Politics & Government

Developer: Tonight's Stocking Works II Hearing Will Be Postponed

Developer Allan Smith said the hearing will be postponed to allow for the borough's new solicitor to "get up to speed" on the proposal for a mixed-use development off State Street.

 

A conditional use hearing for the Stocking Works II proposal that began in December and was scheduled to resume tonight will be postponed, developer Allan Smith said.

Smith said since the borough has a new solicitor, who will be present for the first time tonight, “we felt it only fair to offer to postpone so he could get up to speed.”

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Smith added that council had scheduled just an hour of testimony. “It seemed smart to reschedule when we could have a longer hearing,” he said.

The hearing in front of Newtown Borough Council is the first step in an approval process for the redevelopment of the former Stockburger Chevrolet site off South State Street.

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Smith is seeking conditional use approval to construct Stocking Works II, a mixed-use development on six acres. The project would feature residential units, retail space and a two-deck parking structure.

The plan includes 121 residential units and 28,900 square feet of commercial space. The residential units would range from 1,750 square feet to 850 square feet. 

Mixed-use development is permitted in that location under borough ordinance but requires conditional use approval. 

Conditional use approval from council doesn’t mean Smith can break ground on the project. It simply allows him to go forward with engineering to prepare a preliminary plan to be submitted to the borough.

Smith  for conditional use approval – Plan A and Plan B. Late last month, Smith submitted a third plan –  – to be considered for conditional use approval.

Plan B is similar to the one presented informally to Borough Council in May. It includes the development of two additional acres -- the State Store property plus the adjacent municipal lot – and features additional civic amenities such as a creek walk, a public gathering space and an amphitheatre.

However the borough isn’t presently considering Plan B because Smith doesn’t own the one-acre municipal parking lot site.  Smith, who owns the State Store property, was the former owner of the municipal lot property but donated it to the borough several years ago. 

Plan C eliminates the 210-space parking garage that is included in Plan A and B. It also reduces the number of residential condominiums to 78 and the commercial square footage to 23,155.


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