Friends of Laurel Wood have some great news - North Whitehall Township has proposed changes to the Senior Neighborhood ordinance that would make it more difficult to construct a development on the proposed Strawberry Acres tract!
Want to help us make this proposed changes permanent? Please show your support by attending the planning meeting on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 7:30pm at the Township Building.
Some background:
For the last several years, we've been asking North Whitehall Township to disallow zoning changes requested by the Developer of a proposed senior living community on the former Strawberry Acres property. The zoning allowances did not happen and we are now asking for permanent changes to the zoning laws. North Whitehall has taken the first steps to make the zoning requirements for such a development more stringent. I believe that under these changes the proposed Strawberry Acres development would need to be severely reduced if it could be built at all on the current track.
Township Councilman Steve Pany proposed at the October meeting that the Township revise the current ordinance which regulates Senior Developments. The Supervisors agreed that changes should be considered and directed Mr. Pany to develop a proposal to be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning committees prior to their final consideration. After the meeting I provided Mr. Pany with a copy of the proposed changes our group submitted to the Township earlier in the year. The resulting Township proposal will be discussed at the Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday October 25 at 7:30 in the Township building which reflects most of the content of our proposal.
These changes will be a significant success if this is approved and incorporated into the Township’s regulations. As such, please attend the meeting to show your support.
In addition, I need to remind all members that we still owe the Lawyers about $600, please join me in contributing to pay this obligation.
Want more information on the proposed changes? Do so here!
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Active Adult Residential Facility Zoning Ordinance - Proposed and Suggested changes
All information as of 10/18/2016
This is what Friends of Laurel Wood suggested as changes to the Active Adult Residential Facility Zoning Ordinance
Changes to Section (k)
The maximum density shall be three units per net acre. Areas occupied by recreational uses, buildings, wooded areas, rights-of-way for future internal streets and sidewalks, buffer areas open space areas, and storm water retention/detention pond areas of the tract within the Zoning District (remove the word “not”) shall be deleted from the total lot area for the purpose of determining maximum density. Existing right-of-way for existing public streets, futures street rights-of-way abutting existing streets that are required for dedication, areas within the 100 year flood plain per official FEMA/FIA maps, areas with a natural slope great than 15 percent coving a contiguous area of one acre or greater, and areas with overhead electric or other overhead utility rights-of-way or easements shall also be subtracted from the gross area considered for the maximum density calculation. Slopes, measured covering a contiguous area of one acre or greater shall effect the maximum density as follows:
Slopes 0% up to and including 15% = 3 units per acre
Slopes over 15% up to and including 25% = 2 units
Slopes over 25% up to and including 35% = 1 unit
Slopes over 35% = 0 (zero) units
Changes/additions to Section (h)
Characteristics of Public Sewage Services
*No existing homes adjacent to the Active Adult Residential Facility shall be required to connect to the Public Sewer Services as long as the existing waste facility meets current requirements.
*The facility shall be constructed with a set back of a minimum of 200 feet from the lot line of the nearest property.
*The facility shall have landscaping that obstructs direct views of the facilities/equipment on all sides.
*Detailed physical sewage plans shall be submitted as part of the initial plans submitted to the Planning Commission.
*Discharge from the Sewage Treatment Facility to passive waterways may not be greater than 10% of the 3 year average minimum flow of that waterway prior to the construction of the facility.
*The odor resulting from any sewage treatment facility can not be deemed objectionable at any adjoining or nearby properties.
* As in keeping with the surrounding community, trash collection shall be on an individual unit basis. No dumpsters shall be allowed.
Here is what North Whitehall Township is considering as changes
Ordinance 2006-2 proposed text amendments
Section(k)
1. Storm Water retention/detention areas shall be subtracted from the gross site area considered for maximum density.
2. Slopes from 15% to 25% = 2 units per acre slopes exceeding 25% = 0 units.
Section (n)
1. The minimum separation distance between walls of buildings: (1) 20 feet between sides of buildings.
Section (h)
Sewage service from any on-lot or off-site community system is prohibited.
This is what Friends of Laurel Wood suggested as changes to the Active Adult Residential Facility Zoning Ordinance
Changes to Section (k)
The maximum density shall be three units per net acre. Areas occupied by recreational uses, buildings, wooded areas, rights-of-way for future internal streets and sidewalks, buffer areas open space areas, and storm water retention/detention pond areas of the tract within the Zoning District (remove the word “not”) shall be deleted from the total lot area for the purpose of determining maximum density. Existing right-of-way for existing public streets, futures street rights-of-way abutting existing streets that are required for dedication, areas within the 100 year flood plain per official FEMA/FIA maps, areas with a natural slope great than 15 percent coving a contiguous area of one acre or greater, and areas with overhead electric or other overhead utility rights-of-way or easements shall also be subtracted from the gross area considered for the maximum density calculation. Slopes, measured covering a contiguous area of one acre or greater shall effect the maximum density as follows:
Slopes 0% up to and including 15% = 3 units per acre
Slopes over 15% up to and including 25% = 2 units
Slopes over 25% up to and including 35% = 1 unit
Slopes over 35% = 0 (zero) units
Changes/additions to Section (h)
Characteristics of Public Sewage Services
*No existing homes adjacent to the Active Adult Residential Facility shall be required to connect to the Public Sewer Services as long as the existing waste facility meets current requirements.
*The facility shall be constructed with a set back of a minimum of 200 feet from the lot line of the nearest property.
*The facility shall have landscaping that obstructs direct views of the facilities/equipment on all sides.
*Detailed physical sewage plans shall be submitted as part of the initial plans submitted to the Planning Commission.
*Discharge from the Sewage Treatment Facility to passive waterways may not be greater than 10% of the 3 year average minimum flow of that waterway prior to the construction of the facility.
*The odor resulting from any sewage treatment facility can not be deemed objectionable at any adjoining or nearby properties.
* As in keeping with the surrounding community, trash collection shall be on an individual unit basis. No dumpsters shall be allowed.
Here is what North Whitehall Township is considering as changes
Ordinance 2006-2 proposed text amendments
Section(k)
1. Storm Water retention/detention areas shall be subtracted from the gross site area considered for maximum density.
2. Slopes from 15% to 25% = 2 units per acre slopes exceeding 25% = 0 units.
Section (n)
1. The minimum separation distance between walls of buildings: (1) 20 feet between sides of buildings.
Section (h)
Sewage service from any on-lot or off-site community system is prohibited.
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