New Hanover's (Town) Center of Attention Explored

Photos by Evan Brandt

As currently proposed, the New Hanover Town Center would construct 793 homes and apartments and 170,000 square feet of commercial space on 209 acres bounded by Swamp Pike, Route 663 and Township Line Road.

A roomful of residents got the latest on the massive Town Center development proposal during last night's board of supervisors meeting.

Developers from Select Properties, doing business as Wynnestone LP, were before the board seeking clarification and guidance as they prepare their latest submission in pursuit of a preliminary site plan approval.

The project, which has been around in one form or another for 12 years or so, calls for the construction of 793 dwelling units, some apartments, some townhouses and some single family homes, along with 171,000 square feet of commercial space -- at least as currently proposed.

A near-capacity crowd listen to plans about New Hanover
Town Center project.

The New Hanover Town Center, as its officially named, has gone through numerous variations over the years. It is proposed on 209 acres bounded by Swamp Pike in the north, Route 663 in the east and Township Line Road to the west.

First up Thursday night was the question of whether the roads in the project will be private roads or public. Either way, they will have to conform to township standards, said township= traffic consultant Sandy Koza.

Supervisors Chairman Charles D. Garner Jr. said he would prefer the roads remain private, so the township does not have to maintain them, and the other supervisors agreed.

However Planning Commission Chairwoman Sue Smith warned that private roads create a problem for school buses and she did not think it would be safe to have so many potential school children trying to board the bus on such busy roads as those surrounding the project.

The question of parking on "major roads" in the project was also raised, but soon devolved into a discussion of what makes a road "major." Evidently, the engineers and the lawyers will settle that one.

Marc Jonas, the attorney representing the developers, also pointed out that during one of the projects iterations, it received preliminary approval in 2007 under a clause called a "unified development," which has since been removed from the township's ordinances.

That gives the developer certain rights, but Garner, himself a municipal solicitor, said the developers cannot "pick and choose" which parts of the township's land development ordinances it wants to use.

Perhaps most central to last night's discussion was when the project's commercial portion will be

Yellow lines separate the five proposed phases of construction.

built.

According to the phasing plan the developer has put together, the first two phases to be built would construct a total of 351 homes, as well as much of the infrastructure for the commercial portion, which includes a "big box" space for a supermarket, or similar large store.

But Benjamin Goldthorp, who represents the developer, said "market conditions" would determine when the actual commercial properties would be built.

He said market studies show that 20,000 people need to live within three to five miles of such a store in order for it to be successful. New Hanover currently has about 15,000 people, Goldthorp said.

Some of the people who will live within the new development will help boost that number, but it may be some time before the 20,000 threshold is reached.

And that would leave the township, and the Boyertown Area School District, will lots of new homes but no commercial development to boost the tax base.

When one resident asked about the impact on the schools, Jonas said the developer is only working within the zoning the township created.

But the assertion that the township drew up the zoning unassisted drew a sharp rebuke from Smith who said the previous developer, THP Properties, worked with the supervisors to draw up the zoning before going bankrupt in the recession.

Either way, "a previous board decided a town center was something we wanted in New Hanover and created ordinances to allow it and we're seeing the result of that now," said Garner.

He said the new homes being built would be on public water, not on individual wells.

Ultimately, Garner suggested and the developers agreed, to have a special joint meeting with the supervisors, planning commission and developers to work out the remaining questions -- which is primarily the matter of waivers being sought by the developers.

Then it was time for residents to have their say.

"This is supposed to be a small town, not a shopping center,"

said New Hanover resident Linda Weaver.

One resident said she had moved to New Hanover from King of Prussia, "because it was too crowded there," and worried that with all the development occurring in New Hanover, the same problem would follow her.

"If this is built, Swamp Pike will have to become a four-lane road," she predicted.

Swamp Pike resident Linda Taylor said "I can't get out of my driveway right now as it is."

"I share your concern," said Garner. "I drive on Swamp Pike all the time." Koza explained that a a traffic study will determine what road improvement are required due to the increased traffic and that as each phase of the project begins, the developers will be required to implement specific improvements.

"This is supposed to be a small town, not a shopping center," said resident Linda Weaver.

And with that, here are the Tweets from the meeting:

New Hanover's (Town) Center of Attention