The Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (NBCJMA), after abandoning a controversial plan to build a wastewater treatment plant near Holy Family University amid nearly a year of resident and township opposition, has agreed to sell the condemned 17.5-acre site along the Route 413 Bypass to DeLuca Homes of Langhorne for $11.5 million. It is the same price the agency originally paid. DeLuca now has 90 days to evaluate the project's feasibility and will need Newtown Township approval, including a zoning change to residential for townhomes. The deal has already drawn pushback from residents who cited a prior rejection of multifamily housing on the same parcel, questioned the original condemnation and rate increases tied to it, and pressed for full transparency and public input. Supervisors said no zoning decisions have been made and the process remains in its early stages. The possible sale is part of a broader wave of development pressure along the Newtown Bypass corridor, where nearby projects like Farms Edge at Shady Brook are also raising concerns, including from local volunteer firefighters about strained emergency response capacity.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 8/24/2026 & Bucks County Courier Times; 8/25/2026