NEWTOWN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

APPROVAL OF THE MAY MINUTES:  Mr. Terry moved to approve the minutes of May 2, 2002 as presented.  Ms. Mitchell seconded; the motion carried. 

Present:   Dick Weaver, Hal Roberts, Tom Harwood, Marge Fredericks, Doug Terry, Don Harris, Judy Setar, Linda Mitchell, Tony Petsis, Bob Pellegrino, Jim Worthington.   

CALL TO ORDER – Chairman Weaver called the meeting to order.

CODES DEPARTMENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Mr. Harwood distributed and reviewed the report for April 2002.  He noted that the Durham Road Associates and 413 Office Center projects are being reviewed; the BOS is awaiting plan revisions from the 413 Office Center.  The controversial Law School Admissions project is continued to the 5/18/02 BOS meeting.  Mr. Harwood said that there would be many more meetings before the Newtown Office Commons Expansion project goes before the Planning Commission.

APPROVAL OF THE APRIL MINUTES:  Mr. Terry moved to approve the minutes of April 4, 2002 as presented.  Mr. Roberts seconded; the motion carried. 

LOWER BUCKS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

There was no report, as Ms. Kruse was not present.           

JOINT DOWNTOWN NEWTOWN CORPORATION

Mr. Salvatore was not present.  JDNC secretary Leslie Dunleavy reported that donations for the Chancellor Street project are being collected and acknowledged through JDNC.  Work on the Main Street Manager grant continues.

SYCAMORE STREET

Mr. Harwood announced that a state grant for $1.2M has been approved for street enhancements.

SUBCOMMITTEE Concerned with a YMCA in Newtown - Doug Terry, Chair

Mr. Terry said that they are still waiting for the survey from the YMCA.  Mr. Weaver said he heard that the  survey was completed and the YMCA board is reviewing it.  Mr. Worthington said that the report has been done for about six weeks and that he has heard the results were favorable to the YMCA; he was unsure why the report wasn’t out yet.  

Ms. Fredericks asked about the YMCA’s mailing problem that she had read about in the news.  Mr. Worthington said it involved the mailing of an inappropriate letter.  He said that an Atlanta firm had done the YMCA survey, and that no one on the YMCA board seemed to know what questions or data were included on the survey.  He felt that the YMCA hasn’t been very forthcoming. 

NEW BUSINESS

BDC Membership

Mr. Weaver said the Board of Supervisors supported the change in the membership structure of the BDC.  They asked him to bring back some written documents to achieve this change.  Mr. Weaver and Ms. Dunleavy will work on such documents.  Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Fredericks will send Ms. Dunleavy copies of bylaws and other documents from the Newtown Business & Professional Association and the Feasterville Business Association, respectively. 

Council members discussed membership.  Mr. Harris said that the inclusion of businesses near the Bypass located in Lower Makefield could be constructive, and suggested a two-tiered membership with some voting members and some non-voting members.  He said that voting members should own or be employed by businesses located in Newtown Township or Borough, with one voting member per business entity.  Anyone could become a non-voting member, perhaps called an Associate Member. 

OLD BUSINESS

Mr. Terry asked when the Board of Supervisors would discuss the question of medical use in the OR.  Mr. Terry said he had attended the last Planning Commission and BOS meetings and there had been no discussion of the issue.  Ms. Setar said that possibly it would go the work session in May.  It was suggested that daytime traffic issues were the concern at the time of the ordinance revision; Walt Wydro from Upper Makefield and Mr. Sanderlin had supported the change.  Mr. Roberts said he thought that no one in the Industrial Park had been informed of the ordinance change. 

Mr. Terry said he thought medical use should be allowed.  He said he had presented the issue at a recent BOS meeting.  He said that the BOS should consider the fact that the face of the OR was changing from manufacturing to office and technology.  He said that some doctors in the area have shown an interest in buildings and properties in the Industrial Park, and that the township needs to figure out how to convert the empty buildings to accommodate different uses.  Mr. Greenwood has introduced a bill to limit medical insurance, which may help the medical community in the area. 

Mr. Harwood suggested that there needs to be clarification of the various medical uses of facilities for the BOS, so they could take this information into account when considering traffic impact and other impact issues.  Flexibility is needed in the LI for continued development. 

NEXT MEETING

The next luncheon meeting is scheduled for June 6, 2002 at the Goodnoe Farm Dairy Bar at 12:00 PM.  The cost is $10; please RSVP by June 1^st to the recording secretary (contact information is included on the attached agenda). 

ADJOURNMENT:  

Without objection, the meeting adjourned at 12:55 pm.  

Respectfully Submitted:                                     

___________________________
Leslie P. Dunleavy, Recording Secretary