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Renew Bible Church presents secondary emergency-access plan; neighbors object
Summary
Renew Bible Church presented a concept plan for a secondary emergency access from its property to Schwenkmill Road after Pennridge School District declined a joint driveway; neighbors raised concerns about traffic, lighting and personal impacts and the board asked the Planning Commission to review the concept.
Representatives from Renew Bible Church presented a concept plan seeking Board direction for a secondary emergency exit to Schwenkmill Road at the Nov. 26 meeting.
Greg Landis and engineer Scott Mease said the church prepared the plan after Pennridge School District rejected a joint driveway. The church told the board it had proposed that the school install a connecting driveway and the church would pay for the improvement; the school declined private use of school property. Renew Bible Church described its property as a reunification or "safe-haven" location for Pennridge School District and the Upper Bucks Vocational School and estimated 500–1,200 students could be directed to the site in an evacuation scenario. The church offered to fund construction if the school agreed to place the driveway on school property, but the district would not allow private access.
The Board asked that the Planning Commission review the concept plan and inquired whether Bucks County Community College or an alternate exit onto Fifth Street might be feasible; the engineering representative noted that PennDOT requires a two-lane through lane onto Fifth Street. Neighbors George and Sandra Hawthorne of 690 W. Schwenkmill Road expressed concerns about traffic and lighting impacts to their property.
The board did not take immediate final action and directed referral to the Planning Commission for review and additional study.
