Mack's Newtown Voice

At the May 18, 2021, Newtown Planning Commission Zoom meeting, Joseph M. Blackburn, Partner with Wisler Pearlstine, presented an overview of a "conditional" use application by the Chop't Creative Salad Company, LLC. The application is for a 2,500 sf Chop't restaurant to be located at 2910 S. Eagle Road in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center. This use would bring the percent of square footage allocated for restaurant use in the shopping center to about 31%. The total allowable percentage for such use is - believe it or not - 45%! So, there is still significantly more restaurant use allowable.

In this 12-minute audio snippet, Scott Coburn, General Counsel and Director of Education at PSATS (Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors), reviews American Rescue Plan category 1 permitted uses at a May 14, 2021, PSATS webinar. Mr. Coburn talks about uses in response to COVID-19 or consequences of economic harm due to COVID-19. This includes assistance to unemployed workers, improvement to technology infrastructure, new public communication efforts, and loans/grants to small businesses and 501c(3) non-profits. These are just a few of the permitted uses. To learn more about eligible uses of the funds, view a fact sheet on the 151 page regulation: http://bit.ly/SLFRPfactsheet

Township Planner Michele Fountain was a guest speaker at the May 4, 2021, Newtown Planning Commission (PC) Zoom meeting. The topic was "LI & OLI Zoning District Land Use." At the end of the presentation PC Chair Allen Fidler led a discussion on the possibility of rezoning these districts - especially the Newtown Business Commons Industrial zone - to allow specific new uses. Several suggestions for new uses were put forward including allowing more restaurants, hydroponic crop growing (e.g., marijuana), etc. The goal is to "revitalize" the district in order to attract new businesses to the area and maintain the current businesses. But what about residents? Will the new uses benefit them (other than the possibility of a new increase in real estate taxes)?

At the May 3, 2021, Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting, Newtown Supervisor John Mack tries to explain the delay in the Lower Dolington Road Trail project, which had its start back in 2018. It seems there have been problems with the stormwater management permits that required a change in plans - namely the elimination of rain gardens and using an underground drainage system instead. Mack wondered why the township's experienced engineers did not anticipate the problem in the first place. Meanwhile, you can listen to the Township's Engineer's Update here: https://bit.ly/LDtrailUpdate28apr2021

At the May 3, 2021, Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting, Newtown Supervisor John Mack gave an update on the Wawa "special exception" zoning application. Mack discussed the zoning variances requested by Wawa with residents. The Zoning Hearing Board will consider the application at its May 6, 2021, meeting. The Township Solicitor will be there to oppose the variances as he was instructed to do by the supervisors.

At the April 28, 2021, Newtown Township supervisors meeting, Township Engineer Leanna Colubriale provided another update on the Lower Dolington Road Trail that has been in the works since 2018! I questioned why it is taking so long to get this project started. It seems there have been problems with the stormwater management permits that required a change in plans - namely the elimination of rain gardens and using an underground drainage system instead. Township Manager Micah Lewis suggested that the delay might be a "blessing" based on his hope that prices for asphalt might decrease by the time bids are received. LOL! He described how the bidding process works and what the final length of the trail might be as a result. Given all the delays, I hope this project can get adequate bids in time to finally get the project completed this year(2021).

Newtown Supervisor David Oxley commented on the results of the Derek Chauvin trial at the April 28, 2021, Board of Supervisors meeting. Mr. Oxley called for more police accountability at the country, state, and local level and he urged all citizens to work together to ensure action, to do better, and to be kinder.

There was an “unofficial” Zoom meeting of the Technology & Communications Committee on Monday, April 26, 2021 (a quorum was not present). However, members of the Planning Commission (PC), Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) and the Human Relations Commission (NTHRC) attended to have an informal discussion of their communication needs. The discussion focused mainly on how to improve the usability of the website and the possibility of performing routine analytics to identify problem areas. The Committee members will discuss a needs analysis at future meetings. Present: Dan Williams, Committee Chair; John Mack, BOS Liaison; Allen Fidler, PC; Elaine McCarron, EAC; Aamir Nayeem, NTHRC; Joel Raab, PC; Ivan Winegar, NTHRC

