At the Special Meeting of the North Whitehall Township Planning Comission on 12/4/2019 that specifically met to look at the former Strawberry Acres Waste Water Treatment Plant Proposal, the Planning Commission made no recommendation to the Township Supervisors by a vote of 3 against, 3 for and 1 abstain.
This is is a partial victory for the Township residents, as various speakers pointed out flaws with the developer's paperwork and other items, as persuaded three of the members that the proposed WWTP is not ready for Towship approval.
We will continue lobbying the Township Board of Supervisors on December 9, 2019 at 7:30pm at the North Whitehall Township Office to dis-allow the proposed plant until our concerns and comments are further considered by the applicant.
We recommend everyone interested attend the 12/9/2019 meeting of the Board of Supervisors to share their concerns.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Report from the 11/26/2019 Planning Commission Mtg & Updated, Important Dates
The Waste Water Treatment Plant Conditional Use Proposal for the Over 55 Development of Strawberry Acres was scheduled to be discussed at the 11/26/2019 Planning Commission meeting. However, due to other items on the agenda, the meeting went long, and a continuance of the meeting just for the WWTP Conditional Use has been scheduled for Wednesday December 4, 2019 at 7:30pm. The meeting will take place at the North Whitehall Township Building.
The Proposal will then be discussed at the Supervisors Meeting on 12/9/2019, at 7:00pm; this meeting also takes place at the North Whitehall Township Meeting.
On another note, the item that took up much of the Planning Commission meeting tonight was North Valley Trade Center Land Development, a set of proposed warehouses between Locust Drive and Park View Drive, east of Independence Drive. Due to these warehouses, the developers are estimating an average of 800 trucks a day, plus 700 cars will add to the normal traffic on and around 309. They have are trying to say that this increase of traffic on 309 will have no impact on traffic. This is not true. These warehouses would have a significant impact on the traffic of 309, especially during peak hours when school buses are running out Orefield Middle School, and near Ironton and Schnecksville Elementary Schools. This use was approved by the Planning Commission and will be in front of the Supervisors Meeting on 1/6/2020 at 7:30pm - if you're concerned for traffic flow, traffic safety, and the school kids on all the buses impacted by lengthened bus routes let the Supervisors know then!
The Proposal will then be discussed at the Supervisors Meeting on 12/9/2019, at 7:00pm; this meeting also takes place at the North Whitehall Township Meeting.
On another note, the item that took up much of the Planning Commission meeting tonight was North Valley Trade Center Land Development, a set of proposed warehouses between Locust Drive and Park View Drive, east of Independence Drive. Due to these warehouses, the developers are estimating an average of 800 trucks a day, plus 700 cars will add to the normal traffic on and around 309. They have are trying to say that this increase of traffic on 309 will have no impact on traffic. This is not true. These warehouses would have a significant impact on the traffic of 309, especially during peak hours when school buses are running out Orefield Middle School, and near Ironton and Schnecksville Elementary Schools. This use was approved by the Planning Commission and will be in front of the Supervisors Meeting on 1/6/2020 at 7:30pm - if you're concerned for traffic flow, traffic safety, and the school kids on all the buses impacted by lengthened bus routes let the Supervisors know then!
Monday, November 18, 2019
Over 55 Community, try 2019
The property owner of the former Strawberry Acres has submitted a Waste Water Treatment Plant Proposal to North Whitehall Township. This facility is the first step in another attempt to develop the former Strawberry Acres into an Over 55 Community.
We cannot stop the developer from developing his property. We can make sure that it is developed only within North Whitehall Township ordinances and in a way that has the least impact on our quality of life and home value. That is what we intend to do.
Laurel Wood resident Tom VanVreede has thoroughly reviewed the most recent WWTP Proposal and found many inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and potential problems. He will make a presentation to the Planning Commission on 11/26/2019 regarding his concerns. The meeting starts at 7:30pm. Please come to show your support for the Laurel Wood neighborhood, and to learn more about the proposal and its impact.
Also, the developer is holding an open house at Strawberry Acres from noon to 2pm on Saturday November 23. His flyer states his desire to present his vision for development, and that the public and neighbors are welcome; however the flyers were only distributed to a limited area.
Please contact friends.laurelwood@gmail.com for further information.
We cannot stop the developer from developing his property. We can make sure that it is developed only within North Whitehall Township ordinances and in a way that has the least impact on our quality of life and home value. That is what we intend to do.
Laurel Wood resident Tom VanVreede has thoroughly reviewed the most recent WWTP Proposal and found many inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and potential problems. He will make a presentation to the Planning Commission on 11/26/2019 regarding his concerns. The meeting starts at 7:30pm. Please come to show your support for the Laurel Wood neighborhood, and to learn more about the proposal and its impact.
