Minutes of the Wilmington Township Planning Commission
Meeting of March 16, 2010
The meeting was convened at 8:00 p.m. at the Township Building.
Members present: William Allen; Frank Antoniazzi, chair; John M. Byler; Frederick Neikirk, secretary; and Lynn Williams.
Members absent: None.
Visitors: Rick Brumbaugh, Supervisor Dale Elder, Joe Knott, and Russell Zehner.
1. Secretary’s Report
a. The minutes of the meeting of February 16, 2010, were distributed.
It was moved, seconded, and carried that they be approved as presented.
b. Reported that he had notified the Supervisors of the pending Byler conditional use request and the
Supervisors have scheduled a meeting to consider the request (see 02/16/10, items 2,5).
c. Reported that he had sent the draft copy of the proposed “Noise Amendment” to the Supervisors and
Solicitor, along with the questions posed by the Commission (see 02/16/10, item 4). He also met informally
with the Supervisors at their request to discuss the proposal.
d. Reported that the Township Secretary does not have the revised application form for conditional
use applications for large farm based businesses. Lynn Williams will get this to the Township Secretary.
2. Messrs. Brumbaugh, Knott, and Zehner were present in support of the proposed Donald W. and Jane P. Moore Subdivision. This is a two lot subdivision located off Phillips School road in an area zoned R-2. The proposal is to transfer 6.989 acres from the Moore property to the Zehner property. The transferred land is intended to be a non-building lot. Thus, this is a lot-line adjustment. The application form and required payments have been received. The review letter from the County Planning Commission has been received. Because there are public sanitary sewers on this property no sewage planning modules are needed. (The Secretary confirmed this with the Township SEO.) Waivers are requested for location of the benchmark (2303.2.i), soil types and boundaries (2303.n), PA One Call Serial Number (2303.2.o), information on the driveway as it enters a township road (2303.2.p), and ground elevations (2303.1.g) because no activities are planned for the property that would require these pieces of information. It was noted that this property does not abut any township road, and thus, by itself, could not be a building lot.
It was moved, seconded, and carried to approve the requested waivers. It was moved, seconded, and carried to approve the requested subdivision. The Chairman and Secretary signed the mylar copy of the plan and one additional copy.
3. The request of John D. Byler for a conditional use to operate a large farm based business was before the Commission (see 02/16/10, items 2,5 for background). Mr. Byler’s application form and payment have been received. Mr. Byler is operating a hobby shop as a large farm based business. The building is 1400 sq ft. He did not fill in information regarding lot coverage, but given that he has 58 acres on the farm it was clear that these requirements were met. Nothing was stated about non-family employees, but those present who know Mr. Byler stated that he does not have non-family employees.
It was moved, seconded, and carried to approve the application as meeting all applicable conditions of the Ordinance, and to recommend the application to the Supervisors for their approval.
4. The proposed “Noise Ordinance” was before the Commission (see 02/16/10 for background). Communications had been received from two families expressing concern about the noise being generated by a farm based business. It was noted that this noise was a function of a recent addition and it is being addressed. The Secretary summarized concerns expressed by the Supervisors with regard to the proposal. Most of these reflected concerns already raised by the Commission. Mr. Elder expressed concerns about the proposal, and he stated that the Supervisors intend to address the issue of noise from dirt bikes by communicating directly with the parties using applicable pieces of the already existing ordinance. It was noted that the Commission had taken up this issue and developed this proposal at the request of the Supervisors. Since the Supervisors no longer favor this idea it seems moot. It was moved, seconded, and carried to table the matter.
5. The Secretary presented a draft Sign Ordinance (02/16/10, item 6). There was discussion of the draft. It was agreed that the Secretary should send a copy of the draft to the Solicitor for his input. The matter was docketed for the April meeting.
6. The Secretary reported that the Township SEO had notified him that the Pennsylvania DEP is mandating that all counties revise their stormwater ordinances. Such ordinances must be at least as restrictive as the model ordinance developed by DEP. Once Lawrence County adopts its revisions, the Township will either have to agree to abide by those provisions, or will have to develop its own revised ordinance that is at least as restrictive as that adopted by the County. The Secretary shared some of the provisions in the DEP model ordinance. These will be major changes and will very much impact building and development. The Chairman volunteered to contact state legislators to get addition information and to express concern.
There being no further business that could be accomplished at this meeting, the meeting was adjourned at 9:17 p.m.
Frederick R. Neikirk
Secretary