Trailer Park Development to be Discussed April 10

The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors will not be discussing the future development on the Newtown Swim Club property this week, chairman Mike Gallagher confirmed.

The discussion about whether the site will become a trailer park or townhomes will instead take place at the board's April 10 meeting.

In a letter to the township dated March 19, the attorney for developer County Builders, which has proposed a 56-pad trailer park for the site, said he and his clients would be present at the supervisors meeting Wednesday to discuss a second proposal for townhomes.

However, Gallagher said the township received the plans for the townhome development Friday. "That did not provide enough time for our consultants to review the plans," he said, adding the board "wants to have as much information as we'll need to make an informed decision, and that requires legal and engineering reviews."

In that five-page letter to the township, attorney John VanLuvanee told the township that County Builders would consider filing a second application for the site that consists of 56 townhomes—four more units than original townhome application that was not supported by the board—provided officials agree to a series of conditions.

The letter goes on to say the second application for townhomes will only be submitted if officials agree to six conditions, including seven waivers of the township’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

The swim club is closing after this summer and owner David Platt is working with County Builders to create a residential development.

The application for a mobile home park was submitted in December after the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to send its solicitor to the Zoning Hearing Board to defend the township's zoning regulations with regards to County Builders' 52-townhome proposal.