Approval with 31 Conditions Is Not the End of the Process
October 21, 2026 Council Vote
Middletown Township Council voted to approve Rose Tree Media School District's (RTMSD) preliminary land development plan for a $92.5+ million, 125,670 sq. ft., 820 capacity regional Kindergarten & 1st Grade Center on a on a 15.7 acre site & a Multi-Sport Complex on Rose Tree Road & Route 352. A reverse subdivision, joining the proposed “K-1” parcel with Penncrest is requested.
The planned "K-1 Center" would serve three distinct student populations.
Children ages 5–7 Kindergarten & first-grade learners.
Students ages 18–21 receiving Life Skills Training.
High school students, grades 9–12, in autistic support programs.
The second land development project included in the application is phase 1 of a Multi-Sport Complex including removing the natural grass on 2 athletic fields & installing artificial turf, paving another field to make a parking lot, adding a concession stand & dug out.
The full plan calls for seeking lights, bleachers and retaining wall, concession stand, bathrooms, storage facilities, paved driving paths, removable fencing, maintenance contract, batting cages, and dugouts.
An Entertaining Meeting Moment
The traffic challenge: The district's Transportation Impact Study estimates 1,861 weekday vehicle trips & 308 parent vehicles arriving during the AM peak hour.
A condition calls for the district to provide an incentive for parents to use school buses.
The district questioned what an “incentive” would mean, raising the example of student stickers & sticker books.
Council indicated that something more substantial was expected for the proposed "K-1" & all the district schools. The district asked whether the Township would pay for it; the Township declined.
The discussion was tabled, leaving the nature of the incentive unresolved.
Despite substantive questions remaining unanswered & overwhelming resident comment in opposition, there was no discussion at the October 21, 2026 meeting about the vehicle queue, traffic circulation, or the consequences to the environment & surrounding community.