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Lower Makefield Residents Jam Hearing to Protest Proposed Ordinance Amendment to Allow Wegmans & Apartments on Stony Hill Road Near Shady Brook Farms

Lower Makefield Residents Jam Hearing to Protest Proposed Ordinance Amendment to Allow Wegmans & Apartments on Stony Hill Road Near Shady Brook Farms | Newtown News of Interest | Scoop.it

Lower Makefield residents have a message for developers proposing a mixed-use development near Shady Brook Farm: not in our town.

 

Hundreds packed the township’s planning commission meeting Monday to oppose a proposal by Shady Brook Investors LP and ELU DeLuca Yardley LLC to amend a zoning ordinance to establish a “mixed-used overlay district” around a 36-acre property they have dubbed Prickett Run at Edgewood. The proposal includes a Wegmans grocery store along with other stores, apartments and amenities.

 

After less than an hour of discussion between the board and developers, residents complained they couldn’t see or hear the presentation since much of the crowd spilled outside of the township building.

 

Several attended after receiving a flier in the mail warning that “Lower Makefield is for sale” since the proposed ordinance would “change our zoning for big box retail, apartments, warehouse, stores ... whatever.”

 

Several residents said Monday that they are worried that the development would bring even more traffic to the heavily traveled road across the street from Shade Brook Farm near the Newtown Bypass. Many said that the township doesn’t have room for more development.

 

Developers want to amend the current ordinance to bring the 100,000-square-foot supermarket, 55,000 square feet of retail space and 200 apartments less than than a half mile from Route 332 in the property at one point known as Capstone Terrace. Along with the supermarket and retail space, Prickett Run would include a “community gathering area” featuring a clubhouse, courtyard, splash fountain and amphitheater, said Vince DeLuca, of DeLuca Homes.

 

The proposed development would replace a proposal for a 125,775-square-foot warehouse on 14.85 acres at the site, which stalled in April after the township’s zoning hearing board questioned the traffic impact of the project. Some residents also objected to the project because of traffic concerns.

 

…planners voted to continue the hearing and seek another venue to accommodate the crowd. Officials said they would reach out to Pennsbury School District to secure a school for the meeting.

 

No date or location has been selected, but officials urged residents to check lmt.org or the township building at 1100 Edgewood Road for updates.

johnmacknewtown's insight:

Statement published the FB group page “Citizens Aligned for Lower Makefield”:

 

"We need smart development with informed decisions. We need a plan with a real vision for what we want our community to be. Changing the rules to allow developers to do what they want is not a plan and it should not matter who they are, who they donated to or to whom they are related.”

 

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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.
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