Newtown Township is considering a zoning change for certain defined residential development in areas of the township currently set aside for light industrial, office and related uses. Officials are considering creating a zoning overlay district in the Newtown Business Commons that would permit mixed-use buildings where commercial and residential uses could coexist. Town-center-style apartments would be a by-right use in the overlay district, while entities like recreational facilities, microbreweries, taverns, retail stores, eating places, art studios and others would be conditional uses and traditional light industrial/offices would still be allowed. Apartments could only be built as part of a mixed-use project, and the ordinance lays out development standards. Newtown, Wrightstown and Upper Makefield townships address zoning in a collective partnership, so all entities would need to approve the zoning change. Currently, Wrightstown is the only approval.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/27/2024