If Newtown Township Supervisor Ed Partridge votes NO, the C-R zoning amendment goes Away

Without admitting any wrongdoing, the Solicitor for the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors, Rich Sokorai, who works for the firm High Swartz, has agreed to be responsible to pay for the cost that taxpayers expended when they previously sent notices and advertised for the hearing on the C-R Zoning Amendment.  That notice was insufficient.

Now, the hearing for the C-R Commercial Residential Zoning Amendment is  July 31, 2013 at 7PM at the township building.  Before it was announced at last night's Board of Supervisors' meeting, new notices had already been sent out to some of the residents in the areas included and within 600 feet of the proposed area.    This was just one more example of the lack of transparency in decision making—the Supervisors agreed to this new meeting date before the meeting and outside of public view.

At last night’s Board of Supervisors meeting, when asked why the meeting was scheduled for July 31 during what is generally vacation for many residents, Chairman Joe Catania’s response was to appear to feign surprise that this was a time for many residents’ vacations and to question whether this was generally the case.  Amusingly, Mr. Wood then said that he would be on vacation but wished to participate by phone. I wonder if the Supervisors will now make arrangements for residents that are on vacation to also participate by phone?  If you are interested in this arrangement and would like to participate in the meeting by phone, contact Manager Trio at triom@newtowntwpdelco.org or call 610-356-0200. 

 As if having already settled on this date out of public view was not indicator enough that this group was attempting to ensure limited community attendance at the meeting, acting as though this was a perfectly reasonable time and date was, in my view, yet another insult to township residents. 

Chairman Catania persists in what seems to be the party line that this C-R Zoning amendment is being considered to manage commercial development.  Factually and as indicated on the document provided by the township and included with this post, there are 54 properties included in the proposals. Twenty(20) of the properties are currently zoned for residences.  So the reality is that the proposed C-R amendment is going to create more commercial space, not manage it.

Chairman Catania did go further to indicate that the Supervisors may not vote on the C-R zoning amendment on the 31st.  I guess that will depend on whether on not the Supervisors can figure out how to vote for this amendment and still allow Supervisor Partridge or Supervisor Lambert to vote against it.

Supervisor Wood said that he would be on vacation on the 31st but requested that he be able to participate via phone.  Supervisor Wood has already said that he will be voting NO to this zoning amendment.  Supervisor Nawn has to recuse himself from the vote because his home is proposed to go from being a residence to a Commercial/Residential property.  That leaves Chairman Catania, Supervisor Lambert and Supervisor Partridge available to vote yes.  Right now, if Mr. Wood is able to participate all the other supervisors have to vote YES.  If Mr. Wood is not able to participate, one of the other Supervisors would be able to vote No and the zoning amendment would still be enacted.

Since Mr. Catania has made his views clearly known and Mr. Lambert proposed the change to include office with the residential, it would seem that the swing vote is Mr. Partridge’s on this matter.  Will Mr. Partridge keep his campaign pledge and vote against this amendment?    If Mr. Partridge honestly wants to consider the residents, he will make his decision known now. 

In addition to continuing to sign the online petition asking the Supervisors to vote NO to approving the C-R zoning map and text amendment:

 http://www.change.org/petitions/newtown-township-board-of-supervisors-vote-against-the-proposed-cr-commercial-residential-zoning-amendment

Write to Mr. Partridge and ask him if he will vote NO.  His email address is Ed.Partridge@verizon.net  Ed is the swing vote.  If Ed votes no, the CR amendment goes.