Mack's Newtown Voice

At the September 15, 2020, Newtown Township Planning Commission Zoom meeting, solicitor Jerry Schenkman offered his appraisal of the final version of the new E30 Use: Combination Gas Station and Convenience Store (e.g., Wawa) in the OR District of Newtown.

There have been notable shifts in the land use characteristics of the individual municipalities of the Newtown Area Jointure (Newtown, Wrightstown, Upper Makefield) as well as in the characteristics of the Jointure, as measured against comparable statistics from 2005. Jeremy W. Stoff, a Bucks County Planning Commission Planner, presented highlights of those shifts at the September 3, 2020, Joint Z...

In this 10-minute audio snippet, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) discuss when and under what conditions - via Zoom or live public meeting - the BOS will make its final decision regarding the Toll Bros conditional use application to build a cluster of 45 homes in the Conservation Management zone located at Twining Bridge Road and Route 413. Questions: If via Zoom, will the public be invited to atten...

At the July 22, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting, supervisors discussed how to insure that as many people as possible are able to participate in the July 23, 2020, live Town Hall meeting with Police Chief John Hearn given the seating limitations imposed by COVID-19 restrictions. Various ideas were put forward including followup meetings in the community and at HOA meeting places.

At the July 15, 2020, Zoom meeting of the Newtown Township Human Relations Commission, several attendees discussed the upcoming Town Hall meeting with Police Chief Hearn. Some expressed concern regarding the limited attendance due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, making sure people of color are not excluded, and concern that the meeting is not being recorded. In addition, some felt that t...

Matt Peters - owner and operator of Weed Man USA of Newtown and co-chair of the Newtown Township Economic Development Committee - talks about Earned Income Tax. This podcast features excerpts from a July 10, 2020, Newtown Business Association “Coaches on Couches With Coffee” Facebook Live presentation by Matt. A very informative presentation to which John Mack added some comments and clarification...

At the July 8, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, Township Solicitor Dave Sander attempted to answer John Mack's request to clarify the timeline and next steps for approval of the final version of the E-30 amendment to the Newtown Area Zoning Ordinance that would allow a combination gas station/convenience store use. Mr. Sander argued that the draft amendment first be shown to Provc...

At the July 2, 2020, Zoom meeting of the Economic Development Committee (EDC), members Karen Miller, co-president of the Newtown Business Commons Association, and Joseph Blackburn, an Associate with Wisler Pearlstine, proposed ways that the township can revitalize the Newtown Business Commons, which is zoned for light industrial and office use. This is especially important after COVID-19 restricti...

At the June 15, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors Work Session via Zoom, a draft of an Outdoor Sales & Dining Resolution was discussed. It's goal was to establish guidelines and policy for outdoor sales of merchandise and/or outdoor dining for existing businesses in Newtown Township during the COVID-19 pandemic. This resolution as based on one passed by another PA township. A major point of the d...

At the June 15, 2020, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, the Board reviewed the details of latest draft of the E30 "Curative Amendment" to the Newtown Area Zoning ordinance. This amendment creates a new use for a combination gas station/convenience store (i.e., Wawa) in each township of the "Jointure" of Newtown, Wrightstown and Upper Makefield. Supervisor Mack asked how this ame...

Provco - representing Wawa - has sued Newtown because it does not have a zone that allows a combination gas station and convenience store. In a separate but somewhat related action, a curative amendment was proposed that seeks to find a zoning area for the use within the jointure area of Newtown Township, Wrightstown and Upper Makefield (view the video here: https://johnmacknewtown.info/municure.h...

A the June 10, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor John Mack suggested to Newtown Police Chief John Hearn that the township host a public "Town Hall" meeting where police officers and the community - especially residents who feel they have issues with the police - can get to know one another and have a meaningful dialog. In essence, a bigger, more inclusive, version of "Coffee w...

