Supervisors Vote To Expand Housing Options In Middletown's Professional Districts

The former Knights of Columbus building along Woodbourne Road. Credit: Google Maps

Middletown Township Board of Supervisors approved a text amendment that will allow for additional uses in the P-Professional Zoning District, including townhomes with an attainable housing option.

The board voted 3-1 to approve the ordinance, with Supervisor Dana Kane casting the dissenting vote.

The amendment requires 20 percent of units to be sold to households at or below 100 percent of the county average median income.

Ed Murphy, the attorney representing W.B. Holmes, presented the text amendment request for the former Knights of Columbus property at 1492 Woodburne Road. The 53-acre site is currently zoned P Professional.

The proposed development would include 33 to 34 total units, with six designated as attainable housing. The rest would be sold at market-rate prices that are estimated to be approximately $500,000.

Chris Canavan, president of WB Holmes, said the developer would partner with Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County to create the attainable housing units.

“Six units would be townhomes that we would convey to Habitat,” Canavan said. “We would build the units. Habitat would be the entity that would be responsible for finding the appropriate households to purchase those.”

WB Homes would build all units to maintain consistency throughout the development, according to the proposal.

Canavan said Habitat for Humanity would also be responsible for ensuring the units remain attainable for future owners through their land trust model.

Florence Kawoczka, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County, was present to answer questions about the organization’s role in the project.

Florence Kawoczka, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County, speaking at a past event.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

Kawoczka said Habitat for Humanity’s model addresses a gap in the housing market.

“In Bucks County, there are many people that can afford to pay a mortgage, just not enough of a mortgage,” she said.

Kawoczka explained that those who will be applying for the attainable housing would be vetted to make sure they live or work in the county and can afford the payments. Those applying will hold certain jobs, like medical workers, emergency responders, teachers and similar careers.

Murphy, the attorney for the developer, said the plan makes sense by redeveloping an empty building and providing more housing opportunities.

According to data from Zillow, the average Bucks County home price is $481,321 as of this month, which is up $305,758 in 2018.

Kane, the supervisor who voted against the change, expressed concerns about the density of development in Professional Zoning Districts.

“I just think it’s another, it’s another plan with high density. That’s what I’m seeing,” Kane said. “I know I’ve received pushback from residents. I hear it on the podium all the time of that desire not to have high density leads to traffic, leads to all, you know, a bunch of more issues.”

Canavan acknowledged the concerns and said the developer would continue to work with residents and the township to refine the plan.

“We are trying to look at it from a bigger picture and like, okay, are there other things we can do that you’re like, okay, ‘hey, for the extra couple units,’ it allows them to do these. Whether it’s the trail, the connectivity, whether it’s the open space, whether it’s a park for the township,” Canavan said.

Supervisor Chairperson Mike Ksiazek said the amendment accomplishes two goals for the township.

“One is dealing with the P Professional district, which has become a difficult situation for lots of municipalities, and we are no exception,” Ksiazek said. “The other thing, and this is just could not be more appropriate given the circumstances tonight, and the supervisor, Anna Payne, that we just honored, it deals with this attainable housing issue, which was really a passion of hers and something that she fought for.”

Ksiazek said last month that the Professional Zoning District requirements were out of date as there is less of a need in the region for commercial office space.

“The world has changed and office space is not desirable like it once was, and that’s what this land is,” Ksiazek said.

The text amendment approval allows the developer to move forward with a conditional use application for the project.

Canavan said they would return in six to eight weeks with updated plans based on feedback from residents and township officials.

Eric Bruno, a township resident, agreed with Kane’s concerns and said the supervisors not approving the zoning change would avoid residents being upset over development at the site.

Editor’s Note: The article has been updated to remove a sentence that misreported that the homes will cost as much as $1.2 million. The information was from a separate story and was mistakenly included.

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