 |
Charlestown Township
|
The first business meeting for February was held March 7, 2011 at the Great Valley Middle School, Room 154, 255 N. Phoenixville Pike, Malvern, PA.
Present:
| Supervisors: | Hugh Willig, Chairman, Frank Piliero, Vice Chairman, Kevin Kuhn, Member |
| Consultants: | Surender S. Kohli, P.E., Dan Wright, P.E., Mark Thompson, Esq. |
| Staff: | Linda Csete, Manager, Fred Alston, Public Works Superintendent |
| Public: | See attached sign-in sheet |
Call to Order:
7:30 p.m.Announcements
Mrs. Csete made the following announcements:
Charlestown’s Earth Day Event is April 16th, and Township Resident Michael Dixon of Dixon Environmental donated $250.00 to cover the costs of the event. Volunteers have responded so well it might be the best turnout yet.
The township newsletter was mailed out about a week ago, and extras are available this evening for anyone who didn’t receive one.
Real estate and per capita bills have been mailed out and everyone should have received them by now. There’s been some confusion on the payments for earned income taxes due to the changeover to the new tax collection agency, Keystone Collections. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call the township office.
Remember to check out the website for updates and general township information. It went on line a little over a year ago and now has a great deal of content.
Citizens’ Forum
With regard to the township website, Bob Jones said an email notification system for new postings, like that used for the citizen’s website, would be very welcome. The Manager will look into how to set this up.
Joseph End, Bodine Road, said that while the newsletter instructs people not to plow snow onto the street, a second problem occurs when opposite neighbors plow snow and anti-skid materials across the street. He has gravel accumulating in a culvert on his property as a result of this activity. Mr. Alston said he’ll check it out this week.
Mr. End said that he received data from the Bodine Road traffic study, where it appears about 15% of drivers exceed the speed limit. Mr. Willig cautioned that this data was just a sampling to demonstrate what the equipment is capable of. The Township still intends to conduct a formal study. Mr. Kuhn said they’re waiting until the traffic flow has returned to normal following the opening of the bridge earlier this year.
Approvals
Minutes of February 7, 2011 Business Meeting
Mr. Kuhn moved to approve the minutes of the February 7, 2011 business meeting, and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Treasurer's Report February 1 - 28, 2011
Mr. Kuhn moved to approve the February 2011 Treasurer’s Report and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Accounts Payable Report – Operating Fund March 7, 2011
Mr. Kuhn moved to approve the March 7, 2011 Operating Fund Accounts Payable Report and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion and there being none, called the vote, and all were in favor.
Accounts Payable Report – Open Space Fund March 7, 2011
Mr. Piliero moved to approve the March 7, 2011 Open Space Fund Accounts Payable Report and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Reports
Mr. Kuhn moved to accept the February reports as submitted, and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion.
Public Works Superintendent
Mr. Alston asked for the Board’s permission for him to apply to the PUC for railroad crossing exemptions for Warner Lane and Buckwalter Road. The line is out of service, and while they have five years before the line is abandoned, school buses and trucks carrying hazardous materials are still required to stop as long as the markings and signs are in place. He said he can handle most of the application work himself. Mr. Kuhn asked if the School District was behind this request, and Mr. Alston said no, but he’s heard from numerous motorists and school bus drivers. Mr. Kuhn suggested the school district or bus company be asked to reimburse the Township for any expenses. The Board agreed to have Mr. Alston proceed with the application.
Mr. Alston asked for approval to purchase a traffic counter from Jamar Technologies. The same model unit was loaned to the Township for the past couple of months so everyone could see how it worked and how the data is shown. He said he included data from a Howells Road study in his February report to the Board. Mr. Willig asked if the cost of the unit was included in the 2011 budget. Mrs. Csete confirmed that it was. Mr. Alston said the net cost of the unit is $3,500. Mr. Alston said many grants, such as two he applied for recently to PennDOT, require traffic count data. Those grants totaling approximately $45,000 were for an upgrade to the Newcomen Road & Route 401 traffic signal to include a battery backup system, and for replacement guiderail in areas where existing guiderail is substandard. Mr. Kuhn asked if the Township already had traffic counting equipment, and Mr. Alston said no, he used his computer and counted manually. Mr. Piliero asked if this equipment can be rented, and Mr. Alston said Jamar discourages this. He explained how the equipment is mounted for a study and how it operates. Mr. Willig moved to authorize the purchase of the Jamar Trax Pro Radar Traffic Counter, and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Willig asked how long it would take to procure the unit, and Mr. Alston said one to two weeks. Mr. Willig called for further discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Mr. Alston said the foot bridge over the Pickering Creek in the area of the Ice Dam Ruins has badly eroded abutments. He requests Mr. Kohli’s input on how to proceed. Mrs. Staas said this is a historic structure that in the past supported a rail line that transported the ice from the dam operation to points east. The Board agreed that Mr. Kohli should inspect the structure and report back with a recommendation.
