Newtown authorizes Bishop Hollow sidewalk right-of-way acquisition

A signed Newtown Township resolution, adopted October 12 and published October 15, authorizes the township to acquire permanent rights-of-way and temporary construction easements on privately owned property at 335 Bishop Hollow Road for the Bishop Hollow Road sidewalk project.

Adopted authorization. The resolution permits acquisition by negotiation, deeds in lieu of condemnation or a declaration of taking. It does not establish that a declaration has been filed, state the compensation amount or verify a construction start.

Newtown Township Board of Supervisors; the township solicitor is directed to prepare and file any declaration of taking and related documents, and the township manager may sign documents needed to carry out the resolution.

Adopted October 12, 2026. Marple Zoning Hearing Board meets October 21 at 7 p.m.; Marple Planning Commission meets October 22 at 7 p.m.

No recorded vote.

• Resolution 2026-35 concerns portions of parcel 30-00-00292-01 on the north side of Bishop Hollow Road, owned by Bishop Hollow, LP. It describes permanent rights-of-way and temporary construction easements needed to design, lay out, grade and install missing sidewalk sections.
• The township solicitor may negotiate with the owner, accept deeds in lieu of condemnation, prepare and file a declaration of taking and take related steps. The township manager may sign necessary documents. Compensation or damages agreed upon or awarded are to be paid from township funds.
• The two-page instrument does not state the acreage or dimensions to be acquired, a compensation estimate, the grant amount, the construction contract, or a work schedule. It also does not provide the motion tally or individual member positions.
• The official October 12 recording is available, but closed captions are unavailable; no motion-level transcript was available in this review. The signed resolution verifies adoption, not the vote breakdown.
• Tonight at 7 p.m., Marple’s Zoning Hearing Board is scheduled to hear a special-exception request for a personal-training and holistic-living fitness center at 1101 Sussex Boulevard and variance requests at 2400 West Chester Pike. Those are pending applications, not approvals.
• Thursday at 7 p.m., Marple’s Planning Commission is scheduled to review a preliminary/final land-development plan for a 28,927-square-foot pole-barn building on 4.05 acres at 0 Marpit Drive, also known as 410 Reed Road. The commission’s review is advisory and does not establish final township approval.
• PECO’s current indexed municipal table lists zero affected customers and zero outages in both Marple and Delaware County’s Newtown Township. Both township Alert Centers list no active alerts. Aqua’s September 21 regional taste-and-odor notice remains posted; Aqua says the water meets drinking-water standards. It is not a boil-water advisory.
• The school district’s agenda index still lists the October 13 committee packet and September 22 regular-board packet; its 2026 minutes index has not supplied a new motion-level outcome in this review. Substantive school coverage remains held for independent conflict review.

The action moves a public sidewalk project beyond a general plan by authorizing acquisition of interests in a specific private parcel. Residents and the property owner still lack key public terms in the signed instrument: the exact footprint, expected payment, grant share, acquisition status and construction schedule.

• Has the township reached a negotiated agreement, accepted a deed, or filed a declaration of taking?
• What land area and temporary construction footprint are required, and what appraisal supports compensation?
• What grant amount, township match, contractor and construction schedule apply to the sidewalk project?
• How did each supervisor vote on Resolution 2026-35?

No materially comparable prior decision identified.

No claim is made that negotiation failed, condemnation has been filed, the owner contests the action, the amount is excessive, or any official acted improperly. The Marple applications remain pending.

• October 21, 7 p.m.: Marple Zoning Hearing Board, municipal building, 227 S. Sproul Road.
• October 22, 7 p.m.: Marple Planning Commission, municipal building, 227 S. Sproul Road.
• Next reporting step: obtain the October 12 motion record, declaration-of-taking docket if filed, appraisal or settlement, easement plan and project schedule.

• Newtown Resolution 2026-35 — signed right-of-way authorization
• Official October 12 Newtown Board of Supervisors recording
• Marple Agenda Center
• October 21 Marple zoning agenda
• October 21 Marple zoning calendar
• October 22 Marple planning agenda
• PECO outage map and municipal report
• Aqua Pennsylvania service alerts
• Marple Alert Center
• Newtown Alert Center

None used. This report relies on official records only.

No corrections or substantive updates have been made since publication.

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