A long-stalled housing plan on Lincoln Highway in Falls Township is finally cleared to move forward, but there's some dirty work to do before anyone pours a footing.
Township supervisors unanimously granted preliminary and final land development approval for an 84-unit apartment building for residents 55 and older on a 3-acre parcel at 654 Lincoln Highway, Patch reported on Oct. 7. The vote came after three years of discussions, plan changes and a court-imposed settlement agreement.
Patch describes the building as two stories, no more than 50 feet high, with 148 parking spaces. The site is on the south side of Lincoln Highway, west of Tyburn Road, with frontage along Trenton Road. The existing vacant commercial buildings on the property will be torn down.
Smaller than first planned
The project shrank along the way. According to the applicant's attorney, Timothy Duffy, the developer first planned two four-story buildings with 96 units on the abandoned site.
Along with cutting the size and scope, the developer agreed to put up a six-foot fence along the shared property line and to use "down lighting" to keep light from spilling onto neighboring homes. The developer chose to pay a fee in lieu of replacing trees, and township engineer Joseph Jones said the township will decide where those trees go.
Supervisors also adopted an ordinance to vacate Highland Avenue, a "paper street" that has never been used as a real road, according to Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence. Half of the 40-foot right-of-way, or 20 feet, goes to the developer, and the other 20 feet goes to homeowners whose properties back up to the project.
Townships can grant preliminary and final approval at the same time when plans are set and the developer doesn't expect big changes. Township attorney Mike Clarke said this one was ready.
"This plan is essentially in its completed form," Clarke said. "We think it's ready."
If major changes come up later, the developer would have to submit an amended land development plan for another review.
Tires first
The site needs serious cleanup before construction. Heath Dumack of Dumack Engineering told supervisors the property will need "extensive remediation" to remove tires, some of which are buried. The developer is also working with the Department of Health on mosquito problems, which is common wherever old tires collect water.
Underground oil tanks were removed earlier, and an independent inspection company has monitored the property to make sure any leaks were dealt with, Dumack said. Visual site inspections will happen alongside the tire removal.
"The township will have eyes on the site as well," Jones told the board.
Supervisors Vice Chairwoman Erin Mullen thanked the applicant "for addressing all of our concerns."
The Patch report doesn't name the developer or a builder, and it doesn't give a project cost or a construction timeline.
Projects like this are becoming more common in Bucks County and around the region. Age-restricted apartments tend to get a warmer reception from neighbors than other multifamily housing because they don't add students to local schools and usually generate less traffic at rush hour. For older residents who want to stay in town but don't want to keep up a house and yard anymore, they fill a real gap.
The Falls case also shows how long it can take to get a site like this ready. A court settlement, a smaller plan, a street vacation and an environmental cleanup all had to line up before the township signed off. None of that shows up on a finished building, but it's often where the real time goes.
Why it matters for Contractors
Before this building goes up, someone has to clear it out. The job starts with demolition of the vacant commercial buildings and extensive tire removal, including buried tires, which is work for excavation, hauling and environmental crews. After that comes site work for an 84-unit building and 148 parking spaces: grading, stormwater, utilities, paving, curbs, fencing and lighting. Then the building itself, with plenty of work for framing, MEP, finish and accessibility-minded trades in a 55-and-older project. No builder has been named, so contractors in Lower Bucks who want a shot should watch for the developer's next steps and keep an eye on township meeting agendas as the project moves toward permits.