The Schuylkill Township Planning Commission held their regular meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at the Township Hall. Members of the Planning Commission present were Mr. William Brennan, Mr. Dan Keogh, and Ms. Jan Potts. Mr. Brennan advised that Mr. Jim Reading would be late and they could start the meeting however, could not vote on anything and must defer the approval of the minutes until Mr. Reading arrives and they have a quorum. John Sartor and Mary Lou Lowrie of Gilmore & Associates were present as well as Township Manager Mary Bird. Mr. Morris Quigg and Mr. Jack Claffey were not present.
EDC Properties, 1000 Township Line Rd. – Mr. Scott Rowland, owner of EDC Properties came before the Planning Commission to submit preliminary plans for a 14,000sq foot expansion to his current 10,000sq foot building. Mr. Rowland has previously presented the preliminary plans to the Planning Commission for their review and is now requesting that they approve the plan to be sent to Gilmore & Associates for engineering review. Mr. Brennan asked if he has permission from the Railroad to use the abandoned right of way as an access to his property. Mr. Rowland stated he does have written permission from the Railroad to use the access. Mr. Brennan advised Mr. Rowland that they will approve the plan for review once Mr. Reading arrives and they have a quorum.
Ratoskey & Trainor/Faggioli, 330 Pawling Rd. – Mr. Dave Faggioli, owner of 330 Pawling Road (the former “American Inks” buildings) and his business partner, Robert Ratoskey, came before the Planning Commission to present their proposal for the use of the property. Mr. Faggioli purchased the industrial property approximately 3 years ago without Phase 1. The 7 buildings housed the American Inks & Coatings Company. The buildings have been unoccupied for the past 2 years. Mr. Faggioli has removed all the piping, and removed all the hazardous waste that was left behind in underground sealed tanks. Mr. Faggioli advised that DEP has confirmed the site is clean and no further action in necessary. Currently the property is an existing non-conforming lot, zoned R-2 being used as M10 under County code. The lot is 80% impervious coverage with access from Pawling Road. Mr. Ratoskey & Mr. Faggioli are proposing a 56 unit multi-family housing development. The current industrial buildings would be demolished and 7 new buildings, each with 8 individual units, will be built. Each unit will consist of 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and be allotted 2 parking spaces which will be under each building on ground level. Total height will be 3 stories with 2 stories of living space. They want each unit to have a balcony overlooking the river and the buildings to have a Victorian/Modern look to them with a stucco/stone/brick façade. Each building will be 60’x90’, 5400sq feet each floor, approximately 1200sq feet for each unit. Mr. Brennan asked if they have considered age restricted housing. Mr. Ratoskey advised that it is not feasible to do restrictions. Since all units will only be 2 bedrooms, they are anticipating young professionals, parents with one child or older couples with grown children. Their plan will reduce the current impervious coverage on the property from 80% to a proposed 30%. Mr. Ratoskey advised that R-2 zoning does allow multi-family use. Mr. Sartor agreed it is allowed when permitted with conditional use. Mr. Ratoskey advised that all preliminary meet the requirements in Section 1904 of the Townships Zoning/Ordinance book. No zoning relief is being sought, as they are allowed up to 25% of building coverage and their plan only has 19% of building coverage. They are proposing to add to the trail system and would consider “giving back” whatever space is not used to the Township as open space and/or recreational use. They are also proposing a walk/bike path on Pawling Road bridge, barricaded from the travel lanes and will approach Penndot with that proposal. Mr. Faggioli has confirmed with Valley Forge Sewer that there is adequate capacity for EDU’s needed for this property. Ms. Potts asked if these units were going to be for sale or rented out. Mr. Ratoskey advised they looked into both but feel they are leaning towards sale of each unit within the $300k range. Mr. Brennan stated he was concerned about the heavy truck traffic in and out of the Valley Forge Sewer Plant and the lack of visibility. Mr. Lee Ledbetter, Supervisor and audience member, also expressed his concern about the added residential traffic to an already dangerous intersection. Mr. Faggioli advised he is aware that it is a difficult intersection and that he has had an engineer look at the line of site for the driveway on to Pawling Road. Mr. Faggioli feels one issue is that the Valley Forge Sewer driveway is too close to the railroad building. Mr. Ledbetter stated that it is his belief that the Sewer Authority at one time was going to put a traffic light in at that intersection, however did not. Mr. Ledbetter stated that Mr. Ratoskey and Mr. Faggioli should contact the Sewer Authority and try to come up with an agreement of splitting the cost of putting in a traffic light at the intersection to make it safer. They agreed to look into that. Mr. Brennan had concerns about the properties being close to the railroad tracks. Mr. Faggioli stated that it is an industrial use track, and that only 2-3 trains per day, if that, go through. There are no setback requirements from the property line to the railroad tracks. Mr. Ratoskey advised that there is a steep slope from the railroad tracks down to the property, so it would be difficult for a child to get to the train tracks from the property. Mr. Ratoskey stated they want to put some type of buffer between the property line and the tracks, either a fence or plantings. The property is very close to the 100 year floodplain line, as for one of the reasons for the elevated 1st floor. FEMA maps do show the property is in the overlay. Mr. Ratoskey advised that the elevated living spaces will take them out of the floodplain by 12 feet. Mr. Sartor advised that the township has floodplain hazard district setbacks, and advised them to have their engineer take a close look at whether or not they meet those setbacks. Mr. Brennan stated his concern is whether they are allowed to build if it is within a floodplain, that it may jeopardize the townships flood insurance. Mr. Ratoskey stated that there is a lot of building within the floodplain in Conshohocken, that he would look into that further. The general opinion of the Planning Commission is that this is a good sounding plan and advised Mr. Ratoskey to submit a sketch plan for Gilmore & Associates to review. Mr. Sartor requested that the sketch plan contain the 100 year flood plain elevations, site line distance from the driveway, and topography of the railroad track level to the property level.
