Mack's Newtown Voice

At the November 19, 2019, Newtown Planning Commission public meeting, Mr. Heath Dumack representing Durham Partners presented a Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) application for twenty seven townhouses and associated dimensional variances on a 5-acre parcel of land located at 413 Durham Road in the PS-2 (Professional Service) Zoning District.

At the September 16, 2019, “Work Session” meeting of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors, Mike Sellers, a member of the Newtown Creek Coalition, invited the Township to join in a project to construct a pedestrian bridge over the Newtown Creek in a partnership with the Borough of Newtown and the Newtown Creek Coalition.

At the June meeting of the Joint Zoning Council, Lisa Wolff, Senior Planner at the Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC), presented a proposal to update the Newtown Area Joint Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted in 2009. The Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) recommends that Comprehensive Plans be updated every 10 years. The plan would cover Newtown Township, Upper Makefield, and Wrightstown T...

In response to a resident’s comments at the May 8, 2019, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting, Mr. Allen Fiddler, Chair of the Newtown Planning Commission, recounted the history of the renovation of the Village at Newtown Shopping and explained the ultimate goal of Brixmor, the company that owns and manages the Center.

On Thursday, February 14, 2019, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator for Water Dave Ross held a background briefing call on the release of the Agency’s Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan. No Maximum Contaminant Level will be established as part of the plan until the end of 2019.

In this podcast, John Brodowski, the deputy mayor of Bordentown City, New Jersey, reviews the background of the proposed Elcon hazardous waste treatment facility site in Falls Township and makes a case for why neighboring communities should oppose this project. His comments were recorded at a February 6, 2019, Elcon Update Meeting at the Fallsington Friends Meeting House, sponsored by a variety of...

Except from Mr. Shapiro's presentation at the Opioid Community Forum at Lubavitch of Newtown on January 17, 2019.

Andrew Sheaf, Local Government Policy Manager at the PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), answers Newtown Township Board of Supervisors' questions about the Early Intervention Program (EIP) at the November 19, 2018 Work Session meeting. The EIP helps municipalities develop a long-term strategic plan. To participate in the program, municipalities must apply for a 50% matching g...

At its October 16, 2018, public meeting, Newtown Planning Commission members ripped apart the proposed Ordinance Definition amendment (a so-called “Text Amendment”) to the Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO) that is designed to allow a “modern, motor vehicle fueling center consisting of a convenience store with accessory motor vehicle fuel sales” on the Bypass.

Comments from the public regarding a "sketch plan" by Toll Brothers to build a community of 173 homes along Twining Bridge Road and Durham Road in Newtown. The comments were made at the September 17, 2018, Board of Supervisors meeting.

In this podcast, I interview Kris Ballerini who joined the Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors on January 1, 2018. Kris has an interesting background as an advocate for victims of sexual assault and as an on-camera and voice-over actor, which she says helped prepare her for local politics. Topics discussed: * How did a voice-over actor become a Supervisor? * What else about you is interesting? On...

At the August 7, 2018, Newtown Planning Commission meeting, member Paul Cohen objected to Chairman Fidler's characterization that the informal "consensus" of the Commission was not in favor of a Super Wawa at the proposed location on Newtown Bypass. Mr. Cohen suggested that this characterization in the minutes did not accurately reflect the conversation of members of the Commission. LISTEN TO MORE...

In this episode, we hear former Newtown Supervisor Jen Dix allege that there has been decades of “self-serving leadership” and “corruption” in Newtown. She made her comments at the June 27, 2018, meeting of the Board of Supervisors, which approved her resignation effective June 30, 2018. LISTEN TO MORE PODCASTS BY JOHN MACK: http://bit.ly/MackPodcasts

In this episode, Michael Horbal, a resident of Newtown makes comments about the proposed Wawa convenience store and gas station at the southwestern corner of Newtown Bypass and Lower Silver Lake Road. Mr. Horbal is concerned that if proposed changes of this nature were considered, developers would start contacting landowners with similar types of properties to see if there was an opportunity to tu...

Land use attorney John VanLuvanne, speaking at a Work Session meeting of the Newtown Board of Supervisors on Monday, May 14, 2018, made a case for amending a Township ordinance in order to allow a Wawa Super Store to be located at the southwestern corner of Newtown Bypass and Lower Silver Lake Road. LISTEN TO MORE PODCASTS BY JOHN MACK: http://bit.ly/MackPodcasts

Newtown resident Jan Filios informs the Newtown Board of Supervisors about efforts of Fair Districts PA - a non-partisan organization - in support of a bipartisan effort underway to change the process for establishing voting districts in Pennsylvania. She urged the Board to pass a resolution in favor of bills that would establish an independent commission to redraw voting districts in PA. Her comm...

Newtown Township PA Manager Kurt Ferguson and Assistant Manager Micah Lewis describe the damge to trees in the Calrk Nature Center caused by Emerald ash borers and the expenses involved in removing dead trees. The comments were made at the October 16, 2017, 2018 Budget presentation before th Board of Supervisors.

I interview Dr. Frank D’Ambrosio, one of the leading voices for medicinal cannabis policy reform in the U.S. Doctor Frank – as he likes to be called – published a survey of medical marijuana patients in California to find out more about what conditions patients use cannabis for and if they have used cannabis to replace or reduce their intake of any other prescription medications such as opioids. L...

At the March 19, 2018, Working Session of the Newtown Township PA Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, the proposed "Oil & Gas Drilling" (i.e., fracking) ordinance of the Newtown, Upper Makefield, and Wrightstown "Jointure" (JMZO) was discussed. Supervisor Jen Dix asked for the Board's opinion of this proposed ordinance that would allow fracking in the Quarry area of Wrightstown. Participating in t...

This episode features remarks made by Mr. Andrew Levine, chair of Newtown Township's Open Space, Parks and Recreation Board, before the Board of Supervisors at the March 19, 2018, Working Session. Mr. Levine talks about the need for a new Comprehensive Recreation and Open Space Plan.

Long time former Newtown resident and environmentalist Steve Bacher recently launched his campaign to enter the 8th District Congressional Primary Race in a bid to unseat Brian Fritzpatrick. In this interview Bacher discusses environmental issues of concern to Newtown residents as well as his opposition to the 287g program, in which local police are trained to act as immigration officers. LISTEN T...

Dave Bria - newly elected Yardley Borough Council member - intends to introduce an anti-discrimination ordinance to protect the LGBTQ community in Yardley from employment and housing discrimination. In this interview he discusses some of details of his proposed ordinance and the reasons why he feels it is important for local municipalities to enact such laws. LISTEN TO MORE PODCASTS BY JOHN MACK:...