MIDDLESEX TWP — The township supervisors will consider a Route 228 zoning overlay district that the planning commission feels will attract a variety of developments.

The commission is recommending zoning changes along the well-traveled road that would attract single-family and multifamily housing, along with commercial buildings that could reach five stories.

The township planning commission met on Tuesday night, when they approved recommending the latest version of the overlay for approval by supervisors.

The overlay is meant to supersede the zoning in place where the new Route 228 will be built in 2021.

PennDOT’s $24 million project would dip south of Allemande Drive as it crosses Harbison Road to eliminate the sweeping curve there.

The new route would then eliminate Balls Bend and reconnect with Route 228 on the western end of the bend.

The supervisors at their September meeting heard township solicitor Mike Hnath report that the planning commission was considering an overlay version that would have only commercial and single-family uses.

The planning commission, Hnath told the supervisors, also wished to raise the building height from the current maximum of 36 feet to 60 feet to allow for five-story buildings in the overlay district.

Planning commission chairman Al Terek said last week that the maximum height of 36 feet was set several years ago to accommodate the volunteer fire company’s equipment, which could not reach higher than that.

But the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Company, Terek said, now has a 50-foot aerial tower and several surrounding departments have aerial equipment that can reach 100 feet or more.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the planning commission members said the version they prefer will include the 60-foot building heights because it will allow for office buildings and other uses for taller buildings.

Planning commission member Alex Wing said several five-story office buildings along Route 228 in Seven Fields are very successful, and not far from the Middlesex portion of Route 228.

“It would be nice to have some business commercial,” Wing said.

Hnath suggested at the September supervisors meeting that the three supervisors think about the issue and give township manager Travis Cavanaugh their opinion on building height and multifamily housing before Tuesday’s planning commission meeting to give the commission members some direction.

The supervisors at their September meeting wondered why no multifamily housing was included in the overlay.

“I always thought townhomes are a good break (between residential and commercial buildings),” said Mike Spreng, supervisors chairman, at the September meeting.

Regarding adding multifamily homes to the use, the planning commission members said it would be placed between the commercial development abutting Route 228 and the overlay’s single-family home section, and would be a conditional use.

“(The supervisors) want to keep that option open down the road,” said Cavanaugh.

The commission voted unanimously to recommend supervisors approve the overlay district with a maximum building height of 60 feet and with multifamily homes allowable as a conditional use between the commercial and single-family uses.

The supervisors will vote to approve or deny the overlay district at an upcoming township meeting. They meet at 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the township building on Browns Hill Road.