Mr. Willig called the vote on acceptance of the reports, and all were in favor.
Presentation: Transportation Management Association of Chester County (TMACC) – Update on the PA Turnpike Slip Ramp and Route 202 Improvements
Executive Director of the TMACC, Mike Herron and client specialist Angela Garvin were present to lead the presentation on area improvements. Mr. Herron said that in conjunction with the Turnpike slip ramp and Route 202 widening, it was important to coordinate this work with improvements to Route 29 in order to reduce hazards, particularly speed, on that road. He said the TMACC was awarded a grant for this study to determine how to turn this corridor of Route 29 into a friendlier highway that could include bike routes.
Mr. Herron introduced Don Steele from the PA Turnpike Commission.. Mr. Steele said he’s been an engineer for the Turnpike Commission working out of the King of Prussia office for the past six years. He displayed a graphic of the slip ramp interchange. He said Alan Myers was the winning bidder out of 11 bids opened this past December, for a cost of $49 million. They have now been given their notice to proceed and work should begin any day. Total disruptions should be minimal, and as they get more information they’ll keep the Township apprised.
Mr. Willig asked if there is a schedule available. Mr. Steele said the contractor has leeway with the schedule, but in general they expect them to start this year by cutting out the areas for the ramps, with the widening and signalization at Route 29 to start next year.
Paul Gluchanicz, Charlestown Road, asked if Yellow Springs Road off Route 29 will be closed at any time. Mr. Steele said any closure would be minimal and would likely be limited to a few hours in the middle of the night to transport beams.
Mr. Steele said the slip ramp will be an EZ pass interchange only. Originally it was designed to handle traffic to and from the east but later developed into a full interchange to handle east and west traffic. The DVRPC conducted a study that projected 4,000 vehicles entering and exiting from the east daily, and 1,000 vehicles entering and exiting from the west daily.
Sue Staas, Hana Lane, asked if the study determined the destination, and Mr. Steel said most would be travelling to the Great Valley Corporate Center. The slip ramp will relieve traffic congestion at the Valley Forge and Downingtown interchanges and along Route 202.
Bob Jones, Valley Hill Road, asked if there is any possibility it will later become a full interchange. Mr. Steele said no, as the Turnpike Commission wants to move toward all interchanges becoming E-Z pass only. The rates for using E-Z pass are lower than the cash rates, and they’re presently conducting a study on converting all interchanges to E-Z pass only. Mr. Jones asked about truck traffic, and Mr. Steel confirmed that trucks will be permitted.
Mrs. Staas asked how much modification will be done on Route 29 between the exit ramp and the Corporate Center. Mr. Steele said there will be considerable work done in the area near the proposed new traffic signal south of Atwater Drive.
Wendy Leland, Planning Commission Chairman, asked if the Howells Road bridge would be affected, and Mr. Steel said he’s not aware of any plans regarding it.
Angela Garvin, TMACC, asked how long the ramp to Atwater is. Mr. Steele said approximately 1/8 mile.
Mr. Steele said there are also plans to widen the Turnpike from Devault to the Valley Forge interchange, which is anticipated for 2013 - 2015. Additional widening from Devault to Downingtown will start preliminary design in 2015. Widening of the Northeast Extension is starting this evening.
Mr. Willig asked if there are any drawings that give an idea of the height and scale of the flyover ramps. Mr. Steele said the height is usually 15-16 feet over the local roads, but there is no rendering other than a flat one posted on the Turnpike website.
Mr. Willig said that an understanding of the visual look of the interchange hasn’t been part of the conversation so far. He said the Township would also like to have an implementation plan to provide details for commuters and local residents. Mr. Steele said he’ll ask the construction unit to consider providing this information. Ms. Garvin said there is a sign-up sheet here this evening for those who would like email updates from the TMACC.
Mr. Jones said the cut on the north side shouldn’t be visible from Charlestown Road or Route 29 except when approaching Yellow Springs Road, and it doesn’t appear there will be any line of sight from the Route 29-Charlestown Road intersection.
