Doylestown Township considers affordable housing on Tilley site

The former Tilley Fire Solutions site could be developed as housing, including affordable apartments and market-rate townhouses in Doylestown Township.

But, neighboring Doylestown Borough, where a portion of the site also sits and will be developed, is concerned about a light industrial zone turning residential.

While the township considered the devloper's plan Tuesday night, showing support for affordable housing including the needs of older veterans, the Board of Supervisors pushed a review and possible vote to next month.

Supervisors Chairwoman Barbara Lyons voted in favor of the project, however, faced with a 3 to 2 vote to hold off, she proposed involving planners in a review on Dec. 18, with a subsequent vote for Dec. 19.

Tilley Fire Solutions site plan

The planned development is on a 3.8-acre site at 280 N. Broad St. that includes 3 acres in Doylestown Township and less than an acre in Doylestown Borough.

On the township portion, the developer wants to build 60 one-bedroom apartments, age restricted to those 62 and older, whose incomes would be at or below $47,460 in income. Veterans in need of housing would be targeted, but would not be the only residents.

This site would also include 13 market-rate townhomes, most likley to be priced in the $500,000s, said Jason Duckworth, president of Arcadia Land Co. site developer who is working with Pennrose LLC., another development company to build the homes. Pennrose will retain ownership of the apartments.

The remaining .8 acre parcel falls within Doylestown Borough, where Arcadia plans to repurpose the former Tilley building into a craft brewery, fitness center or another commercial business.

Doylestown affordable housing fills need, proponents say

“I would encourage you to do this project, that's what's needed for the veterans and seniors.” said Bob Campbell, a Navy veteran, who served for five years, including during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Kellie McGowan, an attorney with Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP representing Arcadia, said Bucks County has 18,000 vets, who are 65 and older, and many are in need of affordable housing. Pennsylvania has the fourth largest veteran population of any state in the country, she added, and more than half are over 65.

She said there are few affordable options and asked the board to consider that the median housing value in the Doylestown area was $730,000. McGowan said there already was "too much luxury housing" in the area and not enough for low-income and moderate residents, including veterans.

She said there were more than 16,000 low-income seniors in Bucks vying for a very limited housing stock.

All the supervisors spoke in favor of adding affordable housing in the township and said the site would be ideal because of its location within walking distance of stores and other facilities.

Supervisor Ryan Manion, whose brother, Travis, was killed in Iraq and for whom the Travis Manion Foundation is named, asked the board to not delay its consideration of the project. "We believe this is an important project for Doylestown Township," she said.

Doylestown Borough brings concerns over housing to township

However, three supervisors wanted to give the township planning commission more time to review the details of changing the ordinance to allow residential use in a light industrial zone.

Doylestown Borough Manager John Davis, speaking before the township board for the first time in his 34 years at his post, also asked for more consideration.

"We’re certainly not opposed to affordable housing, and understand more than anyone how difficult it is to create. We also understand the emotional pull when the affordable housing is targeted at veterans and seniors," Davis said in an email Wednesday.

In his email, he said the borough want assurances the project "really will produce affordable housing for seniors and veterans and that this housing is is of a standard they deserve.

"Pointing out that this site is surrounded by incompatible uses like a sewer plant, storage facility, and auto parts dealer with loading docks isn’t obstructionist," he wrote. "They’re real considerations that need to be dealt with and in our view have not yet been. There is also a high end, for profit component to the project which we want to assure remains secondary to the stated purpose. This started as a straightforward luxury apartment proposal and the affordable component was only added when that stalled so we have concerns about the commitment here."

He detailed that the borough engaged in several meetings with applicants at a staff level but faced challenges in addressing some concerns due to the property division between township and borough.

He said neither the township nor the borough's comprehensive plans address or anticipate high-density residential in the area of the Tilley site, and also said there were traffic and utility concerns.

On the east side of Broad Street, the borough did approve a mixed-use development of 235 luxury apartments with about 10,000 square feet of retail space on the site of th former Intelligencer site.

Attorney Andrew Griffin, representing the borough, outlined changes in setbacks and zoning requirements, emphasizing differences from typical residential districts.

A decision could be made at the Dec. 19 meeting.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Doylestown Township considers affordable apartments, townhouses