Should It Stay or Should It Go? Farmhouse's Fate to Be Discussed Monday

The future of a farmhouse on Upper Silver Lake Road will be discussed tonight, Monday, Oct 6, at a Board of Supervisors work session meeting. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Newtown Township Municipal Building.

McGrath Homes, which is nearing completion of its Villas at Newtown development, has asked the township for permission to tear down a 1840s farmhouse and replace it with a dozen villas. Restoration of the farmhouse was a condition of approval when McGrath received the go-ahead to construct the 172-unit development back in 2006.

At a meeting in September, the Board of Supervisors did not reach a decision on the fate of the farmhouse. Dozens of residents packed the meeting room to weigh in on the issue. Instead, the board decided to continue discussion the issue with the hopes that a solution pleasing to both sides could be reached.

A majority of residents in the 55-plus community support demolition of the farmhouse. However, others in in the township told the board they oppose the idea. Those who do not support tearing the house down said they feared destroying the building would chip away at the town’s heritage and set a dangerous precedent for land development applications going forward.

Monday’s meeting will not be televised but it is open to the public.