Middletown supervisors send Stone farm zoning amendment for review after months of neighborhood pushback

A majority of the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted to send a developer’s zoning text amendment and site plans for the Stone family farm to the township and Bucks County planning commissions for technical review, moving the project into a formal public notice and review process.

The developer presented a revised, age‑restricted plan that would replace an earlier single‑family proposal and, the applicant said, probably reduce traffic by “about half at most” compared with the prior concept. Project counsel described a conservation easement to protect the right side of the property; the Stone family would retain the right to build two homes on two reserved lots while the rest of that parcel would be deed‑restricted and preserved, the developer said.

Why it matters: The board’s vote authorizes distribution of the zoning amendment and plans to expert bodies for comment, a procedural step required before a public hearing or township decision. Residents and neighborhood groups pushed for clearer data and stronger protections, saying that traffic, stormwater and emergency‑access issues remain unresolved.

Residents voiced repeated traffic and infrastructure concerns during nearly three hours of public comment. "I have concerns about the conservation easement — that land has a lot of water in it and this is a flood‑zone area," said Sharon Furlong, spokesperson for Bucks Environmental Action, urging careful planting and stormwater design. Neighbor Jeff Miller, who has followed the project for years, described ongoing litigation and said the new plan is part of a negotiated settlement: "We had, some productive and positive conversations with Joe on Friday," Miller said, but he added that the group reserves its right to object later.

Township staff and the applicant told residents the next steps will include a neighbor meeting, a December 1 review by the Middletown Planning Commission and a county planning commission review; any planning‑module approvals for sewer must also come from the Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The project team said the on‑site collection pipe would be eight inches and that, if upstream lines or the treatment plant lacked capacity, upgrades would be required before connection.

Supervisor [name withheld in transcript] made the motion to forward the documents and it passed by voice vote. The motion and vote only start the formal review and public‑notice process; they do not authorize construction or final land‑use change.

What’s next: The developer has scheduled a neighborhood meeting and the applicant asked the board to allow notices to be mailed and posted so the planning‑commission review can proceed. The board’s decision simply permits those agencies to review and comment; the project will return to the board later for any formal approvals.

Reporting note: The plan is an alternate to a previous single‑family proposal that remains in litigation unless this settlement plan advances and is accepted by the courts or resolved by the parties.