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#NewtownPA Resident Launches Petition Opposing New Chick-Fil-A Off The Bypass

BREAKING NEWS (5/10/2024; 9:04 AM):  The Twp Mgr just notified supervisors: "The Township has been granted an indefinite extension for the Chick Fil A zoning hearing application. The application will not be scheduled for review unless the applicant notifies the Township of its intent to proceed with the application."

 

UPDATE (5/9/2024): I was just informed that the ZHB has granted Chick-fil-A an EXTENSION until July (when many residents will be away) - cheap move on their part - although typical of developers trying to sneak by public opposition!

 

A Newtown Township resident has launched an online petition drive against a proposal to build a Chick-Fil-A restaurant on the east side of the township.

 

Newtown Equities, LLC, has filed a zoning application with the township to build a 6,000-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru at the former site of the TD Bank at 98 Upper Silver Lake Road near its intersection with Newtown-Yardley Road.

 

[Read “Chick-fil-A Wants to Set Up Shop at Intersection of NT-Yardley Rd and #NewtownPA Bypass”; https://sco.lt/5L9k7U]

 

The property is diagonally across the Newtown Bypass from the site of the new Wawa convenience store and gas station approved by the township last year through a settlement agreement.

 

Newtown Equities has not formally presented its plan at a township meeting. It had been scheduled to appear before the planning commission on April 16, but several hours before the meeting asked to be removed from the agenda.

 

[Read “Chick-fil-A CANCELS presentation before the #NewtownPA Planning Commission Meeting”; https://sco.lt/6k72zw]

 

Donna Serdula, a resident of the 50-home Wiltshire Walk development, which is located within 500 feet of the site of the proposed restaurant, said she's "deeply concerned" by the proposal.

 

So much so that she launched an online petition drive this week and said she's working to organize her neighbors in opposition to the plan.

 

STOP Zoning Changes Allowing Chick-fil-A Construction in Newtown” petition.

 

As of 5/10/2024, over 659 people have signed the petition!

 

"What people don't realize is that this proposed Chick-Fil-A is not on the Newtown Bypass. It's on Newtown-Yardley Road and Upper Silver Lake Road. And Newtown-Yardley Road can't handle the existing traffic. In the morning, you're already sitting through two or three lights to get to the bypass. If there's a Chick-Fil-A there, you're not even going to be able to make a left onto the bypass. It's going to become impossible.

 

"And we don't even have the Wawa yet," added Serdula. "On top of that, the township is working to change the zoning of the Newtown Business Commons to bring in different types of uses to support the local businesses. That's going to bring in traffic.

 

"Chick-Fil-A doesn't want to build there because they want to support the community," Serdula said. "They already have a Chick-Fil-A a few miles away. They're building there because they want to pull in business from I-295 and from the drivers getting gas at the Wawa," she said.

 

Serdula said the township and its residents need to start thinking seriously about what they'd like Newtown to be - a quiet, residential community or a traffic nightmare.

 

johnmacknewtown's insight:

 

Some comments I received from residents:

 

  • "I am usually never vocal on topics like this, but this has me very concerned. If chic-fil-a has the ability to proceed at the proposed location near the bypass I am extremely concerned of the cascading effects." - Chris L.
  • "If the intersection of the bypass and Newtown Yardley Road near Silverlake Road becomes more congested, due to this restaurant and the anticipated WAWA, we have no reasonable option to reach the bypass from, not only my neighborhood, but also the business park, and at least four other neighborhoods in that one half mile section of Newtown Yardley Road area and even from east Newtown area." - Anne E.

 

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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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