CHARLESTOWN TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES GREAT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL 255 N. PHOENIXVILLE PIKE, MALVERN, PA 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019

Present

Call to Order:

7:30 p.m.

Announcements

The February 4^th Board of Supervisors Meeting will be at the Spring Oak Club House. In addition, all meetings this summer will not be in the choral room as usual. A new meeting place will be announced.

Chairperson, Planning Commission

Mr. Westhafer opened the floor to nominations. Mr. Westhafer nominated Mr. von Hoyer for the position of Chairman of the Planning Commission. Ms. Leland seconded. There were no further nominations. Mr. Westhafer closed the nominations. Mr. Westhafer called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Mr. von Hoyer and all the Members thanked Mr. Westhafer for 4 years of service as Chair, and thanked him for initiating the increase of communication between Township groups.

Vice Chairperson, Planning Commission

Mr. von Hoyer opened the floor to nominations. Ms. Leland nominated Mr. Richter for Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission, and Mr. Motel seconded. Mr. von Hoyer closed the nominations. Mr. von Hoyer called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

2019 Meeting Schedule

Meetings for 2019 were scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Great Valley Middle School, Room 154.

Approval of Minutes

December 11, 2018 Minutes

Ms. Leland asked Mr. Wright for clarification regarding the curbs and drainage on the Meyer Sketch Plan (Bodine Road). It referred to the sentence on page 3 that read “Mr. Wright felt this project may improve the stormwater runoff on Bodine Road with the introduction of curbs.

Ms. Leland moved to approve the minutes of December 11, 2018, and Mr. Richter seconded. Mr. von Hoyer called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Mr. von Hoyer asked everyone to be diligent in reading the drafts of the minutes since Mr. Allen was no longer a PC Member.

Applications

Crown Castle Conditional Use Application

Mr. Shawn Gallagher, Esq. introduced Mr. John Shive, Ms. Janet Colleran, and Mr. Olaniyi Jinadu of Crown Castle. They were present to discuss the Conditional Use Application, by Crown Castle NG East LLC. The application is for the installation of a new wood utility pole, with antenna and radio equipment. It would be for a tower-based wireless facility that would support the larger towers in the area, for Verizon. The pole would be in the Right of Way, adjacent to 3285 Phoenixville Pike, in the NC-1 zoning district. However, this pole will be on the property and in clear view of the Apostolic Church, currently building an addition. The placement of the pole, reps said, must be within 10’ of the specified Highway Occupancy Permit’s stated location, since they already applied for the permit (before coming to the PC).

Verizon is contracting with Crown Castle to build smaller poles/antennae to relieve the larger poles’ antenna traffic, thus allowing them to use their resources better. Mr. Wright said that the Board did not want a lot of towers going up in residential areas and the ordinance therefore was written to permit them in the I/O District. Mr. Shive will personally call the contact at the Apostolic Church to talk to their representatives about the proposed installation and Conditional Use Application. Members were quite insistent on this and Mrs. Csete will provide Mr. Shive with the contact information needed.

1. The proposed pole was marked on a map (page 2) in the handout as EMP-059m1 (the m meaning this is the second spot that has been selected for the pole).
2. Page 4 was used to explain why this pole was necessary (the others were already installed).
3. Page 5 had a simulated pole drawn to show its placement.
4. The power flow is very low, Mr. Shive stating only 1% of the allowance.
5. The pole must be registered with the FAA.
6. It is subject to PECO and PennDOT restrictions.
7. The range is 1200-1500 feet with line of sight to be near the end user.
8. Other users can be serviced from the same pole with no aesthetic change.
9. The drawing reflects the utility pole being as deep into the Right of Way as possible per PennDOT.
10. Aerial construction is preferred since it is cheaper than using a bore. Going under the ground is not the way Crown Castle has registered for the permit.
11. The footprint of the hand holes for the separate lines needed if using a bore, would be larger than the pole, and there would be two structures to house the power and fiber optic lines.
12. There would be yearly site inspections by technicians out of a King of Prussia office.

Mr. Churchill moved to recommend approval of the Crown Castle Conditional Use, upon Board of Supervisor review with no objection, and if there is no objection by the Apostolic Church. Ms. Leland seconded. Mr. von Hoyer called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Mr. Richter mentioned that it would have been beneficial to have the Church invited to tonight’s appearance with Crown Castle reps and this should be done for future reviews.

Agenda for Annual Strategic Planning Session, March 23, 2019

The Planning Commission discussed potential subjects for the Annual Strategic Planning Session. It is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 9:00 a.m., at the Marriott in General Warren Village. Possible topics will be sent out by Mrs. Csete and include:

1. What is necessary to have all involved parties invited to Conditional Use recommendation reviews?
2. What does Mr. Comitta want to discuss?
3. Open Space updates.
4. The proposed new Township Office.
5. Intersection improvements (RFP for traffic engineering, Act209)
6. Stables Bar - Future Use.
7. Consider a visiting speaker.
8. What were the 2018 lessons learned?
9. Revisit recent developments.

Other Items

There is still a vacancy left by Mr. Allen. Letters were mailed to every Township resident and no one volunteered other than Mr. Todd Rouse, present this evening. However, at present Mr. Rouses is not a resident and this is required by the MPC.

Action Items

1. A Member of the PC needs to volunteer for the EAC.
2. PC Members need to RSVP to Mrs. Csete for the Joint Session
3. Finalize the agenda items for the Joint Session

And another Thank You to Mr. Bill Westhafer.

Administrative Note

Any documents referred to in the minutes are available to the public upon request to the Township office.

Adjournment

There being no further business, Mr. von Hoyer adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m.