Residents Feel ‘Kept In The Dark’ About Newtown Twp. Safe House

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Newtown Township residents are expected to ask for details about a temporary shelter for women and children Wednesday morning at the Bucks County Commissioners meeting, after voicing their concerns to local officials last week.

YWCA Bucks County announced in February that it was opening a “Haven House” to serve as a temporary safe house for women and children fleeing human trafficking.

Six months on from that announcement, however, some Newtown Township residents say they have been “completely kept in the dark” about the project and its potential impacts on the surrounding community.

Dan Romanelli spoke Aug. 11 at the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting to ask for more information about the shelter, calling for the township’s leaders to answer a slew of questions that have been brewing since the YWCA's February announcement.

“We are searching for answers to our legitimate questions, as the taxpayers have been completely kept in the dark on this endeavor,” Romanelli said. “Someone needs to shine some light on this delicate matter to keep the attorneys, press and lawsuits at bay, which will undoubtedly divide the community.”

Bucks County Commissioners approved an agreement in December to lease the county-owned property to the YWCA for $1 per year over the next 10 years, according to a report by Peg Quann of the Bucks County Courier Times.

Romanelli questioned why Newtown Township held no public meetings about the shelter and how it was approved without township residents' backing.

Newtown Township Manager Micah Lewis said the shelter does not require any zoning variances or special exceptions to be used for residential purposes, so there was no reason to hold meetings on the project.

It’s “similar to someone buying a house and moving into the house,” which does not require the township to notify local residents, Lewis said.

Romanelli urged township supervisors to hold a meeting on the YWCA’s shelter to give local community members details and clarity about its plans and operations.

“Please tell us your intentions,” Romanelli said. “We sadly are clueless and suddenly have lost our voice.”

Supervisor Kyle Davis agreed with Romanelli and said the process “does not seem very transparent.” He also suggested the township convene a meeting to “figure out what’s going on.”

Phillip Calabro, chair of the township’s board of supervisors, encouraged concerned residents to call the Bucks County Commissioners and attend their next meeting, which starts at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the county administration building, 55 East Court St. in Doylestown.

“Good old protest has won a lot of battles in the past,” Calabro said.

The YWCA's Haven House is not on the Buck County Commissioners' agenda for Wednesday's meeting, but residents can voice their concerns during public-comment periods.

Patch is not disclosing the location of the YWCA Haven House for the safety of its residents.