A local group wants to stop the Bucks County Historical Society from allowing a housing developer to build condominiums on the Hart Tract, which the society owns near Steeple Chase Drive in Doylestown Township.
Citizens for the Preservation of the Past for the Future, a grassroots group that opposes the prospect of condominium housing on the 24-acres known both as the Hart Tract and “Underhill Farm” is calling on Doylestown Township Supervisors to deny a request for the property’s zoning to be changed.
“The Hart Tract is a significant artifact of the BCHS collection … To sell the Hart Tract the BCHS violates the Code of Ethics established to accredit museums, challenges its 501c3 status and breaks trust with its members, its staff and with the future,” according to a statement released by the Citizens for the Preservation of the Past for the Future.
Doylestown Township Manager Stephanie Mason said that Zaveta Custom Homes, the prospective developer, had so far provided a concept last year of how it might develop the property. To date, no land development plans for the tract have been proposed.
Supervisors will review an application by Zaveta Custom Homes on Tuesday at its 7 p.m. meeting to change the zoning from its current I-2 industrial zoning classification to allow residential development.
Mason said that Zaveta’s concept plan presented in April 2024, called for three condominium buildings with 12 units per building, or a total of 36 units.
“They propose saving the existing farmhouse on the property and continuing to preserve that and the existing storage facility,” she explained.
No further details about the building type or scale of the structures was available.
“The application request is to change the current zoning to Residential R-1 with the historic structure to allow for building structures encompassing condo buildings,” Mason said.
R-1 zoning allows low-density single family residential development in appropriate areas.
Efforts to reach Rich Zaveta, owner and president of Zaveta Custom Homes located in Buckingham Township, were unsuccessful.
Efforts to reach Kyle McCoy, president and CEO of Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle at Bucks County Historical Society in Doylestown were also unsuccessful.
Mason said no decision regarding a zoning change would be made on June 17.
“The consideration is to allow him to present his [zoning change request] to the planning commission and provide his case in support of the change,” Mason said.
The Doylestown Township Planning Commission is an advisory board to township supervisors. It is supervisors who ultimately approve or deny requests for zoning changes.
The process to change a parcel’s zoning can take as long as six months or more and requires a series of reviews and public hearings, Mason said.
“It’s a lot of back and forth, and it’s a lengthy process. No decisions will be made … It’s a presentation on a proposed application,” Mason explained.
She said if a project clears the zoning hearing board process and supervisors agree to change zoning, then the land development process begins.
“Stormwater management, engineered design and layout, among other things and steps are part of the land development process,” Mason said.
She noted on average construction projects in the township can take from 18 to 24 months for a project to complete the land development process alone – other projects may take several years.
