Tensions flared during last Monday’s Bensalem Council meeting over the concept of establishing a town square in the heart of the township.
Bob Norkus, executive director of the Bensalem Economic Development Corporation, expressed the group’s intention to conduct a strategic feasibility analysis, which would map out the creation of a town square/main street hub over a span of at least 10 to 15 years.
“It’s more than just physical space,” he told the council. “It’s the heart of a community, a place where we gather, celebrate and connect. It’s a venue for the best local restaurants, farmers markets, festivals, art shows, family gatherings, park spaces and walking paths. It serves as a backdrop for the creation of lasting memories and shared experiences. By establishing a town square, we could foster a strong sense of community, creating a true destination where residents and visitors alike can come.”
Currently, said Norkus, the biggest draw to Bensalem is Parx Casino. A town square, he added, would give the township a stronger sense of community and identity. Plus, it would put Bensalem in line with other municipalities across the country that are placing emphasis on main streets and local businesses for a variety of reasons.
“A well-designed accessible space will attract tourists and residents alike, invigorating local businesses and creating job opportunities and attracting talent we need to staff new and existing businesses,” he said. “It will set a higher standard for future commercial development.”
He proposed that a town square hub be situated on two semi-adjacent parcels at Knights and Byberry that are already owned by the township and include significant acreage of vacant land.
However, this was quickly shot down by council member Stacey Champion.
“I’m gonna be blunt: that is not acceptable. That is open space for our township. We utilize that already to bring our township together with the amphitheater and other things we do on township property. It’s utilized as open space to protect the environment,” said Champion, who added that deer and other wildlife also depend on that land. “I am very adamant about this.”
A heated back and forth commenced, with Champion standing firm in her stance toward the BEDC’s “horrible idea” and Norkus telling her, “Well, that’s fine, but relax a little. I’m just here bringing forward an idea.”
Council member Michelle Benitez then stepped in to try to mediate the hostile situation.
She said, “Mr. Norkus has done a great job with the EDC. I think the mentality here is, yes, we all agree that we’d like to have a destination point, right? A main street feel. I don’t wanna have to go to Peddler’s Village or Newtown to enjoy the space that we have here. We agree that this space needs to happen, and I think we would support your request if it were not what I thought was overdeveloped with the images that you were showing. We all want to maintain the suburban lifestyle. So this overdevelopment and crowding and concrete is not what we want our town to feel like, even on a main street that’s recreational and a destination point for our residents. It needs to incorporate the beauty that we have, the natural beauty that we have.”
In response, Norkus explained that the BEDC is open to discussing other locations, and that the Knights/Byberry parcels simply seemed like the best options during initial conversations. Joseph Knowles suggested Andalusia along Route 13, where a town center used to stand.
“That’s where the history of Bensalem is,” said Knowles.
Council president Ed Kisselback recommended that the BEDC’s plan be reworked and tailored to Bensalem: “The infrastructure of Bensalem is already in place. It’s not as if you’re going up to Buckingham and saying, ‘We have all this open space, we can design this and we can design that.’ Even if you did something in Andalusia, it would have to be a hybrid of an actual town center because Route 13 is a highly traveled-through route that you can’t be having people walk around on other than special occasions, and even that, I think, would be rather difficult.”
This segment of the meeting concluded with both parties agreeing that a town square could work in Bensalem, just not at the originally proposed location. Norkus was also set to speak with township engineer Phil Wursta about traffic implications of such an area.
If the strategic feasibility analysis were to move forward, Norkus stressed that the BEDC would completely fund it. And if the concept of a town square in Bensalem gets off the ground, he promised that the community would be heavily involved in the planning process, with ample opportunities to voice both their wants and concerns.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
