Project could mean street becomes one-wayBy: CHRISTIAN MENNO Bucks County Courier TimesRedeveloping the old Acme site was the subject at a business breakfast Tuesday.If McGrath Homes' plans to develop the old Acme site on Sycamore Street areapproved, Jefferson Street traffic could be restricted to one-way to helpalleviate congestion, the developer said Tuesday.John McGrath, his attorney, Ed Murphy, and architect Peter Stampfl were guestspeakers at the Newtown Business and Professional Association's June membershipbreakfast at Chandler Hall on Barclay Road.An official traffic study hasn't been performed.McGrath said that would occur during the land development process. Murphy said theintersection of Sycamore and Jefferson streets will be a crucial issue during thatprocess and added that the notion of changing Jefferson Street into a one-waystreet has been discussed.McGrath and his associates have spoken about the project numerous times over thepast year.Usually, their audience is made up of township supervisors, planning commissionmembers and/or township residents.And usually, some in the audience tend to voice criticisms or express concernregarding the proposed mixed-use complex dubbed "The Promenade."However, on Tuesday, representatives from McGrath Homes found themselves in a muchmore welcoming atmosphere before about 100 members of the business group.Former NBPA president Linda Mitchell called the gathering "a wonderful frameworkto exchange information about a project of this nature.''Murphy started off the conversation with a status update of The Promenade, whichwill be discussed at a second zoning hearing board meeting July 2.He said the developer hopes to get approval by the end of the year for the zoningapplication and plans for land development of the complex, which includes spacefor six retail outlets and 27 two-bedroom condos.McGrath is seeking variances for height, the inclusion of condos rather thanapartments, and setback distance from the street."We want to be proud of this project when we look back later," McGrath saidTuesday. "It really is time for us to move forward with this."He said that traffic concerns would arise with any type of proposed development onthe site and that, in his view, "this project that we came up with will generatethe least amount of traffic."McGrath said he didn't have an answer when asked if the entire deal could fallthrough if certain timelines agreed to with the retail outlet Anthropologie aren'tmet. The store is set to be the anchor tenant."This is important," he said of the breakfast event. "The more people who areeducated of the actual details of the project, the better off everyone will be."