APPROVAL OF APRIL 16, 2008 MINUTES – Mr. Jim Reading arrived at approximately 8:25pm. At 8:50pm, on motion made by Mr. Dan Keogh seconded by Mr. Bill Brennan and passed, the Planning Commission approved the minutes of the April 16, 2008 meeting.
Dr. Piskai, 1096 W. Bridge Street – Mr. John Diemer came before the Planning Commission to request a recommendation of their final plan to the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Diemer stated that Dr. Piskai has withdrawn his application waivers from 401C2 and 401D16 D1&2. Mr. Sartor advised the Planning Commission that there are no issues with these two waivers. The Board of Supervisors granted the waiver to not have curbing. A waiver for grading within 5 feet of a right of way is still needed. Mr. Sartor did recommend a waiver on that. Mr. Brennan moved for the Application to be approved subject to compliance with the April 22, 2008 engineering letter. Mr. Keogh seconded the motion. Motion approved to recommend plan to the Board of Supervisors.
Reeves Property – Mr. Wayne Leighton appeared before the Planning Commission on behalf of Pohlig Builders. Mr. Leighton pointed out an incorrect statement in the minutes of the April 16, 2008 Planning Commission meeting. Mr. Brennan stated that the Board has already approved the April 16, 2008 minutes therefore they cannot be changed. It was agreed by all parties that the minutes of this meeting, May 21, 2008, will reflect the following change: The sentence “They would rather have the alternate plan without waivers than the plan now with waivers, as waivers can be denied” was inverted through translation of the minutes. It should have stated that the current plan requests one waiver and the alternate plan requests additional waivers.
Mr. Leighton submitted a letter dated May 19, 2008 with an attached “matrix” outlining the issues that Pohlig feels are still outstanding from Gilmores’ review letter of 3/18/08 and with whom they are outstanding with. Mr. Leighton wanted to discuss the following eight outstanding issues with the Planning Commission members:
The Alternate T intersection plan requires a waiver seeking relief from Section 518D3 wherein no grading is to be done within five feet of a property line. A validity challenge of the ordinance is pending before the Zoning Hearing Board. The width of the cartway was discussed again and the Planning Commission recommended that 28’ is an appropriate cartway width. Mr. Leighton advised that they are looking to get a waiver to plant trees/shrubbery in the right of way, as the township ordinance does not allow any plantings in the right of way. They are looking to plant trees/shrubbery only along the main entranceway to the development. The homeowner would be responsible for maintaining these plantings. The trees would not only be aesthetically pleasing but would also serve as a buffer to the neighboring Dorchester Way development. Mr. Leighton stated that they would meet with the Townships’ EAC and plant whatever they recommend. Ms. Jan Potts and Mr. Dan Keogh stated they were agreeable to the plantings as long as they are approved by EAC and are slow growth small/medium trees.
Mr. Leighton advised the Planning Commission that they will be asking for a waiver from the 50ft rear yard setback from an easement for the lots. Mr. Leighton stated that the Township setback requirements are 15’ for a side yard and 50’ for a rear yard. Pohlig wants to use the setbacks for lots, not to increase the buildable area, but to allow for more flexibility in positioning the homes to create a better streetscape. Mr. Leighton gave Lots 4, 5 and 15 as examples, using Lot 15 as the best example. Aqua is ok with the plans to reduce the easement setbacks. The Planning Commission recommended that the setback to an easement be 15’.
Mr. Lee Ledbetter, Supervisor and audience member, stated that he has heard concerns from Dorchester Way residents that said Pohligs plans show that their stormwater runoff will be going directly into their development. He further stated that there are no stormwater management controls in the main entrance to the development. Mary Lou Lowrie of Gilmore & Associates stated that was not true, that there are stormwater management controls in the main entrance and that there will actually be less water draining into Dorchester Way than there is now. Mr. Jim Morrisson, Supervisor and audience member, questioned this also. He advised that with more paved surfaces, a downward slope into the culvert of Dorchester Way, how could there be less water. Mary Lou again stated that there will be less water. Mr. Morrisson, Mr. Ledbetter, Mary Lou Lowrie, and Mr. John Sartor agreed to set up a meeting where they can further discuss this issue about stormwater and the affect/non affect it will have on Dorchester Way residents.
Pending – No discussion – Exxon (Rt. 23 & Whitehorse Rd), Brackman Property, Magic Memories Daycare.
There being no further business for discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kimberly Yocom
Township Clerk
Next Meeting Wednesday June 18, 2008