County Planning Commission Hosts Meeting About Penndel Revitalization

The Bucks County Planning Commission hosted an open house in Penndel Borough on Monday to announce a new initiative that will focus county resources on revitalizing the borough’s downtown core.

The introductory meeting, which was held at borough hall, gathered residents, business and property owners together to provide comment and ask questions regarding the upcoming county planning efforts to help position the town for the future.

The planning commission’s efforts as a whole will focus on ensuring the continued and expanded economic prosperity of all 54 municipalities in the county. The M.E.D.I. (Municipal Economic Development Initiative) project is voluntary and county-wide program, which will adapt county resources and its efforts to best promote municipality-specific economic development.

Penndel, with its walkable neighborhoods, adjacency to a railroad station, existing foundation of commercial and retail, and prime location among several key traffic corridors, makes it the perfect opportunity for revitalization, according to the county planning commission.

For the purpose of the project, the county will focus on a specific area – which the planning commission has said may change as the scope of the project becomes further defined. Currently, the area for revitalization, is based on a comfortable walking distance to the train station in Langhorne; more specifically, the central commercial core of Penndel between the railroad corridor and Crescent Avenue.

The planning commission, according to their presentation materials, will focus their efforts on a marketing plan and campaign, attracting businesses that meet the expectations and desires of the borough’s target market, and on adding borough zoning provisions to immediately add value to downtown properties and ease the turnover of underutilized properties.

Six points of specific opportunity were realized by the planning commission. The prominent shopping center adjacent to the train station, which was once home to a Bottom Dollar food store, and has now been left largely vacant, remains a huge untapped area for the borough. Due to the size of the property, the county planning commission recommended that the property be re-imagined as a place with mixed use buildings which include both retail and residences.

The small auto repair shop on the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Park Avenue currently occupies a location that, according to the planning commission, could be used to serve passengers going to and from the train station. A café with outdoor seating would potentially contribute to the attractiveness of street life.

The corner of Bellevue Ave and Durham Road, where a rooms for rent business currently sits, is a focal point looking into Penndel from the train station. The planning commission recommended it be a place of a high quality architectural design, which would really enhance the borough’s image.

Another place of opportunity, according to the planning commission, lies in the small commercial buildings on the block between Lincoln Highway (Business Route 1) and Legrande Avenue. The buildings currently offer little in terms of streetscape amenities and are more designed for cars along a highway rather than for a proper downtown environment – which the county hopes to create in Penndel.

The large industrial buildings on the west side of the downtown area each offer a potential opportunity for creative re-purposing. Long-term there is also potential to redevelop these sites with larger mixed-use buildings. Short-term, the large industrial spaces can potentially be used for pop-up markets, flex office spaces, or recreation centers.

Lastly, the planning commission identified Eastbrook Avenue as a place of economic opportunity. The short roadway is well-known currently as it functions primarily as a right turn lane for vehicles turning onto Durham Road from Lincoln Highway. The commission noted that the current traffic flow may not be necessary and that Eastbrook Avenue could be closed to traffic which would allow room to develop a public space.

Many residents agreed that the revitalization of the borough may come to further fruition with the addition of tax money from Wawa, which has long been proposed at the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Lincoln Highway.

Residents, property and business owners alike have been encouraged to fill out a survey and become involved in the special committee which will be established to work on the project. All applications for those interested in joining the committee, which are available at borough hall during normal business hours, must be submitted no later than July 12.