Newtown Police Chief John Hearn read a message to the community at the June 10, 2020, Board of Supervisors meeting. He said "the tragic death of Mr. Floyd is unacceptable and our hearts and prayers go out to Mr. Floyd’s family. The actions of the officers were wrong and those involved are not representative of the police profession, especially here at Newtown Township. The civil unrest, including...

During the May 13, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting via Zoom, Supervisor John Mack made a case for the Township to start thinking how it can help local businesses to re-open safely during the current and the next phases of COVID-19 restrictions. Several ideas were put forward such as rethinking the Finance Committee's purview, putting together an ad hoc business Task Force, etc.

This 8.5 minute podcast features a recording of a segment of the April 22, 2020, Board of Supervisors meeting during which the Supervisors ratified their decision to re-allocate 1 mill of real estate tax revenue from the debt service fund to the general fund. This was necessary due to an anticipated shortfall in Earned Income Tax revenue due to the COVID-19 shutdown of local businesses. The 1 mill...

In a first-ever virtual Zoom meeting of the Newtown Township Planning Commission on April 21, 2020, the members discussed the latest version of the E-30 Ordinance - Convenience Store/Fueling Station - submitted by the Joint Zoning Council. In this 9-minute audio snippet, the members specifically discuss their consensus as to the maximum number of allowable fueling "pumps" and "stations".

At the March 11, 2020, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting, a Toll Brothers conditional use application to build a “cluster” of 45 homes in the Conservation Management district located at Twining Bridge Road and Route 413 was brought up for a possible vote by the Board. Several members of the public, including Joyann Charlton, who lives on Twining Bridge Road adjacent to the proposed dev...

PA State Senator Steve Santarsiero made impassioned comments at the March 11, 2020, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting in support of a Love is Love Resolution in support of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. Soon afterward the Board unanimously passed the resolution by a 5-0 vote. Read more about this and access the resolution here: http://sco.lt/6gJvMW

Excerpt from the February 27, 2020, Council on Foreign Relations Local Officials conference call. This 2-minute excerpt concerns the estimated danger of COVID-19 in the U.S. and answers my question as to whether townships such Newtown should start implementing "social distancing" by cancelling meetings involving hundreds of people, such as major events sponsored by the Parks and Rec department in...

At the February 6, 2020, meeting of the Joint Zoning Council, representatives of Newtown, Wrightstown, and Upper Makefield township – the “Jointure” - discussed the E-30 amendment to the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance that was drafted by Newtown Township. Recall that this “curative amendment” was proposed to allow for a combination gas station-convenience store to be located within several locat...

The proposed ordinance to amend the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance to allow a new Use E-30 for a combined Motor Vehicle Fueling Station and Convenience Store was discussed at the February 4, 2020, meeting of the Newtown Township Planning Commission. The Commission discussed several recommendations from Jointure member solicitors regarding suggested changes to the draft amendment that was submitt...

At the 21 January 2020, Newtown Township Planning Commission meeting, Newtown/Bucks Associates, LP, West Road(Newtown Shopping Center), presented their case for supporting zoning variances needed for a new 12,500-square-foot Old Navy and a 400-square-foot addition to the kitchen of Chick-fil-A and adding a new right-turn only lane to West Road that would improve traffic flow by allowing traffic ar...

The proposed ordinance to amend the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance to allow a new Use E-30 (previously referred to as "Use E-25") for a combined Motor Vehicle Fueling Station and Convenience Store was discussed at the January 7, 2020, meeting of the Newtown Township Planning Commission. This audio snippet gives an introduction to the process and includes comments from residents. According to All...

At the January 13, 2020, public meeting of the Newtown, Bucks County, Joint Municipal Authority Board, members discussed the Toll Brothers' proposal for a 41-unit residential development at Rt. 413 and Twining Bridge Road. Specifically, they focused on the proposed onsite Sewage Treatment Plant, (Use F-1). Heard on the recording is Warren Gormley, Operations Manager and Chief Administrative Office...

At the January 9, 2020, Newtown Area Joint Zoning Council meeting, the topic of tiny houses was discussed after a Newtown resident requested any existing zoning information related to tiny houses.