Termite Troubles Thwarted Yardley Inn Elevation: Official

YARDLEY BOROUGH, PA — After numerous floods in history that left sections of the borough underwater and homes and buildings destroyed, officials have worked over the years to protect properties.

Often, at Borough Council meetings, officials hear reports from the borough engineer regarding properties slated for elevation and their corresponding status reports.

The owners of the historic Yardley Inn planned on going through that process. But that won't be happening now with the landmark restaurant now approved for demolition and a rebuild right at its current location.

Yardley Borough Council President Caroline Thompson provided Patch with an update Tuesday on the decision.

"I personally met with the Inn owners shortly after they received the bad news about the termite and flood damage, making the building unsuitable for a lift (elevation of existing structure)," Thompson said. "They truly seemed to be giving the utmost care to the decision-making process in an effort to preserve this historic building. Their intent did not feel anything but necessity-driven."

Two years after announcing that the longtime restaurant would be renovated, expanded, and elevated five feet, a decision has been made to demolish and rebuild the establishment overlooking the Delaware River.

The demolition decision came recently at the borough's Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB) meeting.

.The initial elevation approval came five years after renovations at the Yardley Inn on 82 E. Afton Ave. — which opened in 1979 — were first proposed.

When it was announced two years ago, renovations included moving the inn farther into the parking lot and moving it back on a new foundation at a higher elevation. There will also be a second-floor deck added to accommodate 35 to 50 people for outdoor dining, a lift from ground level up to the first floor, and an elevator from the first to the second floor, Inn representatives said.

Thompson discussed the importance of sparing the borough's homes and buildings from flooding.

"This whole discovery regarding the state of the building infrastructure underscores why Yardley Borough's work to elevate homes in the flood zone is so important," she said. "Ultimately, our grant for FEMA-funded elevations has not just improved safety for residents in the flood zone during a flooding event, but it has ensured that homes are preserved for decades and decades to come."