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Board approves Durham Road land-development plan for childcare and offices, imposes fees and waivers
Summary
The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors granted preliminary and final approval for a two-building development at 413 Durham Road, subject to PennDOT and sewer approvals, financial security and payments including a $219,891.60 traffic impact fee and a $33,485.35 fee-in-lieu for open space; the motion passed 4–1.
The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors voted 4–1 on April 9 to approve preliminary and final land-development plans for Durham Investment LP’s project at 413 Durham Road, entitling construction of a 10,000-square-foot childcare building and a 6,600-square-foot office/medical building.
The approval is conditional. The board required the applicant to revise plans to address reviewer comments, comply with the board’s April 24, 2024 conditional-use decision, secure required highway approvals and provide utility commitments. Solicitor-read conditions include compliance with PennDOT highway-occupancy permit no. 06120959 (issued 03/13/2025), obtaining will-serve letters from the Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority and Newtown Artesian Water Company for sewer and water service, posting financial security, and paying a traffic impact fee of $219,891.60 and a fee in lieu of open-space dedication of $33,485.35 before building permits are issued.
Solicitor and project representatives also asked for and received four ordinance waivers: allowing parking closer than 20 feet to a building (minimum 10 feet), permitting certain native plant species not on the township’s approved list, relief from longer deceleration-lane lengths to match PennDOT guidance, and a waiver from a requirement to stripe a fire lane adjacent to every building. Township staff and the project’s consultants said the fire marshal has approved a fire-truck turning plan and PennDOT reviewed the traffic study and issued the highway-occupancy permit.
“We have now… received from PennDOT a PennDOT permit for the proposed access,” the applicant’s representative said, noting the permit addresses prior concerns about ingress and egress. Chair said she reviewed the plans and that she was satisfied with the stated safety conditions.
Board members questioned whether sewer connection capacity (EDUs) is available; the applicant said Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority has not allocated new EDUs and that an approved plan will put the project on the authority’s connection-management-plan queue to request capacity when available. The board and developer agreed plan approval is critical to be placed in line for EDUs.
The vote followed a formal motion read into the record that enumerated the review letters and the permit and fee requirements. The motion passed by voice vote, 4 in favor and 1 opposed.
Votes at a glance from the April 9 meeting: - Consent agenda (minutes and bill payments): approved, voice vote 4–1. - Authorize solicitor to sign tax-settlement stipulations (multiple parcels): approved, voice vote 5–0. - Appointment of Foster Digital for AV production services: approved, voice vote 3–2.
The applicant must complete the listed conditions before final plan recording and before building permits are issued; the timeline for sewer allocation remains subject to the county authority’s reallocation process.
