Mack's Newtown Voice

Attendees of the 25 March 2024 Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting learn about the problems with the recently installed Lower Dolington Rd trail guiderail. The guiderail needs to be relocated because it was incorrectly installed, but the contractor - Associated Paving - refuses to respond to the township's requests that it do so!

Attendees of the 25 March 2024 Meeting Mack Monday Zoom meeting weigh in on the proposed replacement of the Washington Crossing Bridge.

At the 25 March 2024 Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting, Environmental Advisory Council member Jan Filios discussed the proposed #NewtownPA Roberts Ridge Park meadow conversion plan.

Barbara Simmons, former Director of the Langhorne Peace Center, and currently a member of the Executive Board, NAACP Bucks County, attended the February 21, 2024, Newtown Human Relations Commission (HRC) meeting. Ms. Simmons informed HRC members of her work on the Bucks County Mural Project, which invites police and community members to paint murals in Bucks County. The goal is to allow people to...

This discussion took place at the April 14, 2022, meeting of the Newtown Township Human Relations Commission.

At the 14 February 2024 #NewtownPA Board of Supervisors public meeting, Mike Fuller, President/Founder of Keystone Lighting Solutions, presented the Final Project Overview for replacing all street lights in town with LED lights. This is an audio recording of the presentation and Q&A session that followed. You can find the presentation here: https://rebrand.ly/RSLPPpreso and detailed project specif...

On February 6, 2024, BET Investment presented to the #Newtown Planning Commission a revised plan for Newtown Corners, now called “Newtown Place.” The owner seeks a text amendment to the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO) to allow a “Parking Core Apartment Building” in the TC (Town Center) district of Newtown Township. The current zoning does not allow for such a structure. Consequently, BET p...

The Borscht Belt Deli appealed the township’s notice that the neon sign in its window is in violation of the township’s signage ordinance that prohibits “any sign which is illuminated by inert gas or any form of exposed tubes…” (read “Borscht Belt Delicatessen Seeks Variance to Allow Neon Sign in Window”; https://sco.lt/58eUaW). The Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) heard the case at its...

Review of Borscht Belt Neon Sign Zoning Hearing, Revitalization of the Human Relations Commission, Multi-Story Apartment Buildings Coming to the Li/OLI District, Residential Trash Pickup, Pedestrian Bridges Survey Update, and more...

At the 4 January 2024 meeting of the Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board, the Borscht Belt attorney cited several businesses that he claims have neon signs in their windows such as Acqua e Farina at 50 Richboro Rd. This case was discussed by residents at the 22 January 2024 Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting.

At the January 4, 2024, hearing before the #NewtownPA Zoning Board, Kathleen Donovan, owner of Barks County Dog Grooming testified in defense of her application for a variance to allow the operation of a dog grooming business located in a townhouse unit in Newtown Crossing where such use is not permitted as a Home Occupation or Accessory Office (H-1 use). Ms. Donovan testified that the Home Occupa...

Members of the public spoke up at the January 4, 2024, #NewtownPA Zoning Hearing Board regarding Borscht Belt Deli's appeal of a Notice of Violation issued by the township declaring that the neon sign in its window violation the JMZO's zoning ordinance. Read more about this here: https://sco.lt/58eUaW "This is a very troubling situation," Eric Pomerantz told the Newtown Zoning Hearing Board. "Why...

As reported in the Newtown Patch: In arguing the township's case before the board, Township Solicitor Dave Sander asked the zoning hearing board to uphold the law and to reject the appeal. “This is a zoning case limited to a sign that is neon that appears in the front window of a business in the township. A complaint was received by the zoning officer. She investigated it. She saw what she believe...

Several residents made comments prior to the #NewtownPA Board of Supervisors (BOS) 4-1 vote (Kyle Davis voting nay) to approve the Single-Use Plastic Bag ordinance, which will go into effect on April 9, 2023. Speakers include: Bradley Cooper, John D'Aprile, Elaine McCarron, and Elen Snyder.

At the 21 November 2023 #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, supervisors approved by 4-1 vote (Kyle Davis voting nay) to advertise the proposed Single-Use Plastics Ban Ordinance (LINK: https://rebrand.ly/PlasticsBan_v6a). The discussion focused on revisions from previous version regarding enforcement and exemptions. It also includes comments from residents and a discussion of re...

This discussion took place during the November 13, 2023, Meet Mack Monday Zoom meeting. Supervisor John Mack presented his questions regarding the utility of this bridge to Newtown Township and suggested it would benefit primarily Steeple View residents in the Borough. Newtown Environmental Advisory Board member Jan Filios pointed out the environmental concerns, which may be insurmountable due to...

At the 17 October 2023 meeting of the #NewtownPA Planning Commission (PC), members failed to agree unanimously to recommend approval of certain aspects of Capital Grille's signage plan. Specifically, some members had problems with the huge 13ft 4" by 6ft 0" (80 square ft) sign that Capital Grille proposes to affix to the rear facade of the building that faces Silo Drive. The rationale for such a b...

At the 17 October 2023 #NewtownPA Planning Commission (PC) meeting, I spoke up about my concerns regarding the O-LI/LI ("Business Commons") Overly Plan. Find the plan here: The PC - working with Bucks Planning Commission (BCPC) experts - is near to finalizing the Plan to recommend to the Board of Supervisors (BOS). Before this comes to a vote by the supervisors, I expressed a need to have more dis...

This 30-minute discussion was recorded at the 16 October Meet Mack Monday (MMM) Zoom meeting, which focused on the draft 2024 #NewtownPA budget. See the video presentation that was made prior to the discussion: https://youtu.be/arT6ui-fx2M MMM attendees commented on the proposed tax increase, road program, and other aspects of the budget. One resident asked if the budget was reviewed by an outside...

Mary Donaldson - a member of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) - discusses how an Overlay to the LI and OLI zoning districts would allow for additional uses that are currently not permitted. Her comments were made at the September 21, 2021, EDC public meeting.

This is my complete recording of the first 80 minutes or so of the meeting - I had to leave early. Mr. Hanney offered a more detailed summary of PennDOT's rationale for the above position in a September 16, 2021, letter sent to the Township and participants (https://bit.ly/PennDOTresponseLtr). The letter responds to the community's concerns and clarifies why certain alternatives are not acceptable...

The 75-minute audio recording of the September 20, 2021, Meet Mack Monday meeting (via Zoom). The major issue discussed was the Toll Bros proposed settlement. For links to resources relevant to this, see my meeting notes: https://www.johnmacknewtown.info/mmm20sep2021.html

Lisa Wolff Reviews 2020 Census Jointure Race Data

Lisa Wolff Reviews Change in Jointure Population

Lisa Wolff Reviews Jointure Population Trend