A meeting of the Sadsbury Township Planning Commission was held on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 in the Sadsbury Township Municipal Building.
Present: Ms. Jane Heineman, Mr. Timothy Sarbaum, Mr. Ronald Yen, Mr. Simon Jessey, and Supervisor Liaison Mr. John Moore.
Absent: Mr. John Lymberis.
Ms. Heineman called the meeting to order at 7:12pm, and the moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance were waived.
Ms. Heineman made a motion, seconded by Mr. Sarbaum, to approve and adopt the minutes of the meeting held on May 15, 2019. With no amendments or questions, the motion passed unanimously.
After review by the Commission, Ms. Heineman made a motion to recommend approval of the Final Subdivision Plan for Isaac Lapp on Skiles Road, seconded by Mr. Sarbaum, subject to the following conditions:
- The cover sheet will need to include a Certification for Approval signature block for Sadsbury Township.
- It is requested that the plans contain a note that stipulates that West Caln Township will be responsible for the review, approval and inspection of the stormwater management facility, noted as Infiltration Bed #2, which will manage the runoff from the proposed improvements in West Caln Township, but are situated within Sadsbury Township.
- Documentation that the applicant has notified the adjacent, downstream land owner of the proposed improvements, in accordance with the provisions of Section 301G of the West Caln Stormwater Management Ordinance is requested to be provided.
With no amendments or questions, the motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Randy White for Sadsbury Associates, appeared before the Commission seeking to respond to a review letter from Township engineer James W. MacCombie relating to the proposed Sadsbury Square development. The Commission had not been given enough time to review Mr. MacCombie’s letter prior to the meeting. The chief area of concern was how the required “open space” should be calculated, with Mr. MacCombie indicating that open space should be calculated based on each parcel of land in order to comply with the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance requirements, instead of making the calculation based on the three parcels of land being considered as a single tract. Another area of concern was whether a walking trail running through the wetlands on the proposed open space would be a satisfactory alternative to a sidewalk running down the length of Lincoln Highway. Members of the Commission expressed concern that the walking trail would be impassable during the winter months, difficult to maintain, and likely not navigable by people with physical impairments. A bridge would presumably be needed. Other issues included the number of proposed parking spaces and their locations, and the elimination of a proposed sidewalk running through part of the property.
Ms. Heineman made a motion, seconded by Mr. Jessey, to recommend the adoption of the proposed amendments to the Sadsbury Township Zoning Ordinance and the Sadsbury Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. With no amendments or questions, the motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Heineman informed the members that Ms. Judith Klingman had resigned from the Commission in advance of moving away from the Township, and that the Supervisors would be seeking to fill the vacant slot.
Ms. Heineman made a statement, supported unanimously, expressing the need for the Township to deliver any and all review letters, plans, copies of the minutes from the previous month, and other material required to conduct a Planning Commission meeting to the homes of each of the Commission members, unless a member has a prior arrangement to collect such material and has been notified of its availability. Such material should be conveyed in a timely manner, giving the Commission a chance to review the content prior to the meeting.
With there being no further announcements or public comment, Ms. Heineman made a motion, seconded by Mr. Jessey, to adjourn the meeting at 8:25pm. With there being no further questions, the motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted by Simon Jessey
