Valley Township Planning Commission August 9, 2016 Draft Minutes Package All information contained herein is unofficial until officially accepted as accurate by the Valley Township Planning Commission Note that only the official signed minutes contain all exhibits. Refer to the Secretary for official filing of the full package of minutes Prepared by Leslie Siebert, Secretary
VALLEY TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meeting Minutes for August 9, 2016 Unofficial Until Approved Call to Order Chair Mr. Porter called the regular Planning Commission Meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. on August 9, 2016, in the Valley Township Municipal Building Meeting Room. The Chair reminded attendees that there is a standing rule limiting discussion to 45 minutes per plan review each meeting. We appreciate everyone s cooperation. Members present were: Mr. Denny Bement Mr. Bruce Manning Mr. David Porter Mr. Ed Rasiul (Representing Pennoni Associates) Absent: Mr. Charles Bruce, Mr. Jonathan Egger Others present: Mr. Robert Glisson, Township Manager; Kathy O Doherty, Township Supervisor Agenda Items 1. Review and approval of Minutes for July 12, 2016 2. Remarks on actions of the Board of Supervisors (BOS) 3. Remarks on actions of Planning Commission Chair 4. Old Business 5. New Business 6. Other 7. Adjournment 1. Review and approval of Minutes for July 12, 2016 Motion M81601 to approve the July 12, 2016 meeting minutes was made by Mr. Manning, seconded by Mr. Bement. All in favor. None opposed. The motion carried. 2. Remarks on actions of the Board of Supervisors None 3. Remarks on actions of Planning Commission Chair None
Motion M81602 to take the agenda out of order to accommodate Mr. Brower was made by Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. Manning. All in favor. None opposed. The motion carried. 4. New Business Preliminary Review of New Township Building Land Development Plan - 1145 West Lincoln Highway a. NPDES Act 14 Permit Application b. Preliminary/Final Land Development Plan Review Memo issued by Pennoni Mr. Adam Brower presented the Land Development Plan, along with Martin Kimmel, from Kimmel-Bogrette, Architects. The existing driveway will be widened to accommodate additional traffic, residents, and visitors. The plan has been refined. The proposed western access drive will be 15 feet wide, for one-way only access due to the poor sight distance issue on Lincoln Highway and close proximity to future access drive to Valley Suburban Square, which already has an HOP. About 150 feet of the westerly access drive will need to be removed once the Valley Suburban Square access drive is constructed. Two access drives, sidewalks, and curbing are proposed around parking areas. A separate maintenance drive will go back to the garage, with authorized access only. PennDOT permits are needed for all drives. A waiver is sought from the equipment to provide curbs. There was some discussion that followed around curbing/not curbing from both environmental and financial standpoints. The Chester County Conservation District (CCCD) takes 4 months to review and issue an NPDES permit. The design engineer understands the township s timeline, hoping for this construction season. Obtaining an NPDES permit will be a challenge due to challenges with stormwater management. Additional parking spaces requested would be reserved for proposed use of the farmhouse, in a future phase. Mr. Bement asked about the township taking over the access road through the adjacent Valley Suburban Square development or acquiring an easement? Mr Porter advised that this would add a significant cost to the Township under this project, whereas the access drive would be constructed at the cost and expense of the developer of Valley Suburban Square and could be dedicated to the Township. Of course, the timing does not appear to line up. Architect Mr. Kimmel responded that the existing access drive to the site, which is proposed to be widened as part of this development is not the sole ingress and egress, but would be two-way for the police and fire. Mr. Glisson advised that the widest truck in Valley Township s Public Works fleet is 96. Going to the Pennoni Memo dated August 8, 2016, the design engineer commented that the zoning is easily resolved. Landscaping ten percent of the total area of the parking lot is not a problem. Buffering will be provided by a 25 foot green space along the western boundary. Mr. Brower offered that deferring buffering, until it is determined what will be on the adjacent property in the future (e.g. residential) could save the Township money.
