Zoning can be complicated. We've broken down the facts so you can understand the proposed facility and what it could mean for your family and community.

Who Is Bright Feeds?

Bright Feeds is a food waste recycling company headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut. Founded in 2021, the company collects surplus food from manufacturers, distributors, grocery stores, and other commercial sources and processes it into livestock feed.

Today, Bright Feeds operates a processing facility in Berlin, Connecticut and has proposed expanding into Pennsylvania with a new facility at 4610 Bethlehem Pike in Hilltown Township.

The Proposed Hilltown Facility

According to project materials, the facility would receive hundreds of tons of commercial food waste each day, where the material would be sorted, processed, dried, and converted into livestock feed before being shipped to farms.

Potentially including chicken livers, meat scraps, spoiled dairy, rotten produce, expired food, and more…

Depending on the type and moisture content of the material, portions of the processing and drying cycle may take several days before the finished product is ready for shipment. During this time, large volumes of food waste are stored and handled inside the facility.

Odors can be generated as food begins to decompose and during handling, storage, and drying. Bright Feeds states that its facilities use enclosed processing, drying technology, and air pollution control equipment to reduce odors and emissions.

Despite these controls, residents living near Bright Feeds' Berlin, Connecticut facility have publicly reported persistent odors that they describe as affecting their quality of life, prompting complaints to local officials and investigations by Connecticut regulators.

Detailed engineering record plan for a land development project in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, showing property boundaries, building layouts, roads, parking areas, water features, and construction notes.

So Who Is Involved?

  • Bright Feeds

    Bright Feeds is the prospective tenant associated with the proposed manufacturing facility planned for 4610 Bethlehem Pike by property owner Fiddletree LLC. The company’s identity was not publicly disclosed during much of the initial planning process, with references to an unnamed prospective tenant and confidentiality agreements (NDAs) limiting public details. Bright Feeds’ involvement was later identified through publicly available EPA documents.

    Source

  • Fiddletree LLC

    Fiddletree LLC is the property owner and applicant behind the proposed development at 4610 Bethlehem Pike in Hilltown Township. Public records identify Fiddletree LLC as being headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. The company’s listed chief officer is local developer Robert D. Brink, with David Zeidenberg and Allison K. Brink listed as governors. Fiddletree LLC is responsible for advancing the proposed facility through the township’s land development review process.

    SOURCE

  • Robert D. Brink

    Robert D. Brink is the Chief Officer of Fiddletree LLC, the property owner and applicant behind the proposed development at 4610 Bethlehem Pike in Hilltown Township. Brink is also associated with several businesses in and around Perkasie, Pennsylvania, including Rams Pinthouse Restaurant, Pennridge Airport, and Pennridge Development, LLC, a company involved in industrial land development projects.

    Source

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Use our interactive map to explore the proposed impact area and learn what nearby residents should know.

📍 Proposed Facility

The proposed Bright Feeds industrial waste recycling facility at 4610 Bethlehem Pike.

📍 Daily Odor & Noise Impact Zone (3 Miles)

Residents within approximately 3 miles could experience strong noticeable odors during normal operations, depending on wind direction, weather conditions, and facility activity.

📍 Extended Odor Impact Zone (10 Miles)

During periods of clear weather and favorable winds, strong odors could potentially travel up to 10 miles from the proposed facility. Conditions vary based on weather, topography, and operations.

Lessons From Connecticut: A Community’s Experience With Bright Feeds

Listen to real experiences from residents (October 2024)

Bright Feeds began operating its Berlin facility in October 2022, processing large volumes of food waste into animal feed. Within its first years of operation, nearby residents began reporting concerns about strong odors and noise impacts from the facility. Source

In May 2024, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) inspectors documented nuisance odors from the facility, and DEEP issued a Notice of Violation. Additional inspections continued as regulators investigated community complaints. Source

By late 2024, residents were publicly describing odors that affected their ability to enjoy their homes and yards, while the Town of Berlin worked with state officials on odor and noise concerns. Source

In February 2026, Connecticut DEEP issued a consent order regarding Bright Feeds’ Berlin facility, documenting that the operation had produced nuisance odors and requiring compliance measures. Source

Bright Feeds has since been required to install additional odor-control equipment, including a regenerative thermal oxidizer, to address complaints. Source

Explore a collection of publicly available documents related to the proposed Bright Feeds facility, including project plans, engineering reports, permit applications, zoning filings, Right-to-Know request records, meeting materials, and news coverage from Bright Feeds' operations in other communities.

