Proposed Old Navy In Newtown Hits Another Roadblock

NEWTOWN, PA — Plans for a big box clothing store in the Newtown Shopping Center hit another snag on Thursday as township officials rejected a settlement agreement that would have allowed the developer to receive a variance for the project and move forward with the final land development process.

The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Thursday to reject a settlement agreement with Newtown Business Associates, the developer of the ACME Shopping Center. Supervisors Phil Calabro and Dennis Fisher voted in favor of the agreement, while David Oxley, John Mack and Kyle Davis voted against it.

The settlement agreement was related to a variance for impervious surface relief that is needed in order for the project to move forward.

In addition to a proposed 9,000 square foot retail pad in the shopping center, the application from the developer also included plans for expanding the kitchen at the existing Chick-fil-A restaurant and adding a drive-thru lane, both of which would alleviate traffic congestion in the area, according to project engineers.

The original proposal called for a 12,500 square foot retail site and 80 parking spots, but developers reduced the project blueprint due to concerns from members of the Zoning Hearing Board.

"This design is more palatable to the Zoning Hearing Board," Michael McGinnis, an attorney for the developer, told township supervisors.

Apparently, it wasn't palatable enough.

Supervisor John Mack expressed support for the traffic improvements but was reluctant to support the proposed retail site.

"I'm in favor of any improvement to the Chick-fil-A," Mack said. "I'm not quite so sure about the retail pad."

Supervisor David Oxley said he thought another drive-thru lane would result in more customers and thus more traffic. Supervisor Davis did not comment on the matter.

Now that the agreement has rejected, the developer can appeal the ruling in court or return to the zoning hearing board with revised plans.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the supervisors that did not provide comment.

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