A proposed development known as Raspberry Ridge was rejected by supervisors in Warriors Mark in early March.
Since then, developer John Gilliland and his attorneys have decided to appeal the supervisors’ decision by requesting a reconsideration and appeal hearing. However, due to outside circumstances, the hearing has been put off twice.
The supervisors’ board secretary, Catherine Noll, said the meeting had been scheduled for earlier this month and had been rescheduled for tonight. Now, the hearing won’t happen until May 10 at 6 p.m. at the Warriors Mark-Franklin Fire Hall.
Chairman L. Stewart Neff said the hearing was postponed the first time because the developer’s attorney had a scheduling conflict due to a “lengthy commitment” on another issue.
Neff said tonight’s hearing was postponed due to an unexpected death involving the law firm of the developer’s attorney.
Ahead of the hearing, the township has placed legal notices in The Daily Herald about its scheduling and the postponements. The advertising stated that copies of “the request of reconsideration of decision rejecting the Raspberry Ridge preliminary plan” are available for review at the Warriors Mark Fire Hall.
The Herald’s sister newspaper, The Huntingdon Daily News reported in March the board voted down the proposed “Raspberry Ridge” mobile home park. The development’s 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 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 also said, “Tonight (March 1), Mr. Gilliland’s attorney is asking for yet another time extension. I’d advise 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. I’d also remind the board that, in the past, you’ve stated that no additional time extensions would be granted after a fourth extension. If granted, this would be the fifth for the Raspberry Ridge proposal.”
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.
The Daily News reported an attorney for Gilliland, Thomas Scott, conceded that a treatment system of some sort would be required, but that it would be a “privately maintained” system.
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. The move led to the developer to request the now twice-postponed appeal hearing.
