Middletown Township supervisors approved two separate development plans that will bring a total of 177 new townhomes to the municipality. The first plan for 111 townhomes on 15 acres near the Woodbourne train station has been on the radar since 2006 when a developer succeeded in getting the land rezoned for multi-residential use. The plans stalled but were revived in 2017 when a different developer was granted necessary variances by the zoning hearing board for 123 homes. In 2020, the planning commission expressed concerns about increased traffic and the supervisors rejected the plan. The developer and landowner appealed the decision and the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas ruled against the township. Supervisors Chairman Mike Ksiazek said that the township has spent a lot of money opposing the plan, and lost. “We’re responsible to spend tax money wisely, and we can’t deny it because we don’t like it,” he said. The second plan permits 66 townhomes on the site of the former Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School. Supervisors lauded developer Westrum Development Group for addressing the concerns of the community when developing its plan.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 8/20/2024