EAST MARLBOROUGH TOWNSHIP

PLANNING COMMISSION

MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 1, 2005

Mark Benzel, chairperson, called the meeting to order at 7:35pm in the township building. Additional commissioners present were MaryNell Ferry and Chris Kimmel.

There is no quorum.

1. The minutes of the December 28, 2004 meeting were reviewed. A correction was noted in           item 4. Chartwell – 77 Towns, corrected to Town Homes. Minutes received with change.

2. Welling Estate – Requesting final approval. Eddie Caudill provided commissioners with a    Preliminary Final Subdivision Plan. Commissioners reviewed the letter dated January 7,    2005 from William Fulton, Executive Director of the County of Chester Planning       Commission and the letter dated January 24, 2005 from James Hatfield, Township             Engineer of Vandemark & Lynch, Inc. All the requests by township engineer, Jim          Hatfield, have been met. The Planning Commission has no objections to Mr. Caudill’s     request and advised Mr. Caudill to continue with his request before the township      supervisors.

3. Chartwell – Final Plan Review – No representation present.

4. Wawa – Final Plan review – No representation present.

5. Ordinances:

            A. 05-01 – Amending the Zoning Ordinance for signage, tree preservation, landscaping,            definitions

            Two typos were noted for correction: Page 3 item N. 4^th line at the end – or should be of

                                                             Page 3 item S. 4^th line at the end – works should be words

                        The commissioners noted the following:

                        1. The need for a regulation requiring the removal of temporary signage within

                        a reasonable time from the end of the event.

                        2. Page 4, Section 3, item H – need to define more clearly direct and indirect

                        illumination

                        3. Are tourist attraction signs regulated in this ordinance, such as Herr’s and

                        Longwood, signs placed by the state?

            Page 5, section 7 – “Specimen Tree” A need for more definition of what is considered                                                            a specimen tree. Who makes these decisions? Need to designate                                                           the party that makes these determinations.

                                                “Acreage, Adjusted, Adjusted Acre or Adjusted Lot Area”

                                                IV – Concern about the restrictiveness of that inclusion based on                                                           the definition of specimen tree as discussed above.

                                                V – 50% restrictiveness concerns, potentially too restrictive of                                                   property owner’s rights, particularly for small property owner as                                                            major portion could be wooded. More information needed on how                                                     this section compares with surrounding principalities.

            Page 6, section 9, item C – 1  An expensive requirement for the small property owner.

                                                Request a provision for waiving this requirement if excessively                                                    burdensome.

            Page 7, section 9, item C – 4-d  Requirement to fence off areas around protected trees to                                                                     keep equipment operators away

.

The commissioners forward this ordinance to the township supervisors for review and request that the above comments be taken into consideration. No quorum present, no objections expressed by those in attendance.

            B. 05-02 – Regulating open cutting of township roads

            Section 3.  line 2 – (Insert phrase in bold type) The amount and length of time held to             be determined by the township engineer.

            Section 7. D. – line 3 – (Insert wording in bold type) Anything cut over twelve (12)       inches wide will be deemed an open cut or trench and will require the entire road            width to be repaved, as in A, B, or C.

The commissioners forward this ordinance to the township supervisors for review and request that the above comments be taken into consideration. No quorum present, no objections expressed by those in attendance.

            C. 05-03 – Emergency communication system for commercial buildings

The commissioners forward this ordinance to the township supervisors for review. No quorum present, no objections expressed by those in attendance.

6. Land Development/Subdivision Plan Review Schedule

             The commissioners give approval to the schedule. In addition to the plan review the commissioners request that a log be compiled indicating each active project/application. This status record should show each stage completed for each item and stages yet to be completed.

Adjournment 9:45pm

Respectfully submitted,

Ruth Plaugher, secretary