Mr. Herron then introduced Dave Palmer of Urban Engineers for an update on the Route 202 improvement project. He showed a plan of the Route 202 improvements to Section 300, which is a 6.5 mile section of the highway starting just south of Swedesford Road to the Route 30 bypass.
Mr. Palmer then reviewed the project, beginning with an overall view of Section 300. He said some improvements have already been completed, such as the digital message boards. The overhead bridges and intersections in Section 310 have also been completed. Work on the four mile long Section 320 will start soon, which includes widening to three lanes in each direction, stormwater management, sound wall installation and a new two-mile collector road. This work is projected for completion in June 2014 and will cost approximately $300 million. More information is available at www.us202.com.
PennDOT spokesman Gene Blaum said there will be a signal at the ramp exiting Route 202 onto Route 401 as part of the Section 330 work starting in 2014-2015.
Mrs. Staas asked if detour models were studied as she sees impacts on local roads such as Whitehorse Road, Rees Road and Charlestown Road. Mr. Blaum answered yes, and in some cases upgrades to intersections are done in advance for a larger project but in this case there were no adjustments needed. He added when the King of Prussia improvements were made, most people still stayed on Route 202.
The Board thanked the TMACC, PennDOT and Turnpike representatives for their time this evening.
Citizens’ Forum - continued
Mr. Willig reopened the Citizens’ Forum for non-agenda items to accommodate Leonarda Carrow, who arrived after the meeting had started.
Mrs. Carrow said she lives on private Carrow Lane off Tinker Hill Road and that she’d recently exchanged email with Mrs. Csete regarding her questions on the earned income tax. She said she doesn’t always receive the Township newsletter and asked if the Board could arrange to have it available electronically. Mr. Willig said they try to provide information both to those who prefer a paper copy and to those who prefer to access it on line. Mrs. Csete said earlier this evening the Board discussed setting up an email notification system and this was going to be investigated.
Mrs. Carrow said that regarding the plans to re-pave some of the township roads this year, Tinker Hill Road should be prioritized because it looks like a big patch job at present. Mr. Willig confirmed with Mr. Alston that Tinker Hill Road was moved up on the list after it was determined that Rees Road was in better condition than had been previously thought. Mr. Kuhn asked if Tinker Hill Road, now in fifth position, could possibly be done this year. Mr. Alston said only if there are funds left after the other roads are completed.
Mrs. Carrow said her lane is a private road serving three houses and asked how maintenance is done. Mr. Kuhn said that all private lanes are listed in the 911 system and are required to follow the Township ordinance on providing a name and road sign for each, but all other maintenance is the responsibility of those living on the lane.
Hearings
Ordinance to Amend Agricultural Use Regulations
The proceedings were taken by Tom Corcoran, Court Reporter. Mr. Thompson explained that the ordinance was written to clarify the existing ordinance, Chapter 27, Part 16 with regard to how many each of various types of livestock can be kept on a property. He entered the following into the record:
| • | T-1 | Public Notice |
| • | T-2 | Draft Ordinance |
| • | T-3 | Act 247 County Referral |
| • | T-4 | Proof of Publication |
| • | T-5 | County Planning Commission Review Letter dated 2/22/2011 |
Mr. Thompson asked if there were any questions from those present. The following individuals came forward:
- Leonarda Carrow, Carrow Lane
- Bob Jones, Valley Hill Road
- Sue Staas, Hana Lane
- Wendy Leland, Planning Commission Chairman, Great Woods Lane
Following the hearing, the record was closed. Mr. Kuhn moved to adopt Ordinance #170-2011 amending Chapter 27, Part 16 of the Charlestown Township Zoning Ordinance and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion, and there being none called the vote. All were in favor.
Old Business
Dam Breach Project at Charlestown Park
Parks & Recreation Board Chairman Bob Jones was present to review the proposal from Wilkinson & Associates for the engineering services for the demolition and removal of the dam at Charlestown Park, including the preparation of bid documents, bid coordination and construction management. The plans have already been prepared and submitted to the PA DEP for approval.
Mr. Willig asked if Jeffrey Bodo, P.E. will still be involved as he’s no longer with Wilkinson & Associates. Mr. Jones said yes, that he’s now with the Army Corp of Engineers but will still handle this proposal through Wilkinson & Associates.
Mr. Willig asked for confirmation that the design work has already been completed, and Mr. Jones said yes. After approval from Harrisburg, and then from Mr. Kohli on the Township’s behalf, they would be ready to go out to bid.
Mr. Kohli said the proposal is reasonable and he’ll review the scope of work to prepare an estimate for the project.
