Newtown Township Rejects Settlement Deal With Arcadia

NEWTOWN, PA — A three-year legal squabble between Newtown Township and a Philadelphia-based land developer remains unresolved.

In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors decided not to enter into a settlement agreement from Arcadia Land Company, which is looking to construct 76 residential units (23 single-family detached houses and 53 single-family attached homes) on 22 acres off the Newtown Bypass at Buck Road. The proposal rejected by the board would have reduced the number of residential units to 60 while adding traffic improvements to Buck Road at Arcadia's expense.

Arcadia has submitted three different land development plans for the land parcel since December 2017, all of which have been rejected by supervisors, who have cited overdevelopment and traffic concerns.

In an appeal filed on Dec. 21, 2019, Arcadia attorney John VanLuvanee argued his client did not receive a signed copy of township supervisors' rejection of the project and therefore the plans are "deemed approved" by the township.

RELATED: Arcadia Files Legal Notice Asserting Housing Development Approved

During last Tuesday's board meeting, several residents thanked supervisors for rejecting the most recent settlement agreement.

"On behalf of the 630 residents in our development, we appreciate the unanimous decision to not take action on the settlement agreement," Peter Nacona, Vice President for the Newtown Crossing Community Association, told supervisors. "We acknowledge and recognize that this is an available piece of property and there are going to be developers, but we also are very interested in the safety of our community."

When asked what Arcadia could have done to sweeten the deal, Supervisor Kyle Davis struggled to come up with an answer.

"I don't see a project going in there that won't be detrimental to traffic," Davis said. "I don't see any project there that makes sense."

Newtown Township Solicitor David Sander said the township will continue to contest Arcadia's claims in court. Oral arguments on the case are expected to be delivered in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in early 2021.

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