661 Penn St was officially submitted, but the plans are now being revised and resubmitted. It is not on the Oct 20 Planning Commission agenda. The Township needs at least 30 days to review the revised plans before it can go on an agenda. We'll text when it's scheduled.
Get text alerts661 Penn Street: 308 apartments proposed beside Newtown Cemetery
661 Penn St and 638 Newtown-Yardley Rd, Newtown Township
Last updated: October 15, 2026
In short
- What: 308 apartments in two four-story buildings, plus two four-story parking garages, on the former LSAC site at 661 Penn St.
- Why it matters: Four-story apartments and garages beside Newtown Cemetery and single-family streets, bringing an estimated 500 to 600 new residents (about a quarter of Newtown Borough's population) and about 1,420 car trips a day.
- What's next: No meeting is set. Once revised plans are resubmitted, the Township needs at least 30 days to review them before a Planning Commission meeting. Comments sent to the Township now are filed with the application.
- Our concerns: fit with the area, traffic into the Borough, density, the cemetery and more. See all nine
At a glance
From the July 27, 2026 plans. The revised plans may change some of this.
| Applicant | 661 Penn Street, LLC (owner: Jim Worthington, who also owns the Newtown Athletic Club) |
|---|---|
| Site | Former LSAC building at 661 Penn St (6.48 acres) and the Newtown Commons West office park at 638 Newtown-Yardley Rd (9.27 acres), to be combined into one 15.75-acre lot |
| Apartments | 308 (120 one-bedroom, 188 two-bedroom), all on the 6.48-acre LSAC parcel |
| Buildings | Two four-story apartment buildings and two four-story parking garages with rooftop parking. The vacant LSAC building would be demolished. The three office buildings stay. |
| Other | Courtyard pool; 1,040 parking spaces across the site |
| Next to | Newtown Cemetery along the western property line, single-family streets, and Newtown Borough |
| Zoning | Newtown Commons Overlay (adopted October 2024). Apartments here require conditional use approval from the Board of Supervisors. |
| Traffic | About 1,420 car trips a day, by the applicant's study |
| Sewage | 74,567 gallons a day, up from 3,698 historically (applicant's sewer request) |
| Schedule | Construction projected to start summer 2027 and last about two years (applicant's sewer request) |
Scale, for context: 308 apartments would add an estimated 500 to 600 residents, about a quarter of Newtown Borough's population (2,268 in the 2020 Census). This is our estimate, using 1.3 to 1.6 people per one-bedroom and 1.8 to 2.3 per two-bedroom apartment.
Where it stands
- January 2026: Preliminary land development plan submitted.
- March–April 2026: Bucks County Planning Commission, Township Engineer and Township Planner issue first reviews.
- Late July 2026: Revised plans and an amended conditional use application submitted.
- August 26, 2026: Township Engineer (Remington & Vernick) issues second review.
- September 28, 2026: Township Planner (ARRO Consulting) issues reviews of the land development plan and the conditional use application.
- October 15, 2026: The plans are being revised and resubmitted. 661 Penn is not on the Oct 20 Planning Commission agenda.
What happens next
- Revised plans. Once they're resubmitted, the Township needs at least 30 days to review them before the plan can go on a Planning Commission agenda. No date is set.
- Planning Commission (advisory). It reviews the plan, hears public comment, and recommends approval, approval with conditions, or denial. It can also hold the plan until open issues are resolved.
- Board of Supervisors conditional use hearing (the actual decision). A formal public hearing with sworn testimony. The applicant has to prove the project meets the ordinance's requirements. Neighbors affected by the project can ask to be recognized as parties, which lets them present evidence and question witnesses.
- Zoning Hearing Board, if the front-yard variance the Township Planner says is required is requested.
- Land development approval by the Board of Supervisors.
The applicant has waived the Township's review deadlines, so there is no clock forcing a quick decision.
Our view
308 apartments is the wrong project for this spot.
The plan puts two four-story apartment buildings, two four-story garages and a pool on the 6.5-acre former LSAC parcel, beside Newtown Cemetery, single-family streets and the entrance to Newtown Borough. That's about 47 apartments per acre on the land they'd sit on. The office park next door adds its acreage to the density count, but no new homes, shops or services.
