Newtown Township could be getting a second Chick-Fil-A near the bypass. Here's the plan
The yet-to-be-built Wawa off the Newtown Bypass might get a new neighbor.
A second Chick-Fil-A has been proposed in on Upper Silver Lake Road near the intersection of Newtown-Yardley Road and the bypass, diagonally across from a Wawa convenience store and gas station which was approved last June after years of litigation.
Newtown Equities, LLC seeks to develop a 6,110-square-foot fast food restaurant with a drive-thru at the former TD Bank property, according to a zoning hearing board application submitted this month requesting multiple variances.
The planning commission was scheduled to consider the application Tuesday night, but it was pulled off the agenda just hours before the meeting, according to township supervisor John Mack, who said the applicant requested to revise the plan.
Six variances are being sought to accommodate the project pertaining to setbacks, drive-thru service, drive aisle width, allowing for a restaurant to be within 300 feet of Newtown-Yardley Road and the Newtown Bypass, number of signs and allowing a sign to face the bypass.
Increased traffic and overdevelopment are among the primary concerns Mack said residents have expressed to him over the project.
“There’s a line already to get onto the bypass in the morning from Newtown-Yardley Road. That intersection is going to be quite busy and it’s an important intersection. And obviously I guess it’s going to be developed more like an urban type of intersection,” Mack said.
“I think a lot of people are concerned about the urbanization of Newtown, how it’s changing from when they first came here when it was more of rural atmosphere. Those are some of the comments I’ve been getting.”
After consideration by the planning commission, the application is scheduled to be reviewed by the board of supervisors on April 24, followed by the zoning hearing board on May 2.
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Will the existing Newtown Chick-Fil-A remain open?
Currently, there is an existing Chick-Fil-A roughly three miles across town on West Road in the Newtown Shopping Center.
It is unclear whether both locations will run under the same franchisee and if there are intentions to keep the West Road location open if the proposed Chick-Fil-A plan were to be approved.
Attempts to reach Bob Montgomery, the listed operator for the existing location, and Robert McNelly, the attorney representing Newtown Equities, LLC, were not immediately successful.
In 2022, traffic problems at the existing Chick-Fil-A were cause for concern, leading to a settlement reached between Newtown Township and the shopping center's operator.
The agreement between the township zoning hearing board, supervisor and Newtown Bucks Associates called for a dedicated traffic lane to bypass the restaurant's drive-thru.
That drive-thru traffic often blocked access to other parts of the center, as well as caused cars to back up onto Durham Road, near the Newtown Bypass and the entrance to Tyler State Park.
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Reporter Michele Haddon covers local news, small business, economic development, community revitalization, art and culture for The Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times at PhillyBurbs.com. Please considering supporting local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: New Chick-Fil-A location proposed with drive-thru near Newtown Bypass