Also, the developer is holding an open house at Strawberry Acres from noon to 2pm on Saturday November 23. His flyer states his desire to present his vision for development, and that the public and neighbors are welcome; however the flyers were only distributed to a limited area.
Please contact friends.laurelwood@gmail.com for further information.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Success! North Whitehall Approves Ordinance Changes
SUCCESS!
The North Whitehall Township Board of Supervisors has passed a change to ordinance 2006-2 that controls building of Over 55 Retirement Communities within the Township. The stated intention of the changes listed below is to make the retirement communities more closely reflect the existing communities in the township, and to promote the development of the communities in areas with existing higher density neighborhoods instead in the more rural areas of the township.
What these mean to us is that if an Over 55 development is constructed in the portion of Strawberry Acres adjacent to our development it will contain fewer houses, spaced further apart, and built only on portions of the site that has less than 25% slopes. This coupled with the Township’s firm stand that drip style waste disposal systems are not allowed within the existing ordinances (resulting in the need to build and maintain through a Municipal Authority a very costly full sewage treatment plant) that the financial cost/benefit of such a development will not be attractive to developers.
I know that this result falls short of a desire to completely ban these types of development in rural areas of the Township, but this is realistically the best outcome we could expect. Federal rules under the Fair Housing considerations require that all townships allow Retirement Communities that fit within the character of the overall community. These changes update the existing ordinance to require that such a community respect and reflect the type of existing houses, and the open widely spaced character of our rural area.
The organization board will be meeting shortly to develop recommendations about our activities in the future. Please contact Lynn Allen, Heather Skorinko or Tom VanVreede if you have any suggestions. Or hold the suggestions until we organize an organization group meeting to discuss or future. One thing I feel strongly that we will need to do is to completely pay off the money we owe the lawyer, and suspend our relationship with him unless a new development proposal is filed that requests variances form the updated ordinance.
Thanks you all for your participation!
The North Whitehall Township Board of Supervisors has passed a change to ordinance 2006-2 that controls building of Over 55 Retirement Communities within the Township. The stated intention of the changes listed below is to make the retirement communities more closely reflect the existing communities in the township, and to promote the development of the communities in areas with existing higher density neighborhoods instead in the more rural areas of the township.
What these mean to us is that if an Over 55 development is constructed in the portion of Strawberry Acres adjacent to our development it will contain fewer houses, spaced further apart, and built only on portions of the site that has less than 25% slopes. This coupled with the Township’s firm stand that drip style waste disposal systems are not allowed within the existing ordinances (resulting in the need to build and maintain through a Municipal Authority a very costly full sewage treatment plant) that the financial cost/benefit of such a development will not be attractive to developers.
I know that this result falls short of a desire to completely ban these types of development in rural areas of the Township, but this is realistically the best outcome we could expect. Federal rules under the Fair Housing considerations require that all townships allow Retirement Communities that fit within the character of the overall community. These changes update the existing ordinance to require that such a community respect and reflect the type of existing houses, and the open widely spaced character of our rural area.
The organization board will be meeting shortly to develop recommendations about our activities in the future. Please contact Lynn Allen, Heather Skorinko or Tom VanVreede if you have any suggestions. Or hold the suggestions until we organize an organization group meeting to discuss or future. One thing I feel strongly that we will need to do is to completely pay off the money we owe the lawyer, and suspend our relationship with him unless a new development proposal is filed that requests variances form the updated ordinance.
Thanks you all for your participation!
Relevant Sections of Ordinance 2006-2 Changes
NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP CHANGES APPROVED TO ORDINANCE 2006-2 AT THE NOVEMBER 7,2016 NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS MEETING AS ORDINANCE 2016-3
Section (k)
· Storm Water retention/detention areas shall be subtracted from the gross site area considered for maximum density.
· Slopes from 15% to 25% = 2 units per acre
· slopes exceeding 25% = 0 units.
Section (n)
· 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.
Section (u)
· An censes of the residents age shall be conducted yearly and included in the yearly audit report submitted by the homeowners association to the Township
Section (k)
· Storm Water retention/detention areas shall be subtracted from the gross site area considered for maximum density.
· Slopes from 15% to 25% = 2 units per acre
· slopes exceeding 25% = 0 units.
Section (n)
· 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.
Section (u)
· An censes of the residents age shall be conducted yearly and included in the yearly audit report submitted by the homeowners association to the Township
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Great News - Attend the Meeting to Help!
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!
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!
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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