Mr. Kuhn moved to execute the proposal from Wilkinson & Associates for the Dam Reclamation project at Charlestown Park and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion, and there being none called the vote. All were in favor.
Contract for UCC Enforcement
Mr. Thompson referenced the 2/1/2011 proposal from Benesch & Associates for engineering consulting services to be administered through Kohli & Associates that was prepared as a result of communication with Labor & Industry informing the Township a direct contract for code enforcement was required. Mr. Thompson said he’s still negotiating the final point of the contract that will provide for Mr. Kohli to act as manager of the contract. He said it will be ready for consideration at the April 4th meeting.
The Chester Valley Grange and Chuck’s Wagon
Mr. Kuhn suggested the update on the Grange be tabled, and said he had no new information on Chuck’s Wagon since an enforcement notice was issued.
New Business
Annual MS-4 Report for Year 8 – Township Engineer
Mr. Kohli provided an overview of the MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm System) Engineer’s Report for the 8th year, ending March 9, 2011. The Township received an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permit in 2003. The PA DEP outlined six protocols which were to be followed to meet its compliance within five years. There have been three one-year extensions and one 9-month extension to the compliance deadline, which is now December 9, 2011. These extensions allow the Permittee to complete any unfinished required activities from Year 1 through Year 5 and continue Year 5 activities through Year 8.
He summarized the DEP protocols as follows:
MS1 – Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts and MS2 – Public involvement/participation: Linda Csete continues to improve the education and public participation elements of the program. She is working with the Chester-Ridley Crum (CRC) Watershed Association which assists the Township with these requirements. Some suggested comments offered by the DEP will be incorporated in the next year’s report.
MS3 – Illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDD&E): IDD & E is being implemented by the Township Engineer. The DEP suggested modifications to the MS4 maps to improve legibility of text and data. Questionable outfall locations have been reviewed and have been added, removed or designated as needed. Specific attention was made to stormwater management basins to ensure they are properly designated.
A total of 59 outfalls were screened during the year. Based on the screening and analysis of the storm drainage system, 128 outfalls are located within the Township. This is an increase of 4 outfalls from Year 7.
The Stormwater Management Ordinance (SMO) continues to be implemented, which prohibits the discharge of non-stormwater into the Township storm sewer system. Ordinance revisions are underway as required by Act 167.
MS4- Construction site stormwater runoff control: Construction plans are reviewed by the Township Engineer’s office for compliance. They also coordinate the Erosion & Sedimentation Design Plans with the Chester County Conservation District.
MS5- Post construction stormwater management in new development and re-development: This protocol is implemented during and after construction. As-built plans are required for all completed projects which are reviewed for compliance. There is an inventory data list for all completed projects to follow up on Operations and Maintenance (O & M) responsibilities. This list will be updated as needed. Mr. Kohli proposes that the SMO be amended to require that HOAs and commercial property owners be responsible for ongoing inspections and reporting.
MS6 – Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations: This protocol is addressed by the Public Works Superintendent, generally referred to as “good housekeeping” practices.
Mr. Kohli noted that the annual report for Year 8 is due June 1, 2011.
Request for public water – Whitehorse Estates
Frone Crawford, Esq., and Lance Altemose were present to request that the Board approve an expansion of the public water franchise with Aqua PA to service the Altemoses’ proposed subdivision at Whitehorse and Ashenfelter Roads.
Mr. Crawford said they want to move forward with an open space plan for their proposed 19 new lots and 4 existing structures on the Altemose’s historic tract. The water main is located on their side of Whitehorse Road and already serves the Whitehorse @ Charlestown and Whitehorse Meadows developments. Aqua PA requires Township approval before they will extend the franchise.
Mr. Crawford referenced Section 509 of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, which gives priority to public water where it is accessible and available. He said the Township has previously expanded the franchise for adjacent developments and they ask for equal treatment.
Mr. Crawford said public water is desirable for public safety and public health. It can provide hydrants and the necessary pressure for sprinkler systems. He said there is always some health risk with ground water.
Mr. Crawford said the reason some municipalities don’t encourage an expansion of the franchise is the concern it will lead to development pressure, but in this situation, the water line is already in the road and won’t create a new demand.
Mr. Crawford said public water will provide them with some flexibility in lot size and configuration. He said Mr. Motel has contacted him since the last Planning Commission meeting to ask if they’d work with the Planning Commission and planner Tom Comitta on some redesign of the plan. He said having public water access would allow them more leeway.
