Langhorne station debate

SEPTA’s plan to redevelop part of Langhorne Station into housing and retail is splitting residents in Penndel and nearby towns. (bucksco.today) The proposal, called the Langhorne Station Area Concept, centers on SEPTA’s south parking lot along Park Avenue and would pair multifamily housing with possible ground-floor commercial space. SEPTA says commuter parking and Regional Rail service would be preserved. (septa.org) Residents from Penndel, Middletown Township, Langhorne Manor and other nearby communities filled Penndel Borough Hall for a March 23 open house on the project. BucksCo.Today reported about 90 people attended that session. (middletownbucks.org, bucksco.today) SEPTA is pushing station-area development as part of its Transit Oriented Communities program, which aims to add homes and businesses near rail stops to raise ridership and revenue. The agency says the Langhorne concept will guide a future developer search rather than start construction immediately. (bucksco.today, septa.org) The station sits where Middletown Township, Penndel and Langhorne Manor meet, with most of the property in a narrow strip of Middletown between the two boroughs. SEPTA says local and county plans already treat the station area as a redevelopment site. (septa.org) Supporters have pitched the project as a way to revive a worn commercial corridor near downtown Penndel. Penndel Councilmember Gary Nickerson said an apartment project could draw more development, and former council member Mark B. Moffam described the area as looking “run down.” (bucksco.today) Skeptics have argued for less building or no building at all on the site. The Bucks County Courier Times reported that some residents said they would rather see the lot remain open green space. (phillyburbs.com) SEPTA has framed the housing piece around supply: it says there has been no new housing development near the station in more than 40 years, and apartment vacancy within a half mile is about 2 percent. The agency also says the plan could add stormwater controls and public open space. (septa.org, levittownnow.com) The project is still in early 2026 concept work, with land entitlements slated for 2026 and developer solicitation and selection planned for 2027. SEPTA lists permitting and construction as still to be determined. (septa.org) For now, the fight is over what kind of change Penndel wants next to its station: apartments and storefronts, or a quieter edge of town left largely as it is. (bucksco.today, septa.org)