After more than a month of deliberating, New Britain Borough welcomed two new members to its council in June. Together, they reviewed a preliminary construction request by Heritage Crown Realty.
At its June 14 meeting, New Britain Borough Council swore in council members Maureen Loh and Lucielle Siegfried and they began participating immediately. Loh has more than 17 years of experience as a Children and Youth Administrator in Bucks County, while Siegfried has been a longtime member of the borough’s Bird Town Committee.
In April, council approved the resignation of councilwoman Lori Kesilman. During the June meeting, the council also approved the resignation of councilwoman Jennifer Salisbury.
In addition to stepping down from the council, she also relinquished her position on the Central Bucks Regional Police Commission. Councilman Steve Ascher initially expressed interest in taking the role but, in the end, the council voted on councilwoman Loren Frasco to take Salisbury’s place on the police commission, which includes elected officials from Chalfont, Doylestown and New Britain boroughs.
Ascher was then appointed to the Law Committee instead.
In other news from the June 14 meeting, Heritage Crown Realty put in a request for preliminary land development along 341 W. Butler Ave., which the council approved. The full proposed construction plan would create 11 townhouses and 10 condos, as well as provide an extension to the preexisting New Britain Veterinary Clinic. The plan has received many revisions over time and was reviewed by the council and representatives of Heritage Crown on several occasions.
The terms were unanimously approved by the council, though its members had many questions and concerns around the company’s proposed plan.
Mayor James Donovan wanted to be sure that there would be enough of a landscaping buffer between the new houses, Pine Run Elementary School, and Lenape Valley Church. The representatives from Heritage Crown did confirm there would be a buffer consisting primarily of hedges and shrubs.
Councilwoman Robyne Keleman expressed concern about the overall space within the area, or lack thereof, worrying that buildings would be cramped together. She noted that previous versions of the plan had more free space. Councilman Peter LaMontagne concurred, expressing that this style of compact living space may be more than what the borough wants.
He also noted that construction in such a tight space could destroy the roots of nearby trees, indirectly killing them. Heritage Crown’s representatives did reassure LaMontagne that construction tape would be used to guide construction workers away from tree roots.
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