Resident says Bluebell Avenue subdivision moved forward without re-notification; township staff cite prior approvals

A Middletown resident told the Board of Supervisors she and three neighbors on Bluebell Avenue were not re-notified before work and stakeouts appeared at a property they said had been opposed at an earlier meeting.

Nancy Lyons told the board she has lived on Bluebell Avenue for decades and said she and neighbors had opposed a 2020 proposal to subdivide a backyard into a new house. "How could it possibly be approved when the 4 people that live on that road were not notified?" Lyons asked, saying recent stakeouts and tree removal disrupted her plans to sell a lot and had derailed her retirement plans.

Township staff and the superintendent said the property received variances in earlier proceedings and that the subdivision proceeded through the planning and approval process under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Staff noted a 2013 zoning hearing and planning commission review and said notices were provided according to state law at the time. The superintendent said the developer addressed fire-department access and other conditions before final approvals and that some recent onsite clearing consisted of removing dead trees consistent with approved plans.

Staff told Lyons the township will provide the records requested via her Right-to-Know request and invited her to meet with planning and building officials to review the plan. "You can certainly come in, and we can unroll the plan and show it to you," staff said.

The board did not reverse prior approvals at the meeting; instead staff committed to gather the public records and meet with Lyons to clarify the sequence of approvals and notifications and to follow up on signage and contractor coordination for the current on-site activity.

Next steps: staff will provide the Right-to-Know file, meet with Lyons and other residents to review the approved plan and clarify the status of required notifications, and coordinate signage and contractor communication for ongoing work.