Politics & Government

Shenandoah Woods Plan Awaits Approval from HLRA

The proposal is for redevelopment of military housing in Warminster.

With a unanimous vote of approval Monday night, the Bucks County Housing Committee will resubmit its plan to redevelop 199 military housing units at Shenandoah Woods into 113 single and twin residences to the Horsham Land Reuse Authority, which will then vote to send the proposal through the federal review process.

The vote was taken at a meeting in William Tennent's cafeteria to a crowd filled with stakeholders from Warminster, Ivyland, and Bucks County government, and representatives from agencies that had submitted notices of interest for the land, including Aldie, a drug and alcohol counseling center, and the Bucks County Housing Group.

Just as the meeting began, Bucks County Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick took a seat in the back to observe the proceedings and show his support for the plan.

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"My job is to make sure the plans and preferences of the people in my district are heard and respected by the federal government," said Fitzpatrick.

It's the second attempt by the HLRA subcommittee to get the go-ahead for its project. The first proposal was rejected in November 2010 because it did not meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) requirements to provide accommodations for the homeless community. 

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It called for developer The Reinvestment Fund and Bucks County Housing Group to receive the land and sell it to create a $6 million homeless fund.

"They gave us a 'sorry, no,'" said committee chairman Tom Panzer. "They didn't like how we got there." 

The new plan replaces The Reinvestment Fund with the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority, which will receive the property from the Navy and be in charge of executing the redevelopment plan. Besides the 113 units, the plan accommodates the notices of interest for other areas of the property. 

Warminster Township will acquire 25 acres of woodlands along the eastern and southern borders of the site, part of which will be used for a new stormwater retention facility. The Bucks County Housing Group will take possession of six homes in Ivyland that will be demolished and replaced by its administration headquarters. Finally, Aldie will be given 20 units, then sell them to the redevelopment authority and use the money for operational purposes.

"We don't have that agreement in writing, but we are working on it," said Panzer, also a member of the Warminster board of supervisors.

Panzer thinks the new plans will meet HUD's standard and that the next of many steps can begin falling into place. 

"There's certainly a myriad of 'what ifs.' If it gets rejected, it will be back to the drawing board," he said. "But I think we'll get the plan approved."

The next step is for the HLRA to approve the plan. Executive Director Mike McGee expects the vote to happen at the group's next public meeting on April 20 at the Horsham Community Center at 7 p.m.


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