Middletown supervisors approve Maple Point Elementary land development after hours of presentation and resident objections
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Summary
The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors granted preliminary and final land-development approval for Neshaminy School District27s Maple Point Elementary School after a detailed site, traffic and stormwater presentation and prolonged public comment raising notice and traffic concerns; the approval includes conditions requiring the district to work with township staff on queueing solutions.
The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to grant preliminary and final land-development approval for the Neshaminy School District27s proposed Maple Point Elementary School, a two-story building planned on the Maple Point campus adjacent to Core Creek Park.
The decision followed a multi-part presentation from the district and its consultants on the project27s site plan, building design, stormwater controls and traffic impacts. John Torrente, solicitor for the district, told the board the roughly 88-acre site would be developed without the need for zoning relief but noted the district is seeking several waivers tied to plan details and a requested variance concerning financial-security posting; the district expects to secure a bond in the neighborhood of $35,000,000 for construction. "We are here again for preliminary final land development," Torrente said during his introduction.
Superintendent Robin Gee framed the project as part of a multi-year consolidation and replacement strategy intended to avoid the greater long-term cost of renovating several older elementary buildings. Architect Scott Downey described a roughly 119,000-square-foot building organized around five learning communities, a secure vestibule, shared dining/stage/gym spaces, and design features intended to improve indoor air quality. Engineers from Gilmore and Associates detailed a stormwater gallery beneath the new parking area and said the design will meet — and in places exceed — local ordinance and state NPDES/MPDES requirements.
Traffic was a central focus. Traffic consultant Stacy Jensen summarized a traffic-impact study that recommends a traffic signal at Woodburn Road and the school driveway, added left-turn lanes on Woodburn and Langhorne Yardley Road, flashing school signals and a rapid-flashing beacon at Briggs Road. Jensen said the elementary school27s arrival window is projected roughly between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., intending to avoid much of the middle-school peak period. "These improvements will be coordinated with PennDOT," Jensen said.
Residents raised multiple concerns during a lengthy public-comment period. Several neighbors said they had not received direct notice of the project and that existing queuing and shoulder-parking on Langhorne Yardley Road and nearby neighborhood streets already pose safety risks. "Pushing this through without dealing with all the traffic issues is a huge mistake," said Karen Fried, a nearby resident. Others urged the board and district to consider berms or plantings to buffer diesel fumes and noise from buses and asked for concrete, enforceable mitigation for shortcutting through adjacent neighborhoods.
The school district and its counsel responded that required legal notices and Act 34 publication steps were completed and that the district had posted information on its website; district representatives also outlined short-term measures they would pursue (signage, targeted communications to parents and coordination with township police and PennDOT) while longer-term intersection and road work proceed.
When the board moved to approve the plan it attached three conditions: full compliance with Middletown27s subdivision and land-development and zoning ordinances unless relief is granted by the proper body; resolution of outstanding consultant review comments before final plan approval; and a commitment from the district to continue working with township staff and the police department on options to address traffic queues during pickup and drop-off. The motion carried 5-0.
Project timeline remarks during the meeting placed the elementary school27s targeted opening in the fall of 2023 if all milestones are met, with September 2024 as a more conservative alternate date if delays occur. The board and project team noted PennDOT27s separate intersection work was expected to begin in 2024 and pledged continued coordination so on-site improvements and off-site state work align.
The board27s approval is preliminary to final plan set sign-off and any required permit clearances; outstanding consultant and state comments must be addressed before final plan release. The district said it will also return to the township and work with police and staff to test and refine temporary queueing and enforcement measures while the larger roadway improvements are designed and constructed.
