Newtown Twp. Calls On Authority To Cancel Plans For Sewer Plant

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — In response to growing public opposition, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors on Wednesday said it will ask the Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority to cancel its plans for a wastewater treatment plant in the township.

In an unexpected announcement at the start of the meeting that brought the audience to its feet, Chairwoman Elen Snyder called on the authority to suspend any plans for a new plant.

“I have heard you loudly and clearly. We all have. We heard you say that you aren’t for it. You’ve been heard,” said Snyder of growing opposition to the plant, especially from Middletown Township residents living near the proposed plant's site on Lower Silver Lake Road.

Following Snyder’s remarks, Supervisor Phil Calabro suggested polling the board “and then perhaps our message can get back to the authority board. I am also in disagreement over what is going on and how the authority is handling the situation.”

The three other supervisors - Dennis Fisher, John Mack and Kyle Davis - said they’d also favor the authority suspending its plans with Davis taking it one step further.

“I am absolutely opposed to it. And I don’t think it should be suspended. It should be outright canceled,” said Davis to loud cheers from the audience.

After catching word of the proposed treatment facility last fall, residents from neighboring Middletown Township quickly organized in opposition to the idea raising concerns over odors and negative impacts on property values. They took their concerns to the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors, the Bucks County Commissioners, and to the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors.

The authority has been investigating building and operating its own treatment plant as a way of stabilizing future sewer rates for its 9,000 customers and had acquired a site through condemnation for the plant on Lower Silver Lake Road on its border with Middletown Township.

Later in the meeting, after residents pressed the supervisors to take their opposition a step further, the board agreed to direct township manager Micah Lewis to send a letter to the authority asking it to cancel plans for the plant, which brought more applause from the audience.

Snyder said the public should expect to hear a response from the authority soon.

Under other business, Supervisor Phil Calabro said the township should pursue acquiring the 17.5 acres of land on Lower Silver Lake Road as township open space, an idea backed by Supervisor John Mack.

Supervisor Snyder, who also sits on the authority board, said the land may have to revert back to the original owners who had planned to build more than 200 apartments at the site.

After the meeting, Gary Sondermeyer, one of the leaders of the opposition, called the actions of the board “very unexpected in a very positive way. We had prepared lots of testimony which was not necessary. The supervisors showed significant discretion in listening to the public. They made it very clear. They heard us and you couldn’t ask for more. I’m personally overjoyed. More has to happen, but we couldn’t have asked for more from leadership. Between the Eagles and this, it’s been a great week.”