More Homes for Buckingham Springs?

Buckingham Springs, the active adult community along Route 413, may be expanding.

Officials from The McKee Group, which owns the property, approached Supervisors recently to get some feedback on the idea.

Kevin McLaughlin, senior vice president of McKee, presented a preliminary sketch outline of a proposed expansion that featured about 150 new homes that could be added to the development.

Currently, there are about 645 pre-manufactured homes in the community, which is open to those ages 55 and older.

McKee also owns 79 acres of land adjacent to Buckingham Springs, and that’s what would be developed.

That area is now zoned agricultural-1, which allows one home on 1.8 acres of land. McKee would need to ask for a change in zoning to accommodate the additional development.

Buckingham Springs is zoned as a mobile home park.

In soliciting comments on the proposal, McLaughlin touted the benefits of Buckingham Springs to the township.

“I think it’s a good community asset,” he said. “The residents love it – they’re good citizens.”

The neighborhood also doesn’t add a financial burden to , since no children live in Buckingham Springs and additional homes wouldn’t cause an influx of new students, he said.  

Supervisors brought up concerns with density, traffic, and water and sewer service.

“When it’s dry, there are a lot of complaints about water,” said vice chairman Maggie Rash.

The community currently has a water and sewer plant onsite to service its needs. McLaughlin said officials would look into upgrading the plant to accommodate the expansion.

The main entrance to the property is on Route 413. The expansion could route some traffic out onto Creek and Lower Mountain roads, a prospect that concerned Rash.

“Those are tiny, skinny little roads, and they don’t need more traffic,” she said.

Traffic issues would have to be addressed, said McLaughlin.

Supervisor Henry Rowan charged McKee representatives to “think outside the box” when coming up with designs for any proposed manufactured housing plans.

Rowan asked that officials look into updating the homes that would be constructed, using environmental and technological innovations that have come on the market since Buckingham Springs was initially built about 17 years ago.

“It’s an old plan … it doesn’t excite me,” said Rowan.

“We should be looking 20 years ahead instead of 20 years behind as we plan our communities,” said Rowan.

Updating floor plans, using materials that are energy efficient, slightly bigger lots are all “things that make a modern living house,” Rowan said. “See what’s really new and exciting in senior living, then bring that back to us."