Stocking Works II Hearing To Resume Thursday

A conditional use hearing for the Stocking Works II proposal that began in December will resume Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the C The hearing was originally set to resume earlier this month but was postponed until this week to allow for the new borough solicitor to get up to speed on the proposal.

The hearing in front of Newtown Borough Council is the first step in an approval process for the

Developer Allan Smith has submitted three plans to Newtown Borough for a mixed-use development. During Thursday’s hearing, just Plan A, which includes 121 residential units and 28,900 square feet of commercial space on six acres, will be considered. That plan also includes a two deck parking structure for public use as well as underground parking for the residential units.

Smith has also submitted two other plans to the borough for conditional use approval, however those plans won’t be considered as part of Thursday’s hearing.

Plan B features civic amenities such as a creek walk and a public square where the State Store parking lot currently sits off Centre Avenue. Plan B includes the development of two additional acres -- the State Store property plus the adjacent municipal lot – and includes 109 condos and 42,700 square feet of commercial space. That plan, which isn’t currently being considered because Smith doesn’t own the one-acre municipal parking lot site, also has a underground and above-ground parking structures.

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

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