The Newtown Commons Overlay was adopted to help revitalize the Business Commons. The Township made apartments a conditional use so it could judge each project on whether it fits. We don't think this one does.
We're asking the Planning Commission to recommend denial. The July plans also have major issues that haven't been addressed: they don't meet the ordinance, the easement isn't resolved, and Newtown Borough hasn't reviewed the traffic.
Our concerns
Each concern cites public records: the Township's consultant reviews (obtained through a Right-to-Know request), the applicant's own documents, the zoning ordinance and the 2024 comprehensive plan. Most describe the July 27 plans. The revised plans may change some details.
Jump to a concern
- This isn't what the overlay was for
- Half the traffic heads into the Borough, and the Borough hasn't reviewed it
- All 308 apartments would sit on 6.5 acres
- The cemetery doesn't get the protection the ordinance requires
- It doesn't meet the zoning rules
- 308 units depends on an easement that still exists
- How tall is "the building"?
- The comprehensive plan speaks to this boundary
- Sewer and water aren't confirmed
1. This isn't what the overlay was for
The facts
The ordinance says the overlay is meant to create "a vibrant community where dwellings, shops, service-oriented businesses, and workplaces are all within walking distance of each other," with "a mix of complementary uses … at an appropriate scale and balance." This plan adds 308 apartments and no new shops or services. In 2023 the Planning Commission asked that apartments require conditional use approval: "we would like the Township to have the extra layer of control that 'conditional use' would add."
Source: Zoning Ordinance § 700-A.8.A; Planning Commission report, Oct. 2023 (as reported by Patch)
You could say or write
"The Commission asked for conditional use review so the Township could judge whether a project fits. This one doesn't fit this location."
2. Half the traffic heads into the Borough, and the Borough hasn't reviewed it
The facts
The applicant's study estimates 1,420 trips a day, with half heading west toward the Borough. It studied only the two site driveways, using counts from one day (Oct. 14, 2025), and says "No nearby planned developments were identified to be included in this study." The Township Planner has twice recommended Borough review, and noted on Sept. 28 that "a traffic impact study has not been submitted to Newtown Borough."
Source: Traffic Planning and Design study, Jan. 15, 2026; Township Planner, April 7 and Sept. 28, 2026
You could say or write
"Half this traffic heads into the Borough, and the Borough hasn't reviewed it. The study also skips the intersections people will actually use."
3. All 308 apartments would sit on 6.5 acres
The facts
All 308 apartments go on the 6.48-acre former LSAC parcel. The 9.27-acre office parcel next door is combined into one lot, which adds its acreage to the density count. No apartments, shops or services are proposed on it. The three office buildings that already stand satisfy the ordinance's non-residential requirement.
Source: Preliminary plans, Sheet 3 (July 27, 2026); Township Planner review, Sept. 28, 2026
You could say or write
"Combining the lots lets the office park's land count toward the density, but every apartment goes on six and a half acres next to the cemetery."
4. The cemetery doesn't get the protection the ordinance requires
The facts
The site "directly abuts an existing cemetery to the west." The Township Planner says the pool "could be a nuisance due to potential noise that could detract from the solemnity of interment ceremonies or visitations." The buffer is 22 feet, not the required 25. A fire lane used for deliveries is "within 50 feet of the R-2 zoned property to the west."
Source: Township Planner, Sept. 28, 2026; Township Engineer, Aug. 26, 2026
You could say or write
"Families visit and bury loved ones here. A pool, deliveries and four-story buildings don't belong right beside them."
5. It doesn't meet the zoning rules
The facts
The Township Planner's Sept. 28 review says a front-yard variance "will be required," the cemetery buffer is 22 feet where "A 25-ft.-wide buffer is required," and the landscape screen must be revised so it "can't be seen through." The ordinance says the apartments "shall contain" a variety of unit types "including studio"; the plan has none.
Source: Township Planner (ARRO) review, Sept. 28, 2026; Zoning Ordinance § 803.B-20.3
You could say or write
"The Township's own planner lists requirements this plan doesn't meet. That's one more reason to recommend denial."
6. 308 units depends on an easement that still exists
The facts
The Township Planner wrote that the 308 apartments are "contingent upon the existing utility easement between the existing parcels being vacated," and that "All parties must agree to vacation of the easement." That hasn't happened.
