Development on Short Road Gets Green Light

People who live near Short Road in Doylestown Township may be getting some new neighbors.

Township supervisors on Tuesday approved plans presented by luxury builder Richard Zaveta to build eight houses on what is known as the Eastburn tract - 50 acres that were owned by the D. Rodman Eastburn family.

The land is bound by Windover Lane on the north and Short Road on the south, said Eric Clayce, an engineer with Gilmore and Associates.

Zaveta plans to subdivide the plot into nine parcels, one of which would include the Eastburn residence. The other eight parcels would be the sites of future homes.

Under terms of the deal approved Tuesday, Zaveta would pay the township about $105,000 in exchange for not having to fulfill a number of usual township requirements. He won't have to widen Short Road, or add curbs to the road, nor will he have to build a bike and hike trail along the road.

Supervisors' chairman Barbara Lyons said the developer's requests actually fit in well with what residents of the still somewhat-rural part of the township wanted.

"They indicated that they want Short Road left as it is," she said.

Zaveta will have three years to pay the township in installments for each of the eight new lots, rather than have to pay the $105,000 up front.

He also will donate land for a public well, but asked supervisors to allow him to have a say in what the wellhouse design would look like, to ensure that it would fit in with the character of the new development.

"I think we can make that work," said Dick John, the township's director of operations.

Supervisors said they were pleased that Zaveta's plan proposes fewer homes than his first one did.

"This was originally a 15 lot development," supervisors' chairman Barbara Lyons said. "I think a lot of work went into this to get it into a more appropriate (form), from 15 to eight new places."

Those places are bound to be luxurious, if they are similar to houses Zaveta has built elsewhere in Bucks County.

Houses in his Creeks Bend development in Upper Makefield, on lots of five to 12 acres, started at $2.4 million. Those in the Solebury development of Rockwood started at $2.2 million.

Zaveta also renovated a historic home in Doylestown Borough, at 82 E. State Street, which was then offered for sale at $2.6 million.

Though supervisors gave final approval for Zaveta's plans for the Eastburn tract Tuesday night, he would still have to come back to the board for approval of other issues if any arise once building gets underway.