The 109-page FINAL DRAFT of the 2024 Newtown Area Comprehensive Plan (“the Plan”) was approved for advertising by the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors at its March 27, 2024, meeting. Other member municipalities of the Jointure – Wrightstown and Upper Makefield – are expected to do the same, if they have not done so already.
The Plan, which contains nine guiding principles for the future, is said to be a “blueprint for the future,” i.e., specifically for the next 10 years (it is a 10-year plan). Each Jointure municipality will hold a public meeting to answer questions and hear comments from residents. Newtown Township’s plans to include this at its May 22. 2024, Board of Supervisors meeting.
In order to help Newtown Township residents prepare for the scheduled May 22, 2024, public meeting, I hope to prepare several short synopses of major sections of the Plan. This first synopsis focuses on: PRINCIPLE #1 – “PROMOTE SMART [HOUSING] GROWTH”.
Are the projections accurate? Find out here...
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John Mack's Insights:
The goal of the Plan developers with regard to housing is to determine if the Jointure had enough open space where housing is permitted to accommodate the projected population growth. According to the Plan, the answer is yes.
However, what comes first? The chicken (people) or the eggs (developers getting their way)? That is, if you build it, people will come.
Although the planners (BCPC) think there is enough available space WITHOUT changing the zoning, they also suggest that zoning be changed to allow more housing (e.g., in the OR and OLI/LI districts which ONLY exist in Newtown). How can this be a plan to promote "smart growth?"
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On April 4, 2024, the #NewtownPA Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) granted Appeal 1210-24: i.e., Newtown Artesian Water Company (NAWC), requested variances from and a special exception pursuant to the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance of 2006, as amended, specifically Section 404(C) to permit a rear yard setback of 36.46 feet where a minimum of 50 feet is required; Section 404(C) to permit a building height of 40 feet where a maximum of 35 feet is permitted; to permit the construction of a PFAS filtration plant.
Supervisor Mack - a "party to the case" requested that a tree barrier be installed on the border with the Country Bend common ground to mitigate any noise generated by the facility.
Listen to the ZHB discussion...
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John Mack's Insights:
At the ZHB, Mr. Dan Agove, the Director of NAWC, noted that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon PFAS limits to “non-detectable” levels (below 4 ppt). The following chart shows the last publicly available PFAS data for the NAWC wells (Well 14 and 18 are off-line and used only for fire hydrates:
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TOPICS COVERED:
- License Plate Reader Cameras Approved
- Proposed Durham Rd Day Care & Medical BuildingsDealing with Trash on the Trail
- Washington Crossing Bridge Replacement Plan
- Problems with the LDR Trail Guiderail
More...
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The Newtown Township Supervisors approved the 2024 Road Program at its 27 March 2024 meeting. The recommended paving includes (see map above & below):
Base bid: Eagle Rd. (portion), Farnsworth Way, Ashford Way, N&S Ascott Ct., Amaryllis Ln., Lotus Pl., Campus Dr; $542,114.10
Alternate bids: Cypress Place: $70,660.00, Coachwood Ct;:$43,005.45; Mulberry Pl: $24,053.65; Monterey Pl: $30,890.05; #6 Mahogany Walk; $33,783.80
For a total of $744,507.05
More...
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John Mack's Insights:
This totals 1.99 miles of township roadways. Note that there are approximately 71 miles of township roads requiring repaving every 20 years. Therefore, to merely keep up with current roadway conditions 71/20 or 3.55 miles of roads should be repaved per year just to maintain the status quo. For the period 2019 through 2024, only an average of 2.9 miles of roads were repaved per year. At that rate, the township is falling behind at about 0.6 miles of roads per year needing repair but not getting it! We should actually be paving more like 5 miles of road per year to get ahead!
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On March 19, 2024, the BOS was forwarded an email message from Karen Ogden, a watershed specialist at the PA Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR):
SUBJ: DCNR Lawn to Meadow Conversions - update
PA DCNR is inching closer to advertising your lawn conversions for public bid. The speed bumps have been their own execution of grant funding contracts and legal review of landowner agreements. I’m told they fully expect work to begin – turfgrass kill – later this summer for a fall seeding. Worst case scenario is preparation and seeding spring 2025.
So, as the grass starts to grow, please mow. I cringe just a little bit but if you stop mowing, in invites invasive weeds to grow and seed, exactly what we don’t want to happen.
More...
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Agenda Items included:
- Durham Investments Day Care/Medical Building Plan
- John Mack reports on Nixle Alert Application
- Lower Dolington Road Trail Guardrail Repair & Relocation Update: A DISASTER!*
- Authorize advertisement of a public hearing to consider adopting Comprehensive Plan
Details...
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John Mack’s Insights:
*Stay tuned…the full story of how this project got so messed up has not yet been told!
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