Credit: Wikimedia
Despite what you may have heard, there are no plans for luxury homes and a casino along the Delaware River in Falls Township, according to the Board of Supervisors chairman.
The item was briefly addressed during public comment Tuesday evening by Board Chairman Bob Harvie. In response to a comment from Morrisville resident Holly Harman, Harvie admitted he heard the rumor that a casino and luxury homes were planned for the riverfront, but had no knowledge of any similar plans in the township.
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A second casino in Bucks County is highly unlikely under current regulations and business conditions. The licensing, permitting and planning process can easily cost tens of millions of dollars. Adding a second casino to Philadelphia – one of the most populated cities in the country – has resulted in years of planning, discussion and still hasn’t led to the opening of another gambling venue.
While Falls does have a special zoning overlay for riverfront properties, plots of land only fall into the special zoning property following certain situations, including vacancy of at least a year. Businesses currently located in the special zoning district can keep their current classification and even sell without a change in zoning.
Harvie said the special zoning overlay was created during the middle of the last decade with hopes of spurring riverfront growth. Currently, the former Rhodia property along South Pennsylvania Avenue in the Morrisville section of Falls is the largest tract of land available for redevelopment.
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Last year, Falls officials met with a developer who inquired about a residential development along the riverfront. As of Tuesday evening, the township has not heard back from the developer past the initial inquiry.
A 2009 Bucks County Redevelopment Authority document lists Falls’ portion of the riverfront an “opportunity area” for redevelopment. Currently, Bensalem and Bristol Borough officials a few miles down the river are using their easy access to the Delaware River as a selling point.
