Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors and Westrum Development Company have reached an agreement on an appeal to a Zoning Hearing Board decision.
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The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to approve the settlement to settle a zoning appeal at the Monday evening meeting.
The approval of the settlement doesn’t mean the development will be constructed. Solicitor James Esposito said the developer must submit final plans and undergo the land development process to request approval.
Westrum Development Company proposed developing the site of the former Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School into a 70-unit townhome community last year.
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Last year, Westrum Development’s plan to construct the “age-targeted” townhome development faced a setback when the Middletown Township Zoning Hearing Board denied the proposal due to zoning restrictions. The property’s Professional zoning classification does not permit townhomes.
With an appeal filed in the courts, Westrum Development worked with township officials and the Cobalt Ridge community, which borders the site, to refine their plans and reach a settlement.
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The revised development, now called “Woodbourne Ridge,” has seen a reduction in the number of units from 70 to 66 and incorporates a range of enhancements aimed at addressing community and township concerns. The changes include increased open spaces, additional overflow parking, a reconfiguration of the townhomes to increase their distance from Woodbourne Road, and the installation of a decorative fence that was approved by neighbors.
The developer has committed to planting the landscape buffer before construction would begin, double the required number of plantings, and has agreed to restrictions on ban the addition of sheds and pools.
The developer agreed to add a turn lane on Woodbourne Road for nearby Cobalt Ridge section.
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The settlement also would limit construction activities at the 14-acre site to weekdays.
Robert Gundlach, the attorney representing Westrum Development, said the feedback from township officials and local residents was instrumental in shaping the updated plans.
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Adjustments to the plan will reduce traffic impacts on Woodbourne Road, Gundlach said.
The former school building, which is in “poor condition,” houses a nonprofit tenant. The school closed years ago and the Neshaminy School District sold the property a decade ago.
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The school building will be demolished to make way for the development.
Gundlach noted that the community will not have age restrictions on residents.
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The townhomes featuring three bedrooms are expected to be priced between $500,000 and $600,000.
Supervisor Dana Kane said she was grateful to the developer for gaining the neighborhood’s support of the revised plans.
“You made a lot of concessions and it checks all the boxes, so thank you,” Kane said.
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The other supervisors agreed with her comments.
Gundlach told the supervisors scaling back the plans isn’t what developers typically want to do, but the revisions suggested by the township and neighbors have made the plans better for the community.
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Kane asked if the developer expected a large amount of families with kids, but Gundlach said it was “hard to gauge for this housing type.”
In addition to changes to the plans, the developer agreed to work with the township to set up a trust fund by putting in $200,000. The fund addresses the challenges faced by many potential homeowners in the area who can afford monthly payments but lack sufficient funds for down payments.
The fund for Bucks County residents will be managed by the township or another entity, Gundlach said.
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Supervisors Chairperson Mike Ksiazek commended Supervisor Anna Payne on her efforts to support efforts to keep homeowners in Bucks County.
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