Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Attainable topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developers, Habitat for Humanity present attainable‑housing proposal for former Knights of Columbus site; board schedules ordinance hearing
Summary
WB Homes and Habitat for Humanity presented a proposal to amend Middletown’s Professional zoning district to permit townhomes with a density bonus tied to permanently attainable units. The board did not vote but scheduled formal ordinance hearings and required public notice.
WB Homes and Habitat for Humanity on Jan. 14 introduced a proposed text amendment to Middletown Township’s Professional zoning district to permit attached townhomes and a density bonus in exchange for a share of permanently attainable units.
Chris Canavan, president of WB Homes, said the proposal targets an underdeveloped property at 1492 Woodburn Road (the former Knights of Columbus site) and would add residential townhome options to the P (Professional) district. Under the proposal, Canavan said, a base low-density townhome option would be allowed and a density bonus would be available if a developer committed 20% of units to an attainable-housing program worked by Habitat for Humanity. "We had originally come in at 15% of the units. They asked if we would move that to 20% of the units, which we were agreeable to," Canavan said.
Florence Kowatsik of Habitat for Humanity described the nonprofit’s land‑trust model for permanent affordability: Habitat retains ownership of the land, conveys the home with resale restrictions and requires subsequent sales be to income-qualified households. "When the time comes to sell, [the household] has to sell to another income-qualified household," Kowatsik said, adding that Habitat expects its purchasers to be households in the 20–50% area median income (AMI) range in Bucks County.
Board members and staff framed the step as a preliminary ordinance discussion: the planning commission had reviewed an early overlay and did not recommend it; the developer will bring formal ordinance language and public notice will be required prior to a hearing. Staff said the amendment would be scheduled on the board’s February agenda and that multiple notices (website, newspaper and certified mail to nearby residents where applicable) would be provided.
Some residents urged caution. A public commenter who identified herself as a planning commission attendee asked the board to scrutinize pricing and the share of units that would be attainable, noting the developer intends to build market-rate townhomes alongside the Habitat units and expressing concern that only a small portion of units (six units were cited during public comment as the likely Habitat allocation for a roughly 33–34‑unit project) would be permanently attainable.
The board took no vote on the ordinance language on Jan. 14 and directed staff to ensure required public notice and scheduling of a formal ordinance hearing. Board members said they welcomed the concept but wanted detailed ordinance language and a full hearing record before taking action.
