Housing on Hulmeville hill clears planners. What's next?

Peg Quann, Bucks County Courier Times
·3 min read

The Hulmeville Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to recommend that Borough Council grant a conditional use permit to a developer who wants to build 120 homes overlooking the historic old town.

Dozens of Hulmeville residents turn out for a meeting Wednesday evening of the Hulmeville Planning Commission to hear their comments on a proposed housing development on the hill overlooking town.
Dozens of Hulmeville residents turn out for a meeting Wednesday evening of the Hulmeville Planning Commission to hear their comments on a proposed housing development on the hill overlooking town.

Commission Chairman and Council Member Dan Mandolesi said the board felt they had to recommend the conditional use in fairness to the developer, Eugene Lorenzetti of Superior Holdings LLC, who met the requirements of the zoning district.

Engineer to review plans for Hulmeville Hill

Mandolesi said they put conditions on their recommendation based on the findings of the borough’s engineer, Amanda Fuller of Gilmore & Associates. She said the borough needs more information on the storm water management plans, but they are expected as part of the process. Councilman Nick Lodise, who is also on the planning board, asked about the traffic study for busy Trenton Road and how left turns into the new development could be made safely.

The development currently calls for the construction of 38 single family homes, 49 townhomes and 33 apartments, with 26.75 acres of open space interspersed throughout the community.

When residents protested all the homes in the development last year, the builder changed the plan to 84 single homes. But that proposal would have needed several zoning variances. Lorenzetti decided to revert back to his original, larger plan which did not require variances.

More:Proposed development of 84 homes on Hulmeville's landmark hill looms large for tiny town

Hulmeville area residents take photos and inspect the plans for Superior Holdings' proposed housing development in the borough which should have 38 single family homes, 49 townhomes and 33 apartments. The plan was presented to the public at a planners meeting in the William Penn Fire Co. Hall in Hulmeville Wednesday evening.
Hulmeville area residents take photos and inspect the plans for Superior Holdings' proposed housing development in the borough which should have 38 single family homes, 49 townhomes and 33 apartments. The plan was presented to the public at a planners meeting in the William Penn Fire Co. Hall in Hulmeville Wednesday evening.

Lorenzetti, who purchased three parce that make up the 45-acre tract along Trenton Road back in 2019, said he understood the Hulmeville residents’ concerns about runoff and fears of increasing the already ongoing problem with flooding in town along the Neshaminy Creek during bad storms.

He said the firm was willing to work with the community on that and other issues.

Hulmeville residents raise several concerns

Residents also raised concerns about retention basins and other storm water containment programs failing.

“We are just so worried about the runoff,” said Mary Johnson. She opposed the planners' recommendation without a full presentation on storm water containment and traffic. But Fuller said that a developer doesn’t have to present finalized plans at this stage.

Resident Jared Moran said he had more than 37 inches of water in his home when Hurricane Ida hit in September 2021. He thought the runoff from the potential development would increase the chance of flooding, but Cunningham said that the storm water diversion plans for the development would actually reduce runoff currently coming down the hill into the borough’s older neighborhoods.

“This is going to improve the existing water concerns,” Lorenzetti said. “I’m sensitive to what they are saying.”

Resident Lynda Jones said that the development will affect traffic on already heavily traveled Trenton Road and neighboring streets. “You will have an impact on emergency services and our ability to get to where we need to go,” she said.

Another resident questioned why there wasn’t a second entrance to the development in case of an emergency. Engineer Rob Cunningham said the developer hoped to talk to the William Penn Fire Co. at the bottom of the hill about opening a secondary entrance for emergency use.

And another resident wanted to know how it would affect the police department. Police Chief John Baran said after the meeting he has three officers, including himself and needs two more.

When one man in the audience shouted that none of the residents wanted the development at the top of the hill, Council President Tom Wheeler replied, “I’m not going to debate you, but you are wrong.”

Lorenzetti said the real estate taxes that development residents would pay would add to the town's coffers, though resident Patricia Taggart said later that educating the extra children that would be coming to the Neshaminy School District would eat up that benefit, especially since nearby Herbert Hoover Elementary School is already approaching capacity.

The Hulmeville Council will hold its hearing on the conditional use application at 7 p.m. March 15 in the fire hall, 123 Main St.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Hulmeville planners recommend housing development for hill over town