Mr. Crawford said he doesn’t see a downside but a substantial upside to having public water for this site.
Mr. Willig asked if they would be amenable to approval for fire hydrants only. Mr. Crawford said fire hydrants are only part of the reason they prefer public water, noting that it’s a marketing advantage.
Mr. Willig said with regard to contamination concerns that the Township hasn’t experienced them in that area. Mr. Altemose said they had e. coli in one of their well systems used by a tenant of the property and they had to shock the system. He said he has a report he can provide to the Board. Mr. Willig asked for the source and Mr. Altemose said it was determined a mouse got into the well cap.
Mr. Kuhn said neither Whitehorse @ Charlestown nor Whitehorse Meadows was granted public water access by the present Board, and that this Board has turned down the request for the Thompson property and others. Mr. Crawford said he doesn’t understand the Board’s resistance. Mr. Kuhn responded that he personally doesn’t see the need, unless it could be used to improve the plan by moving the houses back instead of ruining the viewshed. Mr. Crawford said the houses were moved back somewhat in the most recent sketch plan, but most of the open space acreage is being used to shelter the historic resources on the site as required.
Mr. Kohli clarified that keeping the open space with the historic resource is permitted, but is not required by the ordinance.
Mr. Crawford said they received two rounds of comments from Mr. Kohli and Mr. Comitta, and they made substantial revisions after the first round. There are constraints due to wetlands in the area near Ashenfelter Road, and successful perc tests are needed for the septic systems for each lot. He said they’re willing to listen to the Township but can’t move the lots back much in that area.
Mr. Kuhn asked if they’ve done testing for the septic systems yet. Mr. Altemose said they have 19 test holes dug, and there were no problems further back from Whitehorse Road but some along Ashenfelter and the Whitehorse Road frontage were not so good. They added 5.5 acres of open space along the Whitehorse Road frontage that was not required by the ordinance to meet open space requirements.
Mr. Willig asked Mr. Thompson what the ordinance means by “available”. The water main is located in Whitehorse Road and the water company is willing to provide service, but the property is not in the franchise area. Mr. Thompson said the existence of the water main is not enough to constitute availability. The water main is a transmission line and only a limited number of properties are served by it. Mr. Kohli agreed it’s a transmission line and not a service line. Mr. Crawford argued that his interpretation is that “available” and “accessible” means the water is nearby and it’s close enough to connect. Mr. Thompson said allowing public water would give the applicant more room to modify the plan more favorably. Mr. Kuhn said he understands this but wants to see the plan first.
Mrs. Leland said Mr. Motel was involved with the planner to look at reconfiguring the lots and move them away from Whitehorse Road, but the Altemoses haven’t seen any sketch yet. Mr. Kohli said it wasn’t a collaborative effort but just represented the consultants’ comments to what was presented. Mrs. Leland said Mr. Theurkauf was working on it but she wasn’t sure if it was ready to circulate yet.
Mr. Willig said the Board won’t make a decision tonight without seeing a plan. Mr. Kuhn said contamination issues can happen with public water too, and there have been issues with Aqua PA before. Also, fire suppression systems can work with wells. Mr. Altemose said another negative to using wells is that when the electricity is out, the water is too.
Mr. Thompson said in the other instances where the Board approved expansion of the public water franchise, the requester made an affirmative showing. Since at present there is no approved subdivision, technically the request before the Board is being made on behalf of an individual homeowner.
Road Bid Documents for 2011 Road Improvement Projects
Dan Wright circulated a draft of the road specification and cost estimate documents to be used to prepare a bid package for the road resurfacing and construction projects as agreed upon by the Board at the February 7th meeting with the exception of Rees Road, which was removed from the list per Mr. Alston’s recommendation. He said they didn’t have time to add Tinker Hill Road to the documents yet but this could be done if the Board thinks they’ll have sufficient funding to add it.
He said the roads were marked into “stations” to use as reference points in the specs. Pictures of each section were taken.
Mr. Kuhn asked if core borings were done, and Mr. Wright said yes, they helped determine in which areas the base needs to be built up. Mr. Kohli said in some cases the blacktop has to be removed by milling in order to provide rolled curb. Mr. Wright said Hilltop Road will need this treatment along with a culvert repair.
Mr. Wright described the condition of Union Hill Road from Route 29 to the bridge as acceptable, but in a deteriorating condition past that point that should be milled down to its base with the exception of the upper section of the road approaching Whitehorse Road, which is in better condition. Mr. Willig asked if the road has to be closed while it’s milled. Mr. Kohli said they can maintain one open lane.
