Letter to the Editor: Neighborhood Concerned about Development

Dear Editor,

Here we are again, another Bensalem Neighborhood fighting about the impact of traffic on our community. This time our fight is to keep the traffic from the streets in front of our doors.

Most of us live in this Lin-Park community because of the quiet neighborly atmosphere.  While the community came to be in the early 1900s most of Bensalem barely knew we existed.  We began as an African American community with all the struggles of being denied those things which other Bensalem residents took for granted such as paved roads, access to mortgages, streets snow plowed, school bus stops, and street lights to name a few. We learned to be self-sufficient, starting our own scout troops, political organizations, clubs, churches, corner convenience stores and etc. As noted above we began as an African American development but what makes us quite unique is that we have evolved into a voluntarily integrated neighborhood. 

In the northwest corner of Lin-Park sits 44 acres of land, surrounded by overhead power lines, railroad tracks, wetlands and Poquessing Creek. This is the tract of land where Somerton Valley Homes and K. Hovnanian Home Builders requested a zoning change from 74 single-family detached homes to 178 townhouses. While Lin-Park has no problem with new development and in fact, was looking forward to the original project of single-family dwellings, we were concerned about a new project of such magnitude.  However, when we reviewed the zoning ordinances and learned that the Statement of Purpose states that townhouses should be located on arterial and collector streets and, we checked townhouse locations throughout Bensalem, we mistakenly thought that our neighborhood would be held to the same standard as the rest of Bensalem and the request for a zoning change would be denied. Are our concerns being fully considered?

Lin-Park Community’s major concern with this project is the same as that expressed by the Bensalem Planning Commission who recently rejected this proposal twice, because of the traffic that a project of this size would bring to an already congested area. At the end of the Somerton Valley Homes’ presentation to the planning commission a commission member, Mike Brill, said that traffic was already a nightmare in the area, especially at rush hour. Other commission comments were that the commission had to look at more than just township code, that’s just one piece of the puzzle. They were also concerned about the hardship on the neighborhood.

When this project was first presented to the Lin-Park community in August 2010, neighbors immediately expressed their concern about traffic. We were told at that meeting and again at the Planning Commission meeting in March 2011, that the builder could make the Master Avenue entrance an “emergency access only” road. They said it would be no problem and they thought this could help alleviate some of our concerns about the impact of traffic within the community. We believed them but now at the “twelfth” hour the builders want to change their ‘word’ and open Master Avenue.

The Lin-Park residents have tried to explain how narrow the streets are in the neighborhood. And, in fact, it has been said that some of the streets such as Masters Avenue are so narrow that one can put your arms out and touch both sides. There are no curbs or sidewalks so we worry about speeding cars and pedestrians and the safety of our children playing, walking and at school bus stops.

A traffic study was done last August, paid for by Somerton Valley Homes and K. Hovnanian Home Builders, before school started, so the study did not accurately capture families on vacation, parents driving kids to school or children walking to bus stops. And, the study did not assess the traffic which will be generated by the other new development at Somerton & Trevose Roads, or any of the small residential streets where our children play below Master Avenue. In addition the township’s consultant has not reviewed the August 2010 traffic study. Is it any surprise that this traffic study is the only one indicating that no traffic light would be needed at Somerton and Old Trevose Roads even though previous traffic studies conducted in 2005 and 2006 indicate that a traffic light would be needed at this intersection? While the attorney for the builders says a new traffic study is not needed our attorney presented a recommendation from another traffic engineer who says a new study is needed, taken at the appropriate time of the year to assess traffic in the area, especially along Somerton Road and below Master Avenue entrance.

The builders plan to go before Bensalem Township Council on May 9^th to request final approval of this project. Lin-Park Community already feels like it is under siege during rush hour, unable to enter or leave our own neighborhood without sitting in traffic.  We respectfully ask that at the May 9, 2011 meeting, Bensalem Township Council look out for “us”, the little guy and at the very least close Master Avenue. All of Bensalem Township continues to scream about traffic, we need council to make the hard decisions to reduce the impact wherever it can.

Karen Downer,

Trevose Resident