At its April 21, 2021, Zoom meeting, the Newtown Planning Commission discussed Provco’s Zoning Hearing Board “Special Exception” application that includes variances to allow a proposed Motor Vehicle Fueling & Convenience Store (i.e., Super Wawa) on the southwest corner of Newtown Bypass & Lower Silver Lake Road in the Newtown Office Research district. Note that this so-called “E-30” use recently was created by the Newtown-Wrightstown-Upper Makefield Joint Zoning Council via a “municipal cure” process. The requested variances to the E-30 use includes 8 multi-product fueling dispensers where 6 are permitted & associated signage, including an electronic sign visible to the Bypass where electronic signs are prohibited throughout Newtown. Presenting at the meeting was John VanLuvanee, Esq., agent on behalf of Provco Pineville Acquisitions, and project engineer Jason Korczak of Bohler Engineering. After the presentation and general discussion and questions by Commission members, each member was requested to vote on the special exception application in general and specifically regarding the variances for the fueling dispensers and electronic signage on the Bypass. Allen Fidler, the Planning Commission Chairperson, will present the consensus of the Commission to the Newtown Board of Supervisors at the April 28, 2021, public meeting. The Board of Supervisors is a party to the Zoning Hearing Board hearing on this application, which is scheduled to take place on May 6, 2021. The Supervisors can vote to oppose or approve this application or one or more of the specific variances requested. If it opposes, it can send its Solicitor to the Zoning Hearing Board to argue its case.

An excerpt from an April 1, 2021, presentation by Evan Stone, Executive Director of the Bucks County Planning Commission, at a Zoom meeting hosted by the Bucks County Consortium. Download the full PDF version of the Powerpoint: http://bit.ly/FOFSpreso

The safety of 5G cellular technology was discussed at the March 22, 2021, Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting. A resident asked prior to the meeting: "Is 5G a topic that has been or will be discussed by Newtown Zoning or other? Are 5G emitters/masts allowed to be close to schools?" The discussion focused on the 5G antennas on top of the Newtown Artesian Water tower located less than 500 feet from Goodnoe Elementary School and many nearby homes. In this 15-minute excerpt from the discussion, a resident living nearby the tower claims the 5G radiation from this source has caused medical problems for her and her children. The discussion also covers what the township can do to mitigate this problem and a new FCC rule that would make it even worse! Background: "5G Technology Near You/Me/Schools": http://bit.ly/5GinNT

On March 11, 2021, I hosted a Zoom to commemorate the passage of Newtown Township's LOVE is LOVE Resolution. The primary goal of this meeting was to discuss ideas on raising awareness of discrimination against and bullying of the LGBTQ+ minority youth in our community. Participants also discussed building ally ship to combat all forms of discrimination. Several activists, elected officials and students were guest speakers. One speaker was Kevin Antoine, who is the Chief Diversity Equity Inclusion Officer at Bucks County Community College, and the Chair of Newtown Township’s Human Relations Commission. In this 10-minute audio clip from the meeting, Mr. Antoine talks about the Equality Act that was recently passed by the U S House of Representatives. He explains why this Act is necessary to amend all previous federal civil rights laws. The Act is monumental because, if passed by the Senate, the rights of LGBTQ citizens would be protected by these laws, which currently do not offer such protection.

Many angry residents attended the February 24, 2021, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) Meeting to oppose a settlement with the Arcadia developer to build 60 homes at Buck Road and the Bypass. None perhaps were more angry than Eric Scott Gold, a resident of Eagle Ridge whose lawyer advised the HOA to settle its case against Arcadia (see his statement below). In this short audio clip, Mr. Gold lashes out against me (John Mack) for voting in favor of the settlement. Mr. Sander objected to his language and Chairman Phil Calabro had to calm everyone down. Mr. Gold thought the supervisors came into the meeting with their minds already made up. Of course we did! We spent many weeks listening to all parties - including residents of neighboring communities and their representatives - at public and private meetings. I also spent many hours listening to and responding to residents on Facebook.* "Although Dave Sander was a convenient whipping boy," said Mr. Steve Harris, lawyer for Eagle Ridge HOA, "I would have recommended the settlement, even if the plan had not been deemed approved. Given the uncertainty that would result from the land use appeal that would certainly have been filed by Arcadia from a denial of the tentative plan, I would have also encouraged the parties to explore a settlement." *Immediately after my vote at this meeting, moderators of the Newtown Crossing and Eagle Ridge FB pages decided to block me from seeing or making posts to their pages. It is too bad that some residents now believe getting involved does not accomplish anything. They are greatly mistaken in my view. They helped create a better if imperfect settlement and they raised some issues that I will pursue going forward.

At the February 23, 2021, Newtown Township Finance Committee (NTFC) Zoom meeting, there was a lively discussion regarding ideas for revising the Newtown Budget process. A proposal was put forward by the NTFC in December, 2020, but it was not yet seen by the supervisors when this meeting was held. Supervisor John Mack started the discussion, which was joined - in order - by NTFC member George Skladany (author of the proposal), Supervisor Dennis Fisher, NTFC member Dissinger, and NTFC Chair Shelley Howland. It was agreed the the process should start earlier, involve members of the NTFC and/or a Finance Team, and get resident involvement at multiple steps along the way. You can download the most recent version of the proposed plan here: http://bit.ly/NTFCbudgetPlan

Karen Downer, President of the Bucks County NAACP, was a guest speaker at the February 17, 2021, Newtown Human Relations Commission (NTHRC) Zoom meeting. Ms. Downer spoke about her organization's approach to working with local police departments in Bucks County.