Source: Township Planner (ARRO) review, Sept. 28, 2026
You could say or write
"The unit count only works if an existing easement goes away, and it hasn't."
7. How tall is "the building"?
The facts
The ordinance requires a setback from residential property of "1.5 times the height of the building." The applicant measures each floor separately: "The first three floors are 35' in height, placing the building 60.5' from the property line. The fourth floor is 46' in height, which then steps back to 75.5'." In March, the Township Engineer wrote: "A 50 foot high building would require a 75 foot setback."
Source: Zoning Ordinance § 700-A.8.E.8.b; applicant's engineer, July 28, 2026; Township Engineer, March 4, 2026
You could say or write
"A building has one height. Please ask the Township's zoning officer for a written ruling on how this setback is measured."
8. The comprehensive plan speaks to this boundary
The facts
The 2024 Joint Comprehensive Plan notes a cemetery "that straddles the township and the borough" and says: "The township and borough should determine whether adequate buffering is provided between existing uses and should ensure that any future development in the township will not alter the existing visual break that marks the boundary between the two communities for motorists entering and exiting the borough via Newtown–Yardley Road."
Source: Newtown Area Joint Comprehensive Plan (2024), p. 4
You could say or write
"The comprehensive plan asks the Township and Borough to protect this boundary together. The Borough hasn't been part of this review."
9. Sewer and water aren't confirmed
The facts
The applicant projects 74,567 gallons of sewage a day, compared with 3,698 historically. The Township Engineer wrote that the project "will require addition to the Neshaminy Interceptor Connection Management Plan," and noted that the applicant "states that the water will serve letter is pending."
Source: Applicant's sewer capacity request, Jan. 26, 2026; Township Engineer, Aug. 26, 2026
You could say or write
"Sewer capacity and a water supply letter still aren't confirmed."
What you can do
- Get a text when it's scheduled. No Planning Commission date is set yet.
- Come to the meeting once it's scheduled. The Township strongly advises giving feedback in person. The Planning Commission meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room, Newtown Township Building, 100 Municipal Drive.
- Send a comment. Comments are filed with the application.
- Borough residents: you can also write to Newtown Borough Council. Councilor emails are at boroughofnewtown.com/officials.
- Share this page with neighbors on both sides of the Township–Borough line.
Send a comment
Email the Township at info@newtownpa.gov and ask that it be shared with the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, and that they confirm it was received and forwarded. Comments are filed with the application. Include your name and street.
Here's a starting point. Personal letters carry more weight than identical ones.
Or copy it and send it to info@newtownpa.gov with the subject "Comment for the Planning Commission: 661 Penn Street (308 apartments)".
Dear Planning Commission members, My name is [your name] and I live on [your street] in [Newtown Township / Newtown Borough]. Please share this with the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors, and reply to confirm you've received and forwarded it. I'm writing about the 661 Penn Street plan for 308 apartments. [One or two points that matter to you.] This plan is clearly not what this area was designed for. I'm also concerned that the applicant's traffic study hasn't been sent to Newtown Borough for review, even though half the traffic heads that way. I ask the Planning Commission to recommend denial of the conditional use. Thank you, [your name] [your address]
Documents and sources
Public records
- Township Planner (ARRO) land development review, Sept. 28, 2026 (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Township Planner (ARRO) conditional use review, Sept. 28, 2026 (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Township Engineer (Remington & Vernick) review #2, Aug. 26, 2026 (PDF, 0.5 MB)
- Applicant's Transportation Impact Assessment, Jan. 15, 2026 (PDF, 28.2 MB)
- Preliminary plan set, July 27, 2026 (large file) (PDF, 43.5 MB)
Outside sources
- Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance
- Newtown Area Joint Comprehensive Plan (2024)
- Newtown Township Planning Commission
- Township agendas and minutes
- Patch: summary of the plan
- Plan summary (John Mack)
Updates
Oct 15, 2026: 661 Penn is not on the Oct 20 Planning Commission agenda. The plans are being revised and resubmitted. Once they are, the Township needs at least 30 days to review them before the plan can go on an agenda. No date is set. We'll text when it's scheduled.
Oct 14, 2026: Planning Commission review expected Oct 20. Township consultant reviews from Aug. 26 and Sept. 28 added above.
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