A joint meeting of Schuylkill Township and Charlestown Township Planning Commissions was held on March 19, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. The meeting was duly advertised in The Phoenix. Members of the Schuylkill Township Planning Commission present were Mr. Reading, Chairman, Mr. Keogh and Mr. Davis. Charlestown Township Planning Commission members present were Mr. Motel, Chairman, Mrs. Peck, and Mr. Allen. Also present were Township Engineers Mr. John Sartor of Gilmore & Associates for Schuylkill and Mr. Surender Kohli for Charlestown. Schuylkill Township Supervisors present were Mr. Ledbetter, Mr. Morrisson and Mrs. Cohen and Supervisors present for Charlestown Township were Mr. Kuhn, Mr. Hogan and Mr. Willig. The purpose of the meeting was to review a sketch plan for the subdivision of the Pickering Valley Golf Course owned by the Thompson family.
The proposed subdivision of the golf course is almost evenly split between the two municipalities with approximately 182 acres of the property in Schuylkill Township and 200 acres in Charlestown Township. Mr. Reading stated that there are engineering issues in each municipality that are handled differently in their respective zoning and subdivision ordinances and this meeting would help bring to light what those respective issues were.
Mr. John Thompson and his engineer Mr. Robert Showalter presented the plan. Steep slope areas exist in the middle of the tract. Twenty-three lots are proposed of which 17 will be buildable lots. Three of the 23 lots already exist with family homes situated on them, two lots, one for Charlestown as a Township park or land trust preserve and one for Schuylkill as a possible Township park, will be acquired by each township and a lot will be used for another family member to build his home. Lots 15 a, b, and c located in Schuylkill Township are unbuildable and may be absorbed by the family homesteads on the property. All the lots to be built upon will be 10 acres or larger with 1.5 acre building envelopes. Mr. Thompson stated that the development roads would be private.
Cartway width was discussed. Since the roads will be private widths of 18’ - 24’ were considered by the joint commissions. Beyond the cartway, flush curbs, a stabilized area and swales have been proposed. Mr. Kohli stated that when last discussed at a Charlestown meeting, 24’ had been proposed.
Mr. Showalter’s memo of October 6, 2008 was discussed. Engineers should look at the steep slope areas to see which lots need to be surveyed. Field surveys will be conducted for the proposed roads. A tree survey will be done for the four heavily wooded lots. The current consensus is to not widen White Horse Road as well as not providing accel/decel lanes.
Primary and back-up sites for on-site systems will be provided for. Detailed testing and permit plans for each lot will be done at time of development of each lot. Wells and septic systems may end up being located outside of the building envelopes for each lot.
Mr. Showalter stated that the proposed development will generate under 100 trips a day which will be distributed between two entrances. A comparison will be given between the number of trips generated by the current golf course and the proposed development. Discussion ensued regarding the installation of a three-way stop sign at the intersection of South White Horse Road and Ashenfelter Road. The matter will be put on respective agendas for upcoming Board of Supervisors meetings.
Mr. Showalter stated that the plan will comply with all items in the March 12, 2009 Schuylkill Township review letter from Gilmore & Associates. Three lots – 13, 14 and 16 – all located in Schuylkill Township, will need to flare out/angle for the lots to comply with the 115 feet minimum front lot width requirement.
There being no further business for discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary R. Bird
Township Manager