BET Investment is seeking an amendment to the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO) to add a B-11 use for a "garage core" multi-story apartment building in the Town Center zone in #NewtownPA Township.
In the 18 June 2024 issue of the Newtown Patch ("Newtown Twp. Planners Advance Plans For 100-Unit Apartment Building"), it was initially stated that the "proposed amendment will now go to the jointure members for consideration, including Upper Makefield, Wrightstown Township and Newtown Township. If all three approve the amendment, the developer would be free to submit land development plans for the project."
This is not an accurate assessment of what was discussed at the 4 June 2024 Planning Commission (PC) where BET asked if their next step was to go before the Joint Zoning Commission to discuss – NOT vote on/approve - their proposed amendment to the JMZO.
[After hearing that I had problems with this statement, the reporter changed the wording to "The proposed amendment will now go before the Joint Zoning Commission for further discussion." My emphasis!]
The PC discussion is presented here starts with comments from the Newtown Planning Commission whether or not they approve recommending to the Board of Supervisors to eventually approve this amendment. In the end, the PC Solicitor outlines the possible next steps that BET may want to take - in particular, going before the Joint Zoning Commission (JZC) to present their plan and get their unofficial FEEDBACK, NOT APPROVAL.
Your new post is loading...
The Newtown Patch article's subtitle states: "BET Investments will now ask jointure members to consider approval of a text amendment that would open the door to the development."*
I do not believe it is up to developers to DIRECTLY ask the Jointure to approve an amendment of the JMZO. Only members of the Joint Zoning Council (Newtown Twp, Wrightstown, and Upper Makefield) have that authority. If a Jointure member wishes to bring this before the JZC, it must FIRST get approval by the Board of Supervisors (BOS) of that member township.
In this case, it would be up to the Newtown BOS to bring it before the Jointure and as the PC Solicitor said this process is "nowhere near" that point!
*After I notified the reporter it was changed to "BET Investments will now go before the joint zoning commission for further discussion."