Plans to build an inclusive marketplace and housing for adults with disabilities in Doylestown Borough received its first greenlight in the approvals process.
On Aug. 20, the zoning hearing board considered an application submitted by The Next Step Programs regarding the redevelopment of the former Paul B. Moyer property on South Clinton Street to build a new three-story building with 41 apartments and four commercial spaces to provide housing and work opportunities for adults with disabilities.
The application requested a variance to permit less than the required number of parking spaces, allowing for 62 total spaces, 30 less than the number required by zoning ordinance based on the number of residential units and commercial square footage.
With
a 4-1 vote, the board conditionally granted the variance, according to Karyn Hyland, Director of Planning and Zoning for Doylestown Borough. Brian Vaughn was the dissenting vote.
The conditional approval laid out requirements to include signage reserving 10 parking spots for commercial use, a permit parking program for residents, and strict language within the leases prohibiting parking along Hart Avenue and in the Doylestown Hunt neighborhood, Hyland said. In addition, a pedestrian connectivity plan addressing sidewalk and crosswalk designs will need to be submitted during the land development process.
The Next Step Programs — a Doylestown-based nonprofit that works with young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities — and its partners purchased of the 2.5-acre property in February with plans to build Adam’s Way, a space where adults with disabilities can live, work and connect with their community.
“Adam’s Way has always been about something bigger than a building. It’s about belonging,” CEO Josh Fields said. “This approval brings us one step closer to creating a community where people with and without disabilities can live alongside one another as neighbors. We’re grateful, energized and ready for the work ahead.”
The project, while spearheaded by The Next Step Programs, is also backed by a group of families working together to ensure the futures of their children with disabilities, including Monkey’s Uncle owners Jeanell and Derrick Morgan, and Paula Fasciano, owner of Bake Ability in Buckingham.
With the variance granted, Fields said they will continue through the land development process, which includes engineering, additional municipal approvals and continued efforts to finalize financing for the project.
“We expect that work to carry us through the coming months, with the goal of moving toward construction in late 2027,” he said.
Reporter Michele Haddon covers local news, small business, food and drink, economic revitalization, art and culture for The Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times at PhillyBurbs.com. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Doylestown nonprofit clears zoning hurdle for housing, marketplace
