Stone Meadows Farm Developer Moves Forward With Proposal

A scaled-back plan for the Stone Meadows Farm property in Middletown Township will solicit feedback from residents and planning professionals.

At Monday evening’s meeting, the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors approved the township to move the developer’s updated plan for professional review by township planning officials and county planning officials. The supervisor’s vote didn’t green light any parts of the plan, but the move allows the township to further review it.

The developer is aiming to construct 82 duplexes, a total of 164 units, for those age 55 and older at the farm that sits near Core Creek Park off Langhorne-Newtown Road. The plan is much smaller than the previous proposal for 121 single-family homes that was denied in late 2019.

The updated plan for the 168-acre farm is expected to come before the county planning commission on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 1 and the township planning commission, an advisory body, that evening at 7 p.m. at the township Municipal Complex.

The developer KTMT Stone LP, which is connected to Metropolitan Development Group, could bring the revised plan before the supervisors for review by their December 20 meeting. Supervisors Chairperson Tom Tosti already said he would not vote for the plan.

KTMT Stone LP still has an active appeal to the 2019 denial in the county courts. The latest update is an attempt at a settlement with the township.

The developer touted the plan Monday evening as featuring 67 acres of preserved space on the east side of the property along Fulling Mill Road. There would be an additional 41 acres of open space across the property and walking trails. A club house for residents would also be built. The current homestead and structures boarding the Summit Trace development will be retained by the Stone Family.

The new plan drops any development along Fulling Mill Road. They also include two access roads connecting the duplexes, which would be set back from Langhorne-Newtown Road, to the roadway. No traffic lights are planned.

Representatives for the developer said the new plan would have less of a traffic impact, would include improvements to Langhorne-Newtown Road, and provide more tax revenue to the school district because there would not be young families living in the development. Overall, the development would provide an estimated $252,633 in tax revenue to the township and $1.2 million to the Neshaminy School District.

“We’re expecting half the traffic at most,” a representative for the developer said.

The goal would be for the county to purchase a conservation easement to restrict development on the 67 acres of land along Fulling Mill Road. The land would remain in the hands of the Stone family but the county would own development rights. The Stone family would have the right to built two single-family homes off Fulling Mill Road on the land if they desired, but there could be no other development, said Robert Gundlach Jr., an attorney representing Metropolitan Development Group.

The other open space off of Langhorne-Newtown Road would be owned by the homeowners’ association and be restricted from future development, Gundlach explained.

Several residents raised concerns about traffic in the area and potential impacts on stormwater.

The plan calls for stormwater improvements at the property.

There has been intense opposition by residents against plan to develop the farm since LevittownNow.com first broke the news of a development proposal in 2015.

The Save Stone Meadows Farm group has backed the largest effort to stop development. They are being sued by the developer for their efforts.

Save Stone Meadows Farm attorney Zachary Sivertsen, of firm Eastburn and Gray, said the group has had “productive and positive conversations” with the developer. However, he noted, the group has only had the updated plan for a week and isn’t taking a formal position on them.

“We’re moving in the right direction to possibly making this project something more palatable to the community,” he said.

Jeff Miller, one of the leading resident voices behind Save Stone Meadows Farm, said the latest plan is “better” than previous proposals. Although, he added that there’s still room for improvement.

Miller noted that ideally he would like to see no development, but the developer also has rights and has been taking resident feedback into account.

The developer will hold an informal meeting next Monday at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Complex to present their updated plan and talk to residents.

The Stone family has owned the farm for years. The family is related to famed actors Ezra Stone and Sara Seegar, who dominated stage and screen during their careers during the 20th Century. According to a BucksLocalNews.com article from 2013, actors Debbie Reynolds, Jackie Cooper, and Gary Merrill were among the many celebrities who joined the Stones at celebrations at the farm.

Related:

• Developer Has New Plan To Build On 168-Acre Farm
• Supervisors Turn Down Preliminary Subdivision, Land Development For Stone Meadows Farm
• Planners Table Stone Meadow Farm Proposal
• Residents Give Input For Middletown Comprehensive Plan
• Planners Deny Stone Meadows Farm Proposal To Build 123 Homes
• Stone Meadows Farm Subdivision Gets Approval
• Officials Review Latest Plans To Bulldoze Largest Remaining Farm In Middletown
• Group Working To Save Stone Meadows Farm
• 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

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