The stormwater management plan: the existing basin is to be modified to include a subsurface system, to avoid sewer, water and gas lines. For volume control, the parking area goes to the basin. Members are recommending porous paving, which is proposed as a Best Practice Management (BMP); need to keep the surface material limited. Mr. Porter asked whether there is a band of wetlands in the middle of the site. Mr. Brower is not sure, as it is difficult to tell at this point in the year. It was bone dry from observation an hour ago. Mr. Brower speculated that the plans may indicate this from the prior development of the Township Garage and Salt Shed. With a discussion about sidewalks, they are preferred for a shaded area, and paved walking system. There is a lot of frontage. There will not be an immediate need, but the design engineer was requested to put in the plan for proposed future use. Mr. Bement and Mr. Manning are in favor of setting an example for future development in the township. Mr Porter preferred the material to be concrete rather than asphalt. Mr. Kimmel agreed to wait until it makes sense to do it. Mr. Glisson added that often there is deterioration with sidewalks to nowhere. Mr. Glisson also noted that from a cost and maintenance standpoint it makes sense to commit to providing sidewalks but to allow the Township the flexibility to provide them at an appropriate time. Mr. Rasiul asked whether the sewage modules and third party approvals were submitted? Ms O Doherty asked how many waivers are requested at this point? The response was three: from the requirement to provide curbing on the drive, driveway width, and to allow a combined preliminary/final plan. There were no further questions from members. 5. Old Business 1. Review of Terry Funeral Home a. Preliminary/Final Land Development Plan Review #2 b. Waiver Applications The applicant was not present. Mr. Porter referred to the July 28, 2016, Pennoni letter included in the packet. Mr. Rasiul did not do a full review of the waivers as they were received a day prior the the PC meeting. The proposed plan has been discussed in detail in previous meetings. Some Planning Commission members completed a site walk on Saturday, July 16, 2016. There is an end wall in the middle of the site that receives drainage from St. George Street and conveys the drainage across Lincoln Highway. A spring house was speculated to contribute flow to the inlet at the corner of St. George Street and Lincoln Highway and may or may not have been discharging to the inlet. No flow was observed at the time of the site walk. Large drainage ditch observed along the easterly property line appears to meander on and off the subject property. This is the area of concern related to one of the waiver requests.
The applicant would like to have a recommendation for two waivers: Section 306.2 for the combining the two-step process for a preliminary and final plan application; and 402.C to provide existing contour data and features within 200 feet of the subject property. It is pretty straight forward on the first. CCCD as well as the township had concerns about drainage onto the adjacent property to the east. Limited topography is shown on the plan in this area. It was proposed to add a condition on to the waiver request to provide sufficient topography subject to the township engineer s satisfaction. Mr. Rasiul highlighted the items in the letter that Mr Ellis suggested the PC pay close attention to: 1, 11, 12, 15, 19, 23, 24, & 26. Motion M81603 was made to make a recommendation to the BOS to approve the waiver request from Section 306.2 which requires separate Preliminary and Final Plans, to allow the preliminary and final plan applications to proceed concurrently was made by Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. Manning. All in favor. None opposed. The motion carried. Motion M81604 was made to recommend to the BOS to approve the waiver request from Section 402.C which requires existing contour data and features within 200 feet of property be provided on the plan, to allow the applicant to provide contour data and existing features in enough proximity of the property to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer in order to adequately evaluate the stormwater management plan for the project, was made by Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. Bement. All in favor. None opposed. The motion carried. Mr. Porter summarized that the next step is to look for a response letter from the applicant, and see updates at the next meeting. With the time extension expiring on August 27th, the last opportunity for the BOS to take action on the plan will be at their next meeting on August 16th. The applicant is ideally looking for conditional recommendation for approval at the September PC meeting. Another 90-day extension would set the expiration date for the plan as November 25, 2016. Motion M81605 to recommend to the BOS approval of a 90 day extension, subject to the applicant granting the extension in writing, was made by Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. Bement. All in favor. None opposed. The motion passed. 2. Floodplain Ordinance Update Mr. Porter deferred to Mr. Rasiul. Mr. Rasiul explained that Mr. Ellis attended a meeting on July 22, 2016 with FEMA, and CCWA. A consultant for PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) went over different ways to update the ordinances in Chester County. One option is that DCED will do all the work if you use the model they are recommending. There are administrative questions to answer such as how restrictive the township wants to be. The other option is to take the township s existing ordinance, revise it to meet or exceed the model ordinance and submit it for review. Chester County Planning Commission hopes that they are already in the Zoning Ordinance update. Chester County municipalities have to have this done by June, 2017. Mr. Bement offered, in a nutshell, we are better off using the model. Mr. Rasiul encouraged members to review the model ordinance in the code book. Mr. Ellis also has this. Mr. Porter agrees to move forward with the model ordinance. Mr. Glisson also agreed.
