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Business E-News
Summer 2016
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Welcome to the Summer 2016 edition of the Business E-News! The Township believes maintaining an open dialogue with the business community will expand opportunities for existing businesses while encouraging new investment and economic development. As you are valued members of the Middletown community, we take this opportunity to provide you with useful information about current events, permit processes, and other opportunities to improve your business and help you join the conversation about the future of Middletown.
Please forward this email to other members of the business community and encourage them to
subscribe to the Middletown Township Business E-Newsletter.
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Major Streetlight Upgrade
Middletown's streetlights are about to become much more energy efficient. The Township embarked on a project that will convert nearly 3,000 existing lights to light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures. LED streetlights are typically brighter and offer several advantages to the community.
Current lighting fixtures use a lot of energy and have an average life of only five years before the need to be replaced. The LEDs are expected to last four times as long while using less than half the electricity. The conversion is projected to save the Township more than $1.5 million over 20 years in PECO energy bills alone. Maintenance savings from purchasing replacement fixtures may be equally high.
Middletown is not alone in making these upgrades. The Township has joined more than forty other nearby municipalities in this large-scale project, organized by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, called the Regional Streetlight Procurement Program (RSLPP). Participating in the RSLPP offers advantages beyond what is already gained through converting to LED fixtures. The Township has access to bulk purchasing rates and low-interest financing. This allows the project, which will cost approximately $1 million, to be paid off over time with the money saved from lower energy and maintenance costs. The vendor for the project, Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI), will also provide the Township with an electronic database to include details and GPS locations for every streetlight fixture in Middletown. Middletown was also selected as the pilot location for all Bucks County communities participating in the RSLPP, meaning that a few Township roads will get an early preview of what the new fixtures will look like.
LED installation is scheduled to begin this summer.
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Truss Construction Ordinance
At the May 2nd Board of Supervisors meeting, the Township enacted a new ordinance that impacts buildings made with truss construction. All such buildings - other than single-family dwellings - are now required to have a specific sign posted to indicate this type of construction.
The ordinance is aimed at safety for firefighters. Truss construction, in which larger pieces are supported by smaller, triangular parts, makes a building far more likely to collapse during a fire. This poses a serious threat to firefighters who enter these buildings. For this reason, local fire chiefs requested that the Township consider a policy that would clearly mark truss construction so firefighters can see the danger before entering.
With the new ordinance, every building affected, including all commercial buildings with truss construction, will be marked by a triangular sign. The coloring and triangular shape of the signs are an industry standard that will be easily recognized by emergency responders. During the annual fire safety inspection, each business will see in its report whether or not it must purchase and display a truss construction sign.
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Road Improvement Program
Paving for the 2016 Road Improvement Program is currently underway. The Township's commitment to improving Middletown's infrastructure continues as the fifteen year road improvement plan rolls into its third year. In March, the Board of Supervisors authorized Township staff to advertise the bid to contractors, which was later awarded to James D. Morrissey, Inc. Since the program's beginning in 2014, almost $6 million have been invested to improve, repair, or rebuild 30 miles over 96 roads.
This year's program includes roads mostly located in the Ivystream, Green Valley, Oaklihurst Gables, and Parkland neighborhoods. These neighborhoods will see several improvements to the road quality and drainage as roads will be milled, repaved, and restriped. Below is the full list of roads to be improved in 2016:
Alscot Circle; Alscot Lane; Ash Avenue; Avenue A; Avenue B; Avenue C; Avenue D; Avenue E; Avenue F; Buchanan Drive; Cedar Avenue; Coach Road; Delaware Avenue; Essex Lane; Fairview Avenue; Fee Avenue; Forrest Avenue; Fox Court; Friendship Lane; Fulton Avenue; Green Valley Road; Grove Avenue; Jeffrey Lane; Lenape Circle; Mt. Royal Avenue; Myrtle Avenue; N. Buckthorne Avenue; North Street; Olive Street; Oswin Turn; Oxford Drive; Parkland Avenue; Parkvale Avenue; Parkway Avenue; Poplar Street; Prospect Avenue; Ramble Road; Sunflower Avenue; Sunset Avenue; Timber Lane; Walnut Street; Wyoming Avenue
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National Night Out
On August 2nd, join the Township Police Department for National Night Out, an annual event that promotes the partnership between police and the community. To observe the event, Middletown will host a block party where families and community members can meet officers and other staff, view demonstrations, and interact with local businesses.
The Police Department is seeking businesses to join the festivities. If you wish to see how you can fit into this community building event, please contact Officer Melissa Robison at 215-750-3876 or [email protected].
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Do You Know the Community?
Each future edition of the Business E-Newsletter will include this segment to provide readers with census-based data about the Township. The information provided may help readers better understand the community in which they run their business. This edition highlights income data within the township.
The median household income in Middletown Township is $82,288. This is up from 2000 census median of $63,964. The current median also compares favorably to the majority of the Township's neighbors - Middletown's median income exceeds that of Lower Southampton, Bensalem, Bristol, and Falls Townships plus the Boroughs of Langhorne, Langhorne Manor, Penndel, and Hulmeville.
Over 20 percent of Township households have incomes between $100,000 and $149,000, making that the single largest income range within the Township. This is followed by the $50,000 to $74,999 range, which makes up just below 20 percent. Only 4 percent of households earn less than $15,000, while 7 percent earn over $200,000.
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Building Permit Corner - Major Construction in the Township
The following are major business construction projects currently underway or commencing soon within the Township:
- Carmax is constructing a facility at the former location of K-Mart, 1776 East Lincoln Highway. The auto sales company will construct a 17,495 square foot building, which when added to their vehicle displays will fit entirely within the current footprint of the 1,000 square foot K-Mart building. Construction is expected to begin later this year.
- A Starbucks (with drive-through) and an AT&T Store will be added to the Langhorne Square Shopping Center. Waterstone Retail development company will construct a new building at 1501 East Lincoln Highway to contain the 1,850 square foot Starbucks and the 1,500 square foot cellular retail store. Construction is expected to begin later this year.
- Nordstrom Rack is currently under construction in Lincoln Plaza. The retailer will join other stores at 2424 East Lincoln Highway after completely renovating the 26,366 square foot place formerly occupied by Lazy Boy Furniture.
- Chick-fil-A, also in Lincoln Plaza in Langhorne, will construct an expansion of its kitchen facilities. The project will cause the restaurant to close for several weeks after Labor Day as they add 548 square feet to the building. Only the kitchen area will be affected, as no additional seating or changes to parking are necessary.
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Interested in More Township News?
Feel free to subscribe to the Township E-News for a monthly update on the happenings in the Middletown Community?
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Upcoming Events
July 4
- 4th of July Parade, 9 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park
July 4
- Township offices closed for Independence Day
July 11
- Board of Supervisors meeting, 7:30 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
July 13
- Zoning Hearing Board meeting, 7 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
July 27 -
Zoning Hearing Board meeting, 7 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
August 2 -
National Night Out
August 3
- Planning Commission meeting, 7 p.m. in the upstairs conference room of the Municipal Center
August 10 -
Zoning Hearing Board meeting, 7 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
August 15
- Board of Supervisors meeting, 7:30 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
September 5 -
Township offices closed for Labor Day
You have received this mailing because you previously indicated an interest in
receiving the Business E-News. If you wish to be removed from the
distribution list, please utilize the unsubscribe link below.
Middletown Township
3 Municipal Way,
Langhorne, PA 19047
215-750-3800
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