State Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-31, is trying to aid Lower Makefield in securing a $1.2 million state grant that would help provide public water
and sewer service to the township's Edgewood Village section.
The grant would not only help 29 households in the section connect to public utilities, but it also would spur major development in Edgewood
Village and that would bring more jobs and revenue into the township, said Santarsiero, a Lower Makefield resident.
Edgewood Village is a section of Lower Makefield around the intersection of Stony Hill and Langhorne-Yardley roads.
Developer Cameron Troilo has had one project approved for Edgewood Village and another one is still in the planning stages.
The approved project is called Edgewood Crossing and will consist of a 3,000-square-foot bank and about 9,500 square feet of retail, office,
restaurant and apartment space on 1.6 acres. Troilo said construction is expected to start within the next month and will begin with the bank and
a 1,200 square-foot ice cream restaurant.
On 16 acres just across Stony Hill Road, Troilo is planning a much larger project called Flowers Field, which hasn't been considered yet by the
township supervisors. All the details haven't been finalized, but the rough plan is for 40 to 50 upscale townhouses and a mix of stores,
restaurants and other commercial establishments.
When built, the two projects will go a long way toward transforming Edgewood Village into the "downtown" district long envisioned by many
township officials and residents, Troilo has said. Many in the township picture something similar to State Street in Newtown or Main Street in
Yardley.
Bringing public water and sewer service to the section is a vital part of making that dream a reality, Santarsiero said.
"The great thing about these developments is they will give Lower Makefield a town center, provide jobs both before and after construction and
also provide more revenue for the township that will help take some of the burden off homeowners," he said.
The money would come from the state's H2O grant program, which is funding water and sewer projects across Pennsylvania, Santarsiero said.
Competition might be pretty stiff, he added.
There is $170 million available, but about $2 billion worth of applications are expected, Santarsiero said. The grants are expected to be
announced in late November, he added.
"It's by no means a slam dunk," Santarsiero said. "But in my view, it's well worth the effort because it would accelerate movement on these
Edgewood Village projects. There is no way of gauging the merits of all these projects vying for money and how many deserve serious
consideration, but in my view, ours is definitely one worthy of serious consideration and I will continue to advocate for the township with the
governor and other decision makers."
To get the $1.2 million state grant, Lower Makefield must come up with a $900,000 match, Santarsiero said. Troilo has agreed to provide
$500,000 of that match, and Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8, is working on a federal grant that would provide another $350,000, said
Santarsiero. The remaining $50,000 would come from the engineering fees the township would pay to connect Edgewood Village with public
water and sewer, he said.
Troilo said he believed he has already come close to meeting his $500,000 commitment with spending on engineering and other items related to
his developments in Edgewood Village.
Together, the grant and match would provide the $2.1 million necessary to install the main lines that would make public water and sewer service
possible in Edgewood Village, Santarsiero said. However, it wouldn't pay for the final connections into residences, he added.
"If we get the grant, I would like to sit down with residents and township officials and talk about some way the township can help residents
connect into the systems," Santarsiero said. "If the township is able to save a considerable amount of money by not having to fund the main
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