Is New Life in Store for SEPTA’s Langhorne Train Station?

SEPTA wants to hear from Penndel and Langhorne community members about a potential mixed-use development adjacent to the Langhorne Train Station located at 137 Comly Avenue.

The SEPTA Langhorne Station area concept plan seeks input from community members at an open house on March 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. inside Penndel Borough Hall.

“The downtown area currently consists of too many properties that are vacant, underutilized or have undesirable uses. Penndel has been in need of a signature project such as this to jumpstart redevelopment in the area,” Mark Moffa, a Penndel resident and project advocate said in an email.

According to Moffa, the proposal includes a vibrant, mixed-use area near the train station that would bring smart, transit-oriented investment to the community.

“For those who care about the future of Penndel, there’s an exciting opportunity developing around the Langhorne SEPTA Station,” Moffa said.

Moffa, who served as a chair of the Penndel Revitalization Task Force and is Bucks County acting treasurer said a “blueprint” for the area was shaped by residents, business owners and community leaders invested in Penndel Borough’s development – and its future.

According to Census Reporter, Penndel is roughly .4 square miles and includes a population of about 2,500 residents.

“One of the key ideas that came out of that [task force] work was transit-oriented development around the train station — creating a walkable, mixed-use area that strengthens the downtown and supports local businesses,” Moffa explained.

Those earlier meetings led to Penndel Borough Council adopting a “transit-oriented development zoning overlay to make projects like this possible,” he said.

Other stakeholders in a Penndel mixed-use project include Middletown Township, Bucks County Water & Sewer, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and “other key agencies.”

Moffa said he’s met directly with Bucks County Planning Commission members and the SEPTA team leading the Langhorne Station area development initiative.

“I’ve also spoken with developers who have completed successful station-area projects nearby that are now being looked at as examples of what could be possible here,” he said.

Examples of similarly envisioned successful projects,noted by the Bucks County Planning Commission include The Station at Willow Grove and The Station at Bucks County.

According to Moffa both of the projects brought in new residents, new customers for community businesses and revitalized areas that had been underused.

“The proposal being explored near Langhorne Station is still in the planning stage, but these projects show the kind of thoughtful development that can strengthen surrounding communities,” Moffa said.

If you go:

What: Langhorne/Penndel SEPTA area mixed use development concept plan

Where: Penndel Borough Hall, 300 Bellevue Avenue

When: Monday, March 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.