Elmhurst Gardens is currently a proposed project of 115 dwelling units split over a 6-story apartment complex located on the paper streets of Elmhurst Ave east of Hughes Ave and south of E Park Ave located in Sellersville Pennsylvania. The project has recently reappeared on the Borough Councils agenda, now dubbed Elmhurst Gardens 2. The site plan is identical to the original that was denied by the borough council in 2015 unanimously. Since the denial in 2015, Curtis Building Company Inc, the owner and proposed developer of the land, has filed appeals with no avail. Currently the 6-story apartment complex includes a 6000 square foot commercial/industrial center on the lower floor. Access from Hughes Avenue has been marked on the plans to allow access to the community via Elmhurst Avenue and Pine Street. The main entrance, located on E Park Ave, runs to the west of a federally non-regulated waterway that feeds the East Branch creek during storm events. In recent years, said waterway has become more of a feeder stream to the East Branch creek vs a non-regulated waterway. This water way would be a main connection for storm water runoff from the streets and parking lots regardless of runoff basins, creating a more inundated system than we already see.

Now, while the Elmhurst Gardens 2 project has been denied in the past, Curtis Building Company has submitted plans to the Bucks County Planning Commission for a Planned Residential Development (PRD) in the same area as Elmhurst Gardens 2 dubbed Lenape Woods. This PRD is comprised of 73 townhomes with 146 off street parking spaces (borough ordinance requires 2 off street parking spaces and 1 spill over space on street per planned dwelling) and 52 on street parking spaces. The off-street spaces meet the boroughs requirement, however the spill over parking is short by 21 spaces. Not only have they submitted a plan that does not adhere to the borough ordinance, but they have also not submitted any storm water management plans, a required traffic impact study, an erosion and sedimentation plan, nor a truck turning plan. As the community knows, per past denials, Hughes Avenue has been deemed an unacceptable entrance to any development in this area. This has been corrected in the Lenape Woods plan with the entrance off Hughes and Elmhurst Avenue as a gated emergency access point. The main entrance is again off E Park Avenue next to the aforementioned feeder stream of the East Branch Creek.

After seeing the proposed projects, the Borough council has elected to have a public hearing on 21 and 22 March at 7PM located at 2 N Main Street, Sellersville PA 18960 (Sellersville Fire Department). If you have lived in the community over the past years, you know this project will create more inundated storm water systems which already flood with the smallest amounts of rain or snow melt. East Park Avenue has had issues with the feeder stream flooding at the road cross over for years with the borough not doing anything to fix the issues. Not only has this been a major concern, but the wetlands located within the proposed development will be disturbed with installation of impervious surfaces that will induce more storm water runoff through adjoining neighbors’ properties. 220 and 226 E Park Avenue constantly have water flowing through their yards which is fed from the already impervious soils located to the south where the planned development will be built. 204 E Park Avenue sits just next to the feeder creek that floods, which will be worse when the community is built. 226, 220, and 218 E Park Avenue off road runoff system has been inoperable for years, and when the borough dug up the water lines at the road, did noting to fix the clogged pipe which is meant to divert water from the road to an under-driveway system then into the feeder stream for the East Branch Creek. The properties owned by Curtis Building Company Inc has multiple dead ash trees that fall with any wind storm, damaging surrounding properties. 204 E Park Ave recently had the entire fence destroyed from fallen trees along with 220 E Park Ave seeing damage to their rear fence as well. Other property owners surrounding the proposed development have also seen tree damage from said property to their cars and homes. This is due to negligence on behalf of Curtis Building Company to maintain their property, regardless of planned development or not. If they have this kind of disregard for safety of surrounding properties, then what will make them have regard for others when they begin building their planned development. We need to hold Curtis Building Company responsible as a land owner and not as a corporation that has no liability for their mistakes, planned or otherwise.

If the borough of Sellersville approves this project, it will cause immense issues for the neighbors directly surrounding the property along with all neighbors in the Sellersville area as traffic will be worse, flooding of the properties along the East Branch Creek will be more destructive, and roads will be worse than they already are littered with potholes. By signing this petition, you are saying NO to Elmhurst Gardens 2, Lenape Woods, and to the development of land that should be a protected resource and treated as such! Please also attend the meetings on the 21st and 22nd of March 2022 and any other meeting that involves these properties. Follow ‘Say NO to Elmhurst Gardens in Sellersville’ on Facebook as well for more information regarding proposed projects in the same area!