Warriors Mark Township supervisors denied a fifth time extension for the Ashley Acres development at its most recent meeting last week.
“You have a letter from the township, a comment letter which remains unaddressed,” township solicitor Larry Clapper told representatives of developer John Gilliland at the May 2 meeting.
Clapper said the plans which were before the board last week were essentially the same plans which the board looked at on February 1.
Clapper said there were numerous open issues in the review letter which had not been addressed in three months. Gilliland representative Fred Henry said some of the issues required state permits. Clapper indicated some of the issues did require state permits but those weren’t the only issues in question. He said there were stormwater issues which had not been addressed. He wondered aloud how the supervisors could grant plan approval unless the stormwater issues were addressed.
Earlier in the meeting a discussion ensued about the need for the granting of a waiver to do certain work.
“We have hesitated in doing certain work without written confirmation of the waiver,” said Henry. “Other townships we have worked with we have always received a waiver in writing.”
Clapper indicated Gilliland representatives were present at meetings where such waivers were granted.
Henry said he waited three months for a letter back from the township. Engineer Mark J. Haefner responded by asking if Henry had thought to call and ask for a letter.
Clapper said the developer had done certain work on other projects without the “waiver letter.” He said the developer had changed the cul de sacs for other developments called Ridgeview II and Elizabeth Acres.
Just prior to the supervisors voting, Clapper told the members the developer indicated a March meeting where the representatives presented information to the board should be considered towards them meeting the requirements of the review letter.
The supervisors denied the fifth time extension for Ashley Acres and it later denied plan approval for the same.
The board also took action on fifth extension requests for Ridgeview II and Elizabeth Acres. The board decided to grant those extensions for a period which would run until the next regular meeting in June.
A 90-day extension was granted for a development dubbed “Bruce Cox Lot 3RR.” Cox was requesting a third extension. Supervisor Don Bickle abstained from the vote due to his friendship with Cox.
Supervisors also passed sewage facilities planning module resolutions for Gillbrook Farms I, II, III and for the Arbutus development.
Still ahead for Warriors Mark is a twice-postponed appeals hearing regarding another Gilliland development. The hearing about Raspberry Ridge is set for tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at the Warriors Mark-Franklin Fire Hall.
The proposed mobile home park development was rejected by supervisors in Warriors Mark in early March. The plans which were introduced more than a year ago were deemed to be “incomplete” and “unsatisfactory” by township solicitor Larry Clapper.
When the supervisors ruled in March, they had already granted four extensions of 90 days each for Raspberry Ridge.
Clapper was quoted in The Daily Herald’s sister paper The Daily News as saying, “This board has already granted four 90-day time extensions for this particular proposal. To date, many of the comments submitted by the township engineer have gone unanswered by the developer.”
Clapper advised the board that requests were made by the township engineer over a year ago for sewage and water service modules, among many other things, to which no response has been made. He also reminded the board that, in the past, member said no additional time extensions would be granted after a fourth extension.
The development is a 253-lot trailer park which is expected to create the need for sewage treatment plant. The Daily News reported a group known as Save Our Streams was on hand for the March meeting. The group called the proposed development a “high risk” plan which might create problems with ground water and cause traffic trouble on the townships rural roads.
It was also reported Gilliland’s attorney Tom Scott conceded that a treatment system of some sort would be required, but that it would be a “privately maintained” system.
Chairman of the supervisors, L. Stewart Neff was quoted as telling those at the meeting, the township had “bent over backwards” to work with Mr. Gilliland concerning Raspberry Ridge and other proposed land developments.
“We’ve heard nothing in over a year,” Neff said. “We’ve asked for this information and our requests have been ignored. I’m speaking for myself, but I think the time for granting extensions is over.”
Since the extension was denied, the board was required to make a decision about the preliminary plans and the supervisors voted unanimously to reject the development.
