convenience stores that have thought about obtaining a liquor license.”
Act 39 replaced more than 35 sections of the state’s liquor code and allowed supermarkets, restaurants and hotels to sell alcohol and malt/beverage beverages.
Will beer be sold at the Newtown Wawa if that project is approved by the BOS? See insights below...
johnmacknewtown's insight:
According to the JMZO E-30 ordinance, which allows combination convenience stores and gas stations in the Jointure, “The following accessory uses and the sale of the following items shall not be permitted: Indoor seating…” Consequently, the planned Wawa on Newtown Bypass – if approved by the NT BOS – will NOT be able to sell beer. However, it is not inconceivable that once the planned store is approved, Wawa can come back to the township and ask for a “variance” to allow it to add indoor seating.
Even if it were to obtain that variance, the BOS would still need to approve any liquor license transfer from an out-of-town business as was the case with the Blue Point Grill application; see https://youtu.be/vGvJJazt3VE
Related Content:
- “If Wawa Comes to Newtown, Will It Be Able to Sell Beer & Wine Like the One in Middletown?”; https://sco.lt/6FfX96
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Legalization of Cannabis, LOVE is LOVE, EV Charging Stations, Blue Point Grille: Transfer of Liquor License, 2022 Road Program, Sycamore Street Improvements, Divestiture of Russian Stock, Live Stream Video of BOS meetings, Fire Services Agreement with Newtown Borough, First Phase of ARP Spending, More...
This is my personal summary of the March 9, 2022, meeting of Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.
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Newtown News is a monthly collection of summaries of articles curated from various news, township meetings, and other sources, focused on topics of interest to local residents.