Officials Review Latest Plans To Bulldoze Largest Remaining Farm In Middletown

Updated plans to turn much of the 168-acre Stone Meadows Farm property into a subdivision came before the Middletown Township Planning Commission Wednesday evening.

After a more than three-hour long meeting, the planners voted to hold off on approving or denying the plans until some relatively-minor adjustments have been made. A second vote to deny the plans if the developer and property owners did not approve an extension for planners to review the changes was also passed.

The latest plans from Metropolitan Development Group would put up to 124 single family homes on the large property that sits off Newtown-Langhorne Road across from the George School. An attorney representing the developer said less than 100 homes could be built due to an option that would give the current property owners the ability to preserve the southeast corner of the property near Fulling Mill and Tollgate roads.

Under the plan presented Wednesday, the existing farm houses and other structures will remain on an excluded 9.4 acre plot.

Roughly 48 acres of the large property that sits near Core Creek Park will remain open space. Some of the open space will be used for stormwater basins, buffer yards, and a planned 10-foot-wide walking trail. Much of the land that is being preserved has an active conservation easement due to it being a floodplain.

The developer noted in plans that they aim to provide a crossing area to connect the development to county-owned Core Creek Park on Tollgate Road.

A look at the sketch for the site reveals that the 75 homes will sit off Newtown-Langhorne Road and 48 will sit off Fulling Mill Road. The two sections will not be connected by a roadway, but the planned walking trail will go between the two sections.

Entrances to the neighborhood would connect to Newtown-Langhorne Road, Fulling Mill Road, and Tollgate Road.

The open space in the proposed development would be maintained by a homeowner association and the streets would also be maintained by them, representatives for the developer said.

Construction on the Stone Meadows Farm property would be broken into four phases.

Neighbors and activists have fought Metropolitan Development Group’s plan to build homes on the site of what is Middletown’s largest piece of privately-owned agricultural property.

The group has worked to raise funds and find buyers to protect the farm.

Sources have told LevittownNow.com the estimated purchase price for the Stone Meadows Farm is between $8 million and $16 million.

A representative from Save Stone Meadows Farm said earlier this year that the Stone family’s agreement with Metropolitan Development Group bars members of the family from hearing other offers.

Over the past years, residents have brought up concerns about impacts the development would have on  already congested roads, their taxes, nearby wells and water systems, and the local ecosystem.

The Save Stone Meadows Farm group had attorney Zachary Sivertsen from Eastburn and Gray in attendance Wednesday along with a traffic engineer.

“Any comments about them raising money to preserve the farms and their mission to preserve the farm, they can take that up with another board,” Fox Rothschild attorney Robert Gundlach told the planners.

He objected to comments that strayed from topics directly discussed about the plans for the site.

Planning Commission member Robert Burnett said he did not think Gundlach should try to stifle comments from the public, citing a Bucks County Planning Commission letter that directly mentioned preservation of the farm.

Gundlach responded by suggesting Burnett already had his mind made up and might be “on the wrong side of the table.”

“You’ve made your presentation and now we want to hear from the public … I have not made up my mind,” Burnett said.

Jeff Miller, who is involved with Save Stone Meadows Farm, spoke about his concerns relating to strains on infrastructure and roadways.

A St. Mary Medical Center emergency room nurse said adding more traffic could risk lives by slowing down hospital staff rushing to prepare for emergency surgeries.

The traffic engineer hired by Save Stone Meadows Farm told planners the development would almost certainly increase delays and cause wrecks on Newtown-Langhorne Road.

One woman who spoke said an archaeologist from Temple University raised the point that Native American artifacts may lie on the Stone Meadow Farm and an archaeological survey should be completed.

Linda Mead, a Middletown resident and 35-year land preservation expert, said she believes the property can be saved from development.

“We are here for the long term,” she said of the Save Stone Meadows Farm group.

“I know we can be very brave and save this place … we can save all of this,” said Ann Pullis, a resident who lives near the farm.

Related:

• Group Working To Save Stone Meadows Farm
• Stone Farm Planning Commission Meeting Cancelled
• Middletown Twp. Tables Stone Farm Development Zoning Request
• More than 120 Homes Planned For Stone Farm, Middletown Could Preserve Portion Of Land
• Housing Development Could Overtake 168-Acre Farm