Politics & Government

Stocking Works II Hearing To Resume Tuesday

The conditional use hearing begins at 7 p.m. at the Chancellor Center.

 

A conditional use hearing for the proposed Stocking Works II development that began last month will resume Tuesday. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the .

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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Developer Allan 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. 

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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

Last month, two attorneys requested "party status" on behalf of their clients. Attorneys for Newtown Township and The Temperance House were granted party status, despite an objection from the applicant’s attorney, Tim Duffy.

Party status enables the representing attorney to cross-examine witnesses and object to evidence being placed on the record.

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.

Plan A overview:

  • Utilizes approximately six acres; former Stockburger site and Sedia property.
  • 121 residential units; 72 of which are high end
  • Two-deck parking structure with 210 spaces
  • 185 spaces in below-ground parking structure
  • 28,904 square feet of commercial
  • No office square footage
  • State Store and municipal lot remain as-is.
  • No creek walk
  • No public piazza


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