Summary of 12 June 2024 BOS Meeting
This is my personal summary of the June 12, 2024, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.
Access the 2024 BOS Chronicle for detailed summaries of all 2024 BOS meetings to date. Also, access the (UNOFFICIAL) 2024 BOS Voting Record.
Agenda Items, Discussions, Decisions, and More
- Public Comment
- Minor Approvals
- Planning Commission Report
- Public Hearing
- Manager's Report
- Other Items of Interest
Terry Christensen Comments on BET TIS, Housing Density
Planning Commission (PC) member Terry Christensen, criticized the Corners at Newtown Traffic Impact Study (TIS) provided by the developers (BET Investments). The study was presented at the 4 June 2024 Planning Commission meeting. Mr. Christensen suggested the study was incomplete because it did not take into account the traffic that would be generated by the nearby approved Steeple View development in the Borough. Mr, Christensen also questioned the methodology by which housing density was calculated which suggested a much lower density than would be expected. Listen to/View his comments below:
Related Content:
- “Mack's Summary of 6 February 2024 #NewtownPA Planning Commission Meeting”
- “Planning Commission Report to #NewtownPA BOS: Corners at Newtown Text Amendment”
- “Another ‘Upscale’ Apartment Building Complex Proposed In #NewtownPA Township”
- “Corners at Newtown Apartment Plan Raises Concerns Among #NewtownPA Planners”
- VIDEO: “Redevelopment Plan for Corners at #NewtownPA Place Presented to Planning Commission”
Minor Approvals: Pollinator Garden
Supervisor Elen Snyder had to defend her Roberts Ridge "Pollinator" proposal against criticism by supervisor Phil Calabro who thought a local landscape architect should be given the job. Mr. Calabro also said & that Ms. Snyder over-stepped her role. Supervisor Kyle Davis thought the project cost too much. Listen to/View the debate and comments below:
In the end, the supervisors approved the project by a 3-2 vote (Calabro and David voting nay). Estimated costs include:
- Plants: $6,260
- Labor: $2,600
- Mulch: $580
Paid from “Deferred Revenue” account. At the meeting, I specifically asked if the "Reserve Fund" could be used for the proposed purpose (Pollinator Garden in RR Park) and was assured by the Township Manager that it could be used for any purpose specifically in RR Park. I was aware of previous discussions about the NAC donating money to a "tree fund" but could never find such a designated actual fund. After some research, I found the original discussion of a "tree fund" in the transcript of the March 10, 2021 BOS meeting (see the transcript of the discussion). I was the one who suggested the money could be used to plant more trees in RR Park! So, maybe there was a loose definition of “trees” that allowed this money (about $9,200) to be devoted to a "garden." In any case, I believe this use is in the spirit of the wishes of Mr. Worthington and NOT an “abuse of power.” To me it means more children (e.g., from nearby Goodnoe Elementary School) and residents can enjoy a walk though the trees that have already been planted in the Park. Just planting more trees would not be as educational and enjoyable as the garden, IMHO.
Planning Commission: Indoor Pickleball Club
“Applicants are seeking to convert the Bed Bath and Beyond store to a Pickleball Club with 11 courts and associated locker room, pro shop, etc. Hours of operation would be from 6:00AM until midnight. This club would require membership. The Commission recommends that the Board of Supervisors grant conditional use approval for PB Newtown LLC, subject to compliance with the Review letter of CKS dated May 29, 2024.”
Planning Commission: JMZO Amendment - Garage Core Apartment Building
“After very lengthy discussion (listen to a segment of that discussion regarding traffic issues and zoning concerns) on the impacts of the proposed addition of up to 150 new residents to the Township in these rental units, the Planning Commission voted 5-4 to recommend that the Board forward this draft amendment to the Jointure for consideration. Among the members it was clear that if the amendment were adopted, the applicant would still need to go through land development. We discussed requiring Conditional Use, rather than use by right for the apartments. Any redevelopment of this property must also be reviewed by our Historical Architectural Review Board.”
Public Hearing: Amending the JMZO to establish the LI/O-LI Overlay District
As I explained in my recent Patch article (“#NewtownPA LI/O-LI Overlay Ordinance Problems”), I am opposed to this ordinance. This ordinance includes new uses that were not originally considered including the following APARTMENT uses BY RIGHT, which means that the BOS has limited ability to prevent this type of development, which seems popular these days:
- Mixed-Use Development, use J-1 (read, for example, “Challenging Traditional ‘Euclidian Zoning’ As It Applies to Newtown Township”)
- Town Center Apartments, use B-20 (read, for example, “Corners at Newtown Apartment Plan Raises Concerns Among #NewtownPA Planners”)
There was a rather contentious debate regarding this amendment. Listen to/view the “discussion” on Youtube. The motion was eventually tabled and this item will be on the July 10, 2024 BOS meeting. It is hoped that a representative from the Bucks County Planning Commission, which authored the plan in consultation with the Planning Commission, will be there to answer questions
Highlights from the May 2024 Newtown Township Police Department Report:
- 2,433 Total Incidents (versus 2023 monthly average: 1,938 and 1,718 in 2022)
- Average of 78 incidents per day (versus 64 incidents per day in 2023 and 56 in 2022)
- 0 Auto vs Pedestrian incidents (2 YTD versus 4 total in 2023, 7 in 2022, 5 in 2021)
- 156 Traffic Citations, 8 DUI arrests, 14 reportable traffic crashes (72 YTD, 206 total in 2023 and 45 for all of 2022), 9 hit and run incidents (28 YTD versus 48 in 2023)
- 18 Fraud incidents (162 total in 2023 and 212 in 2022)
- 8 DUI Arrests (25 YTD versus 44 total in 2023)
- 6 Retail Theft (24 YTD versus 23 in 2023); These incidents seem to be increasing, mostly involving Ulta Beauty and Lululemon
- 248 School Checks (1,212 YTD versus 1,572 total for 2023 and 1,360 in 2022)
My Detailed Notes
The following notes were prepared prior to the meeting. View the notes embedded below or download the pdf document.
Official Video
Transcript
Download the unedited time-stamped transcript of this meeting prepared by Youtube from the video: download PDF document.
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