8 July 2026 Newtown BOS Meeting

Executive Summary

The July 8, 2026, meeting of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors addressed critical updates regarding regional land use, infrastructure maintenance, and public safety. The meeting was attended by four supervisors, with Kyle Davis noted as absent.

A significant portion of the session was dedicated to the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO) amendment regarding data centers, which has undergone eight substantive and procedural revisions proposed by Wrightstown Township. While the Board postponed formal action on the ordinance until August 12, 2026, the revisions prioritize local utility usage and noise suppression.

Financial actions included the approval of over $930,000 in bills and transfers, alongside progress on the 2026 Liquid Fuels Road Program, which saw a cost reduction via a quantity-adjusting change order. The Newtown Township Police Department reported a high volume of activity for June, highlighted by regional support for the FIFA event in Philadelphia and the successful sentencing of a 2023 homicide suspect. Additionally, residents raised concerns regarding pedestrian safety funding and the rising use of e-bikes by local youth.

Public Comment Regard Pedestrian Safety

Chandler Hall Crosswalk

Newtown Walk resident Charles Feuer commented on crosswalks and sidewalks.

“Speaking of crosswalks,” said Mr. Feuer, “at the October 8th board of supervisors meeting in 2025, the board ... instructed the township engineer to provide a cost estimate for the safety upgrades for the Chandler Hall crosswalk.” These upgrades included flashing, pedestrian-activate beacons similar to those on North Sycamore Street and Silo Drive.

Mr. Feuer noted that a number of the citizens, residents and employees of Chandler Hall attended the meeting and expressed their concern and need as well. At that meeting (LINK), the Board in a 5-0 authorized the engineer to prepare a cost estimate for safety upgrades.

“I was hoping at this evening's meeting if we could get an update on that,” said Mr. Feuer. “because my favorite multimodal fund [grant] of every year has a deadline for submissions at the end of this month. And I don't know if the township has any plans to apply for funds through this grant.”

Mr. Feuer noted that such grants are particularly favorable to the township because the township is not required to contribute funds for projects covered by the grant. “It’s basically free money for pedestrian safety, bicycle, and wheelchair safety throughout Newtown,” Mr. Feuer said.

Unfortunately. Mr. Feuer “heard crickets”; i.e., no response from the Board and no authorization was given to the engineer to apply for such a grant. Perhaps the new owners of Chandler Hall will take up this cause next year!

Newtown-Yardley Road Sidewalk

Another concern of Mr. Feuer was regarding the Newtown-Yardley Rd sidewalk. The finished project will replace a narrow asphalt path offering little protection from traffic with concrete sidewalk and curbing—providing both a physical barrier and the confidence that comes with clearly defined pedestrian space.

As Mr. Feuer points out, this project has funding through a Multimodal Grant surplus. For more on that read “The Safe Sidewalk Saga”; LINK.

“The reason I bring it up,” said Mr. Feuer, “is because we've been waiting for cost estimates and I was wondering if the township. We still are waiting for an update on its progress. So, I'm hoping that we can get that tonight, too.”

Again, crickets!

Administrative and Financial Overview

The Board took several formal actions regarding the township’s finances and meeting records.

Financial Approvals

The Board approved the following expenditures and transfers:

• Bills: $902,323.82 for the period ending July 8, 2026.
• Transfers: $32,654.70.
• General Fund Balance: As of the meeting date, the General Fund balance stands at $9,024,967.

For details, refer to “8 July 2026 Bills List Analysis”.

Planning and Zoning Developments

The Planning Commission and the Solicitor provided detailed reports on pending zoning amendments and specific property applications.

Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO): Data Centers

The proposed ordinance to allow data centers in the Wrightstown Township QAA zoning district has been revised. Because of these changes, the ordinance must be re-reviewed by the planning commissions of all participating municipalities and re-voted on by their respective boards.

Summary of Revisions Proposed by Wrightstown Township

Revision Category	Description of Change
Electric Generation	Deletion of Section 4A to discourage separate on-site electric generation; all connections are expected to be public.
Utilities	Requirement for on-site water and sewer, as the specific zoning district is not conducive to public utility extensions.
Ordinance Integration	Reference to other ordinances by citation rather than attachment to avoid redundant amendments if referenced codes change.
Review Authority	Shifting application review responsibility from the Volunteer Fire Chief to the Fire Marshal.
Noise Suppression	Requirement for developers to incorporate new noise suppression technologies as they become available to protect nearby residents.
Procedural Updates	Updates to exhibit labeling from B to A and cross-reference corrections within the JMZO.

The Board expects to place the amended ordinance on the August 12, 2026, agenda for further action.

Specific Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) Applications

The Planning Commission reviewed two applications and recommended the Board of Supervisors take no position on either:

• 58 German Avenue (Nyland-Elliott): A request for a variance to install a 6-foot high privacy fence in a front yard on a corner property.
• 428 Durham Road (Popiel): A request for a special exception to construct a second-floor bedroom addition and a one-story rear patio on a non-conforming lot. The commission noted the property predates the current ordinance and exceeds two acres.

2026 Liquid Fuels Road Program

The Township Engineer reported progress on the annual road program:

• Change Order #1: Approved to adjust the quantities actually installed by the contractor. This resulted in a reduction of the overall contract amount.
• Payment Certificate #1: The Board approved a payment of $125,274.15 to Harris Blacktopping for work completed to date.

Police Department Report (June 2026)

Chief Hearn provided a summary of police activities and significant incidents:

• Service Volume: 2,262 calls for service; patrol fleet logged nearly 20,000 miles.
• Arrests and Citations: 12 arrests, including simple assault, forgery, and retail theft; 168 citations and 191 warnings issued.
• Traffic Safety: 53 traffic crashes recorded. Four truck enforcement details resulted in 29 inspections and 9 vehicles being placed out of service.
• Records Management: The department transitioned to a new records management system on June 10, 2026.

Regional and Major Events

• FIFA Support: Newtown officers supported the Major Incident Response Team (MERT) contingent in Philadelphia during a FIFA event. This resulted in $22,000 in overtime costs, which will be fully reimbursed by the City of Philadelphia.
• Homicide Sentencing: Meghan Macklin was sentenced to 21.5 to 50 years for a homicide committed in Wrightstown in October 2023. She was apprehended in Tennessee while attempting to flee to Mexico.
• Trooper Fatality: The department noted the death of PA State Trooper Michael Per Jr., who was killed by a tractor-trailer during a motor carrier investigation. The Chief urged the public to “pull over and give room” to officers conducting inspections.

Community Concerns

• E-Bikes: Residents reported concerns regarding youths operating e-bikes dangerously near McCaffrey’s. The Chief encouraged residents to call the non-emergency number for erratic behavior and noted that information regarding e-bike capabilities has been shared via the Council Rock School District.
• Theft Prevention: A public service announcement was issued for residents to lock cars and remove key fobs, as neighboring jurisdictions have seen an increase in thefts from vehicles.

Committee and Board Updates

• Environmental Advisory Council (EAC): The council is focusing on the maintenance of the pollinator garden. While solar initiatives are a priority, they are currently stalled because available rebates have expired; the council hopes to revisit this in the next year.
• Council Rock School Board: The public was encouraged to view recent school board meetings for information regarding upcoming rate increases.
• Community Engagement: Three supervisors attended the recent firefighter awards and dinner, a gesture that was reportedly well-received by the local fire service.