Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developers propose 55+ Cloverleaf condominium and townhome community on 13.6-acre Morrisville parcel
Summary
A developer team presented a sketch plan for a 13.6-acre Cloverleaf site near Morrisville Cemetery, proposing 78 for-sale units (46 townhomes, 32 condominiums), two zoning amendments, Act 2 environmental remediation, and off-site traffic work; council and residents pressed for traffic studies, remediation financing, and open-space protections.
A developer team told Morrisville Borough Council it intends to redevelop the 13.6-acre Cloverleaf parcel near the Morrisville Cemetery into a high-end, age-qualified (55-plus) for-sale community with townhomes and condominiums.
Mike McGinnis, an attorney with Begley, Carlin & Mandeo representing the developer, framed the proposal as a "capstone development for the borough" and said the team is seeking council feedback before submitting formal site-plan applications. PT Dion, identified by the team as the developer, and Anand Bhat of ARNA Engineering described a sketch plan showing 78 dwellings — 46 attached townhouses and 32 multifamily condominium units — with roughly 5.7 units per acre, approximately 34% impervious coverage and 172 proposed parking spaces.
The engineering overview noted the site includes a historic landfill area that requires remediation under Pennsylvania's Act 2 program before housing construction can proceed. "This site … needs a significant investment to clean up the property, and that is something that PT and his team in tandem with the RDA is committed to doing as part of this development," McGinnis said. The team said grant funding will be pursued and that they will front cleanup costs with partial reimbursement possibilities; they also said cleanup is a separate phase and would not be folded into the unit pricing.
Council members and residents focused early questions on traffic, parking and homeownership rules. One resident asked whether multifamily units would be rental or for sale; the developers responded that "everything on the properties will be for sale … 100%" and that the project is intended to be owner-occupied. On traffic, the team said it will hire a traffic planning firm for counts and mitigation and noted the borough recently completed a small traffic study; the developers also said they expect to coordinate with PennDOT and the county on off-site improvements.
The applicants requested two zoning variances/amendments: an increase in permitted multifamily building length (from a 120-foot limit to a proposed 210-foot option in certain configurations) and a relaxation of rules about curb cuts/garage frontages on the internal street layout. The engineers said the plan complies with most RN (Riverview Neighborhood) district bulk standards and that the design leaves about five acres of open space and connective sidewalks linking to Manor Park. The team emphasized that stormwater controls will be designed to meet borough and DEP requirements.
Residents asked whether the adjacent senior center parking lot and Manor Park parcel were being counted in impervious-area calculations; ARNA Engineering said the 13.6-acre lot area used to compute the 34% figure does include the parking area depicted on the submitted sketch and that Bryan/borough staff and the RDA will coordinate final parcel boundaries during land development.
No vote was requested at the presentation; developers said they will return with a formal application, traffic study results and refined architectural plans. Council members and staff directed further study and engagement with county permitting and environmental regulators before any final approvals.
The next procedural steps offered by council were: a formal site-plan submission, Act 2 remediation permitting and a planning commission review before subsequent council votes.