6. Other Mr. Porter will present the Planning Commission update at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on August 16th. Mr. Bement in September. Mr. Egger in October. 7. Adjournment With no further business, Motion M81606 to adjourn the meeting was made by Mr. Bement, seconded by Mr. Manning. All in favor. None opposed. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Next month s Planning Commission meeting will be September 13, 2016. Respectfully submitted, Leslie Siebert Secretary, Planning Commission
Valley Township Planning Commission Voting Motion M81601 Date: August 9, 2016 Member:Mr. Manning seconded by: Mr. Bement Subject: Approval of the July 12, 2016 meeting minutes Charles BruceAye Nay Abstain Absent X David PorterAye X Nay Abstain Absent Jonathan EggerAye _ Nay Abstain Absent X Denny BementAye X Nay Abstain Absent Bruce ManningAye X Nay Abstain Absent Motion M81602 Date: August 9, 2016 Member:Mr. Porter seconded by: _Mr. Manning Subject: to take the agenda out of order to accommodate Mr. Brower Charles Bruce Aye Nay Abstain Absent X David Porter Aye X Nay Abstain Absent Jonathan Egger Aye _ Nay Abstain Absent X Denny Bement Aye X Nay Abstain Absent Bruce Manning Aye X Nay Abstain Absent Motion M81603
Date: August 9, 2016 Member: Mr. Porter seconded by: Mr. Manning Subject: to make a recommendation to the BOS to approve the waiver request from Section 306.2 to combine the preliminary and final plan applications Charles BruceAye Nay Abstain Absent X David PorterAye X Nay Abstain Absent Jonathan EggerAye _ Nay Abstain Absent X Denny BementAye X Nay Abstain Absent Bruce ManningAye X Nay Abstain Absent Motion M81604 Date: August 9, 2016 Member:Mr. Porter seconded by: Mr. Bement Subject: to recommend to the BOS to approve the waiver request from Section 402.C to provide existing contour data and features within 200 feet of property, and to adequately evaluate the stormwater management plan for the project to the satisfaction of the township engineers, Charles BruceAye Nay Abstain Absent X David PorterAye X Nay Abstain Absent Jonathan EggerAye _ Nay Abstain Absent X Denny BementAye X Nay Abstain Absent Bruce ManningAye X Nay Abstain Absent Motion M81605 Date: August 9, 2016 Member:Mr. Porter seconded by: Mr. Bement Subject: to recommend to the BOS approval of a 90 day extension, subject to a written request by the applicant Charles BruceAye Nay Abstain Absent X David PorterAye X Nay Abstain Absent Jonathan EggerAye _ Nay Abstain Absent X
Denny BementAye X Nay Abstain Absent Bruce ManningAye X Nay Abstain Absent Motion M81606 Date: August 9, 2016 Member:Mr. Bement seconded by: Mr. Manning Subject: Adjournment Charles BruceAye Nay Abstain Absent X David PorterAye X Nay Abstain Absent Jonathan EggerAye _ Nay Abstain Absent X Denny BementAye X Nay Abstain Absent Bruce ManningAye X Nay Abstain Absent
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