Township To Review Plans For Old Acme Site

A revised plan for the project slated for the former Acme site on Sycamore Street will be reviewed next week by the Newtown Township Zoning Hearing Board. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the township building.

In August, the developers of The Promenade came before the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors with an urgent plea to expedite the approval of revised plans for the mixed-use project.

However, the revised plan needs a Zoning Hearing Board variance for parking, Board Chair Rob Ciervo told the applicant in August. The new plan has 116 spaces, which is 36 shy of what is required by township rules.

Plans previously approved by the township for The Promenade include a mixed-use development with both retail and residential units. But according to the applicant, McGrath Homes, the market has changed, causing them to amend their plans for financial reasons.

The revised plan presented in August is a scaled-back version of the development that's 20,000 square feet smaller than the original 83,000-square-foot plan. The new plan reduces retail space by about 3,000 square feet down to about 20,000 square feet.

Additionally, the revised plan seeks to build smaller residential units, but more of them. The former plan called for 23 resident condominiums. The plan presented in August calls for 26 apartment-style units.

According to the applicant, Anthropologie is expected to be the anchor tenant at The Promenade.

Newtown Borough Council member Mike Sellers on Wednesday expressed his concerns about the proposed revisions to the plan. He asked that Council discuss the option of sending representation from the borough to the Zoning Hearing Board.

Council will discuss the issue at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Chancellor Center.