  • A detailed technical engineering plan for the Fiddletree Land Development Project in Buck County, Pennsylvania, showing site layout, measurements, and construction details.

    Hilltown Site Plan

    Submitted to Hilltown Township for 4610 Bethlehem Pike on April 2026 by Fiddletree LLC

  • A printed notice about a township zoning hearing meeting scheduled for June 3, 2026, at 7:00 pm at the Hilltown Township Municipal Building, with details about property and zoning requests, followed by contact information for the zoning hearing board.

    Appeal No. 2026-005

    Notice of Zoning Hearing Board meeting for Fiddletree LLC variance request:

    1) from Zoning Ordinance §160-26 Table of Performance Standards (Bulk and Area), which limits the height of a principal building to a maximum of 35 feet, in order to permit the construction of a 40-foot building; and

    2) from Zoning Ordinance §160-55, which limits the height of accessory structures to a maximum of 35 feet, in order to permit the construction of five storage units each with a maximum height of 40 feet.

  • "Project Patriot" Concerns from Planning Commission

    April 27, 2026 Hilltown Township BOS Meeting Minutes (pg. 2)

    Planning Commission members raised concerns regarding transparency surrounding the 4610 Bethlehem Pike development, including statements that project details could not be fully disclosed due to an NDA and references to a meeting involving a project identified as “Project Patriot.”

PRESENT

Explore the documents & timeline in depth

CANCELLED August 5, 2026 Zoning Hearing Board meeting scheduled to vote on approval / denial of Fiddletree site plan that would allow Bright Feeds.

4610 Bethlehem Pike
Site Plan

Review the site plan submitted by Fiddletree that was reviewed by the Hilltown Township Planning Commission during the April 6, 2026 meeting.

The Manufacturing (H1) site plan includes a 62,902 SF facility with:

  • ~5 silos (+35’ heigh)

  • 9 tractor-trailer loading docks

  • 27 passenger vehicle parking spaces

  • 2 scale stations

  • 1 screened dumpster area

Fiddletree LLC Amended Final Land Development Plan – 4610 Bethlehem Pike (April 2026)

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July 27, 2026 Board of Supervisors Meeting Residents requested clarification regarding the unnamed “prospective tenant” referenced in Fiddletree LLC’s prior plan documents; Township officials stated that tenant information could not be disclosed due to non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Planning Commission Approval

The Planning Commission reviewed the Fiddletree LLC Land Development Amended Final Plan for 4610 Bethlehem Pike, identified as a proposed manufacturing use, and discussed the applicant’s revised plans and project details as part of the ongoing review process.

Hilltown Township Planning Commission Meeting Minutes – April 6, 2026

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Planning Commission Concerns

The Board of Supervisors discussed the Fiddletree LLC development proposal for 4610 Bethlehem Pike, including concerns raised by the Planning Commission regarding project transparency, the applicant’s role and communications under the name “Project Patriot,” and the importance of clear disclosure during the land development review process.

Hilltown Township Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes – April 27, 2026

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Site Plan Changes for ‘New Mystery Tenant’

March 3, 2026 letter from Fiddletree LLC’s engineering firm, Wynn Associates Inc., outlining revisions to the original 4610 Bethlehem Pike site plan to accommodate the needs of a new, unnamed prospective tenant for the proposed manufacturing facility.

Fiddletree LLC Amended Plan Review Letter – March 3, 2026

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A prior Fiddletree LLC land development plan received conditional preliminary/final approval from the Hilltown Township Board of Supervisors on December 9, 2024, proposing a 62,720-square-foot manufacturing (H1) building, 37 passenger vehicle parking spaces, five tractor-trailer loading docks, and driveway access from Bethlehem Pike; however, the plan has not yet been recorded.

VICTORY!
Application Withdrawn

Fiddletree LLC withdrew its Zoning Hearing Board application (Appeal #2026-008) without prejudice, resulting in the cancellation of the scheduled August 5, 2026 Zoning Hearing and termination of the planned amendments that would allow Bright Feeds.

Hilltown Township Withdrawal Notice – July 31, 2026

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