Newtown Borough Expected To Grant Extension To Steeple View Project

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — The Newtown Borough Council on Tuesday is expected to grant
another extension of time for the second phase of the Steeple View redevelopment project.

The extension will give the developer additional time to secure a conditional use for the project and to present the findings of its traffic and parking studies to borough planners.

The developer is also expected to present a revised plan to the borough, which could happen as early as May 12, according to the borough’s solicitor.

The developer asked for and received a previous extension until the end of May. This time the developer had asked for an extension to the end of July.

Councilors, however, have recommended a longer extension, potentially to Oct. 31, to avoid having to grant additional extensions.

The project has some weighty issues to overcome to secure revised preliminary and final land development approval from the borough, including resolving a parking deficit, addressing traffic flow, the reconstruction of a barn and its use and the timely construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Newtown Creek.

With the elimination of a proposed parking garage from the original plan, the developer has been struggling with meeting the parking requirements of the proposed project. They have proposed using parking located at the nearby Stocking Works to meet the ordinance requirements.

When it's approved, it would be the largest redevelopment project in recent borough history.

The revised plan, which Patch has been reporting on since the project was first unveiled, proposes seven new multi-story buildings (four residential and three mixed use) on nearly nine acres of land along with the development of a public piazza on Centre Avenue and a public greenway along the Newtown Creek.

The project site extends from Centre Avenue south to the former Stockburger property off of South State Street and behind the new Wine and Spirits store, which was phase one of the project.

Plans call for a one way internal roadway from Centre Avenue to a new Center Plaza traffic circle behind the Wine and Spirits store that would direct traffic to four new residential condominium buildings planned for the southern end of the site or to the development's exit on South State Street.

At the northern end of the site, a public piazza, or town square, would be framed by two new three story mixed use buildings - one with retail on the first floor and residential units above behind the Starbucks and the second overlooking the piazza with a restaurant use on the first floor and living units above.

While the plan calls for a less intense project than what was approved in 2016, with the elimination of a proposed parking garage the revised plan comes up short on parking by 156 spaces, according to the borough’s engineer who led a review of the plan earlier this year

The developer’s attorney Tim Duffy said the parking deficit could be accommodated off site at developer Allen Smith’s nearby Stocking Works complex on South State Street. In addition, they would need to use the 2.8 acres of proposed green space at the heart of the project site for parking.

The green space had originally been designated for surface parking in Smith’s revised plan presented last spring, but was changed to green space to break up the asphalt at the suggestion of the late Council President Susan Turner. The green space was added with the idea that if parking was needed it could be converted.

Planning commission chair Mark Craig has said it will be incumbent upon the developer to provide parking calculations and to show how they intend to accommodate what’s required under the ordinances.

Traffic flow is another another key concern.

“The three big things we want to look at is the impact on parking, the traffic impact study that will help us understand how the traffic flows and the actual calculation of what parking is available both on site and off site,” said Craig.

Another issue that will need to be addressed is the developer’s request to defer a proposed footbridge connecting Newtown Borough to Newtown Township at Carl Sedia Park to the end of the project timeline.

Also to be worked out is the future use of a reconstructed barn that the developer deconstructed more than a decade ago with the promise of integrating it into the new development as a public use.

The developer has proposed rebuilding the structure at the surface parking lot for used as a covered parking structure for up to eight vehicles.