After three years of back and forth with the Bucks County Planning Commission, the Trumbauersville Planning Commission made the decision on Thursday night to recommend a moratorium on all development in the borough.
The recommendation to the borough council by the planning commission is merely advisory. The recommendation includes no zoning change from residential to limited industrial zoning in the borough. The planning commission based its decision on the need to perform an assessment of the borough's infrastructure, including sewer capacity, water service, and stormwater control from any potential development site.
The borough council declined to make any immediate decision concerning the planning commission's moratorium recommendation. The moratorium could impact the Bracalente Manufacturing Group which has operated in the borough for 75 years. The Bracalente Manufacturing Group owns approximately 9.5 acres in the borough and 11.9 acres in adjacent Milford Township. The manufacturing company's building sits on approximately 5.39 acres that has a preexisting non-conforming use because it was constructed prior to Trumbauersville zoning codes.
It is expected that if the borough council grants a zoning change on the property from the current residential zoning to limited industrial, Bracalente Manufacturing will expand its operation. Ron Bracalente, President and CEO of Bracalente Manufacturing, remarked that the government wants manufacturing to return to the United States. So, a zoning change is timely.
He suggested the borough council, the elected body that ultimately makes decisions for the borough, give direction to the planning commission on what it should do. Bracalente observed that a zoning change does not mean the approval of a building. He noted Bracalente Manufacturing would like to remain in the borough.
In another matter, the borough council announced that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) analyzed a sample of an oily substance found in a ditch on Main Street. Some Trumbauersville residents were concerned the substance could find its way into the borough's water system. DEP concluded the oily substance would have no impact on the safety of the drinking water in the borough.
Trumbauersville's water interconnection with Milford Township's water system was completed by Passerini & Sons. Upgrades to Well #3 are proceeding. In June 2025 the project is expected to be ready for startup.
Paul Gerhart, Jr., an Air Force veteran and lifelong resident of Trumbauersville, requested that the borough council permit him to install several war memorials in the borough's Veterans Park. It is his personal project and is not affiliated with any non-profit. The memorial will have a POW/MIA chair with a plaque. Gerhart would like to include a statue of a Veteran Fallen Cross and another statue of a soldier kneeling in remembrance of a fallen comrade. He expects the project to cost approximately $3,000. It has yet to be determined how donations will be handled. The borough council will vote on the project next month.
The next borough council meeting would normally be held on Thursday, July 3rd. However, due to the Fourth of July holiday, the borough council meeting will be held on Thursday, July 17.