Mr. Wright then discussed Pickering Road, noting that it’s as narrow as fourteen feet in some areas. He was concerned about Liquid Fuels requirements, but Mrs. Csete said no liquid fuels funds will be used on these projects. Mr. Kuhn asked about cross pipes for Pickering Road, which aren’t shown in the specs. Mr. Kohli said easements would be needed if cross pipes are added. Mr. Wright said providing good under drainage may be an alternative.
Mr. Wright said they obtained cost estimates from various contractors, and if the Township obtains the materials there could be cost savings due to avoiding the 6% sales tax. Mr. Alston confirmed that the Township can obtain materials using Co-Stars.
Mr. Willig asked if this work will trigger prevailing wage requirements, and Mr. Kohli said yes, and this was taken into account when preparing the cost estimates. Mr. Kuhn asked if this can be avoided if they use their present contractor, but Mr. Thompson said no, due to the nature of the work.
Mr. Kuhn asked Mr. Alston for his comments. Mr. Alston said the documents look very good, and with materials being a large portion of the total cost, the savings from avoiding the sales tax will be substantial. Mr. Kuhn said it would make sense to do the work before the current Co-Stars contract expires as material costs are going up. Mr. Alston said the current contract has an escalator clause, but Mr. Kuhn said even so it would probably be lower than a new contract. Mrs. Csete said she’ll check on when the contract is up for renewal.
Mr. Kuhn asked what is involved in getting these projects out to bid. Mr. Kohli asked if the Board wants to include Tinker Hill Road, and they said yes. Mr. Kohli asked if the roads should be bid as one project or as individual projects. Mrs. Csete said bidding them separately would result in more savings. The Board concurred. Mrs. Csete said the work should take place in the summer months when school is out, and the Board and engineers agreed this was advisable and could be managed.
Mr. Kuhn asked if borings are done after the work is completed, and Mr. Kohli said no, placement of materials is monitored from the lading slips. Mr. Wright agreed with him, saying they chose representative areas to monitor and borings aren’t necessary.
Mr. Willig moved to authorize the Township Manager to advertise the 2011 Road Construction Project for bids as soon as the bid package is made available from Mr. Kohli’s office, to be opened at the next township meeting. Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Willig called for discussion, and there being none further, called the vote. All were in favor.
Brightside Farmhouse – Septic System
Mr. Alston explained the problem with the septic drainage field servicing the Brightside Farmhouse and said it was time to install a new septic system. The present cesspool is overflowing and the Township was aware this problem would eventually occur since 2005-2006. At that time, perc tests were done, and the best locations for new systems were behind the manure pit or at a location closer to the community gardens. The latter being obviously less desirable, he recommended placing the system behind the manure pit. Mr. Willig asked for the location of the cesspool, and Mr. Alston said it’s behind the farmhouse.
Mr. Kuhn asked if they should consider sizing the system to include future public use of the property, and after some discussion it was decided not to be necessary since portable units would be sufficient for any occasional public use.
Mr. Kuhn asked who will do the design work, and Mr. Alston suggested Mr. Kohli. Mr. Kohli said the County Health Department will have to re-test and permit the work since the old perc tests are too old now. Mr. Alston said they’ll need a pump tank, septic tank, drainage field and filter for the new system. The Board agreed that Mr. Kohli should proceed. Mr. Alston will arrange to have the cesspool pumped in the meantime.
Review Process to Amend the Charlestown Township Uniform Construction Code Ordinance to Require Issuance of Permits for Certain Accessory Structures and for Certain Alterations or repairs to Residential Buildings
Mr. Thompson said that in December the Board wanted to move forward with amending the UCC Ordinance, but this entails a more complex procedure than other types of ordinances. Under the UCC code, many home improvement projects are exempt that the Township may not wish to exempt. The proposed ordinance selects some exempt projects and specifies they be non-exempted. The ordinance must be sent to Labor & Industry for a 30 day review period. Before he does so, he suggested that he circulate the list to the Board for their input first. Mr. Willig said amending this ordinance would basically bring the Township back to the requirements it had for building permits prior to opting in to the UCC.
Adjournment
Mr. Willig said the Board would hold an executive session after the meeting to discuss legal matters. He adjourned the meeting at 10:15 p.m. The next business meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 4, 2011, 7:30 p.m. at the Great Valley Middle School, Room 154, 255 North Phoenixville Pike, Malvern, PA.
Linda M. Csete
Township Secretary
