Newtown Gate Residents Seek Resolution to Parking Enforcement Fiasco
Listen to this 9-minute “Deep Dive” podcast summary:
During a September 10, 2025 Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, Police Chief Hearn confirmed that it is illegal to park over the fog line on Fountain Farm Lane. The Chief stated that property owners within the Fountain Farm development who park there will be ticketed.
Enforcement efforts regarding illegal parking on Fountain Farm are underway, utilizing decoy cars and a speed sign board, although the police cannot maintain a constant presence (24/7). Specific times are being targeted for enforcement.
HOA Sends Letter to Supervisors
The Newtown Gate Master Association, representing nearly 400 households and more than 800 residents, raised urgent concerns in a November 13, 2025 letter sent to supervisors via email following a sudden wave of tickets.
For over thirty years, residents of the townhouse neighborhoods have relied on Fountain Farm Lane for overflow parking, a practice that had never been previously enforced. This abrupt enforcement shift caused shock and imposed unexpected logistical burdens, especially approaching the holiday season.
The underlying cause is structural, as the townhouse section of Newtown Gate was not designed with adequate parking capacity for residents and guests, meaning Fountain Farm Lane functioned as a necessary safety valve. While enforcement was mentioned during a public meeting (read the transcript of that discussion), residents from Newtown Gate were not present, and the HOA argues this indirect notice was insufficient for a policy shift of this magnitude.
Safety Concerns and Traffic Data
Residents' concerns that initially drew attention to Fountain Farm Lane centered on safety, rather than parking. They have raised alarm over persistent speeding by non-resident drivers who use the road as a cut-through to avoid nearby traffic lights, with vehicles frequently traveling far above the posted speed limit. Additional hazards include unfinished pedestrian crossings where ADA-compliant curb ramps lead directly into the road without corresponding painted crosswalks.
Regarding speeding data, Supervisor Mack inquired if the speed message board could be programmed to record actual speeds and report how many cars were over the speed limit. Police Chief Hearn confirmed that he does receive detailed data, including how many cars exceed the speed limit and by how much. However, he does not provide this full package of data to the public because it constitutes an enforcement initiative. The Chief noted that there are limitations on enforcement levels regarding speeds that would not hold up in court, which is a reason why a full package of data is not provided. The police do, however, analyze the data collected every time the sign board is deployed. [Read the transcript of that discussion.]
Proposed Solutions
The Newtown Gate HOA boards are seeking a collaborative path forward to address both the parking limitations and safety issues. They requested an immediate step to relieve the current hardship: a temporary moratorium on parking ticket enforcement along Fountain Farm Lane. They urge the Board to reconsider this option, citing the newly unified position of the three HOA boards.
For longer-term, data-driven solutions, the HOA strongly urges the Board of Supervisors to commission a professional, township-funded traffic engineering study. The key objective of this study would be to determine the viability of changing the road's classification from an arterial road to a non-arterial road, which could potentially allow for parking in designated areas. The study would also assess whether additional stop signs would slow traffic and discourage cut-through driving.
The HOA also urged the Township to immediately address safety concerns by:
- Completing the unfinished crosswalks.
- Adding “No Through Traffic” signage.
- Prioritizing enforcement of speed limits.
Transparency
Finally, the HOA hopes the Township will address concerns regarding communication and transparency, specifically regarding the origin of the enforcement directive and the sharing of traffic monitoring data. The three HOA boards and residents are committed to working collaboratively with Township leadership to resolve these issues.
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