​Steeple View Project To Go Before Newtown Borough Planners

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A plan that would bring a public piazza, a creek walk, new retail and restaurant uses and residential living units to Newtown Borough is scheduled to go before borough planners on Monday night, Jan . 9.

Revised preliminary/final plans for the second phase of the Steeple View redevelopment project are back on the table for land development review by the planners and an eventual vote by borough council.

The project is proposed for a nearly nine acre swath of land extending from the site of the former Stockburger Auto Dealership on South State Street behind the new Wine and Spirits Shoppe to Centre Avenue across from the First National Bank’s Operations Center.

At its first meeting of the year on Jan. 4, the borough council heard an update from developer Allan Smith’s lawyer and engineer on what will be the largest redevelopment project in the town’s history.

The development gets its name from its view of the nearby steeple at Olde Saint Andrew Church on Sycamore Street in Newtown Township. (photo by Jeff Werner)

Smith’s land development attorney Tim Duffy told council that since plans were approved in 2016 for the second phase of the mixed use multi-million-dollar Traditional Neighborhood Development, trends in office and brick and mortar retail have changed dramatically.

“Retail is not what it was and that’s in all likelihood a permanent change. Office is not what it was. The way people work, the way they do business has completely changed,” he said. “As a result of those changes a lot of this layout has changed.”

The original plan approved in 2016 envisioned the construction of 12 mixed use buildings with 15,000 square feet of office space, 52,000 square feet of retail space, 10,669 square feet of restaurant uses and 110 residential condominiums.

The first phase of the Steeple View redevelopment project included the construction of this mixed use building with luxury apartments on the upper floors and the Fine Wine And Good Spirits Store an Mamie Colette's on the ground floor. (photo by Jeff Werner)

The plan also included $15 million worth of public improvements, including a five-story 500 space public parking garage, a public piazza (town square) and a public walkway along the Newtown Creek.

The new, less intense revised plan eliminates a previously proposed 500 car parking garage along with 15,000 square feet of office space. It also reduces the proposed number of new buildings from 12 down to seven and reduces the proposed new retail from 52,000 down to 23,000 square feet, restaurant use from 10,669 down to 5200 square feet and living units from 110 to 88.

The parking garage and the five buildings cut from the plan will be replaced with surface parking and additional green space.

“Certain facets have changed. Certain improvements have changed. But the project itself has not,” said Duffy. “We’re not building the Village at Newtown here. This is a traditional neighborhood development. This is something that is intended for people to live, work and play.”

The plan is proposing the construction of four three story residential condominium buildings on the south end of the property. They had originally been planned as four story structures with underground parking.

In addition, the plan is still proposing a new three story mixed use building to be built next to the Wine and Spirits store at the South State entrance to the project site. The building would house 12 residential units on the upper floors with retail on the first floor.

A mixed use building is proposed on this piece of ground fronting on South State Street (seen in background). The three story building would house retail on the first floor and apartments on the upper floors. (photo by Jeff Werner)

The entrance road at the Wine and Spirits store would feed traffic into a center plaza that would funnel traffic to the four residential buildings at the south end of the site or back out to State Street.

Plans for the north end of the site - the location of the former Wine and Spirits store and municipal parking lot - would remain pretty much the same as before. The site would be redeveloped with a public piazza, or town square area, and two new buildings that would help frame the square.

One of the new buildings, a three story structure, would be built behind Starbucks. It would have retail on the first floor and 14 condos up above. The second new building would be located to the south of the piazza along the creek. It would have a restaurant use on the first floor and 14 condos above.

One of the proposed new mixed use buildings would be built here behind the Starbucks. It would house retail on the first floor and apartments on the second and third floors. (photo by Jeff Werner)

The former Wine and Spirits store at 10 Centre Avenue would be torn down to make way for the piazza and the new mixed use building.

The plan also includes the creation of a formalized Creek Walk beginning at the piazza at Centre Avenue and extending south along the waterway. A previously proposed new pedestrian bridge connection at Carl Sedia Park has been deferred due to cost factors, noted Duffy.

During comments from council, member Bob Szwajkos peppered Duffy and the engineer with questions about traffic circulation and pedestrian safety urging the developer to keep safety in mind as the plan moves forward.

When Councilor Emily Heinz asked about parking and whether enough is being provided for in the plan, borough engineer Michele Fountain said the plan does not provide enough on site parking for the uses being proposed.

“Some of the required parking is proposed to be at the Stocking Works,” said Fountain.

Heinz also asked about the height differential between the two new proposed buildings off of Centre Avenue and the nearby historic buildings.

“They will be less than 35 feet,” said the developer's engineer, noting that the bank across the street is closer to 45. And keep in mind that the State Street buildings sit up higher. They are about a story higher than the existing grade behind.”

Looking north from the development site toward Centre Avenue. The plan calls for the construction of public piazza at Centre Avenue. It would be framed by a new three story building with a restaurant use on the first floor and apartments up above. (photo by Jeff Werner)

On Monday night, Jan. 9 the planning commission is scheduled to begin its public review of the plan. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Newtown Borough Hall.

In November, the council granted Smith a three month extension for the project to March 31, 2023. The revised plan for the mixed use project was scheduled to expire at the end of 2022.

The extension gave Smith and his team of professionals additional time to address issues raised during meetings with the borough’s planning commission this past fall.