Pocopson Township
Chester County, Pennsylvania
 

8:45 a.m., Monday, November 14, 2005

   Chairman Sellers called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.  Supervisors Brutscher and Hubbard were in attendance.  Also in attendance was William Harwood, Road Master and Building Inspector. 

Announcements:  There were no announcements.

Historic Committee:  Mary Beth Drobish reported on Historic Committee activities.  Drobish said the committee has assigned an eagle scout project to a boy scout from Troup 62, clearing, recording, and fencing the historic cemetery.  Drobish reported that Jerry Ennis is continuing to write the history of the township. Pat Burnett found two postcards of the Seeds Covered Bridge on Wawaset Road.  Bernard Baily’s mother has passed away, and Bernard has given the township some artifacts from her collections.  Drobish suggested that as the plans develop for the township to renovate the Bernard House into a township office, consideration should given to having some display cases in the main meeting room to display the artifacts that the Historic Committee has been collecting over the last few years.  Drobish also reported that a roofing estimate for the schoolhouse should be received in the township office shortly.  Drobish reminded the Board that the new roof should be constructed to support a bell tower.  Drobish reported that the Annual holiday party will be the second Wednesday in December and the Board of Supervisors will be invited.

Open Space Committee / Task Force:  Sandy Retzlaff reported that the Open Space Task Force has met and is moving forward with the Open Space Referendum project.  The committee meets the 2^nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month at 3:30 p.m.  Retzlaff said the priorities map is being developed, and the committee is in the process of interviewing other townships that have executed an open space referendum and also the supervisors as to their ideas about raising funds.

Scaleby Farms - Preliminary Plan Approval:  Jim Fritsch, Regester Associates; Gerry Baker, Traffic, Planning, & Design; and Scott Megill, Megill Homes; were present to discuss Scaleby Farm subdivision.
Fritsch said he had met with John Fenn, Township Engineer, to discuss the outstanding technical issues.  The Board of Supervisors agreed that the water line provided by AQUA America will go up the road as shown on the plan.  Several other issues were discussed including the intersection design of Route 52 and Locust Grove Road.  Fritsch requested preliminary plan approval of the Scaleby Farm subdivision with the waivers requested on the plan.  After a discussion on the waiver requests with Fritsch, the Board moved to grant the waivers as listed on the plan. 

Motion:  Brutscher moved, Hubbard seconded to grant the following waivers for the Scaleby Farm subdivision listed below:

Section 601.F – Requiring certificates of approval to the quality and adequacy of the water supply prior to final plan approval.
Section 601.F – Requiring septic permits prior to final plan approval.
Section 601.G – Requiring septic permits prior to final plan approval.
Section 503.3.H – Requiring septic permits prior to final plan approval.
Section 612.2.G – Requiring a septic tank, tile field or other effluent disseminating system to be located twenty (20) feet from a property line.
Section 605.1.C – Requiring a minimum right of way width of seventy-five (75) feet for Locust Grove Road.
Section 605.2.A.1 – Requiring a minimum sight distance of five hundred (500) feet.
Section 605.2.G – Requiring the grade of any residential street, cul-de-sac, at the approach to an intersection with a collector street not exceed four percent (4%) for a distance of fifty (50) feet measured from the nearest right of way line of the intersecting street.

Motion carried with all in agreement. 

Brutscher suggested that the conditional approval wording should include the improvements of the Locust Grove Road and Route 52 intersection as part of the Scaleby Farm subdivision approval.  Hubbard suggested that the evergreen tree line on the northwest side of Route 52 would have to be taken down and an easement granted from the property owner to construct a left hand turn lane into Locust Grove Road.  Sellers proposed rumble strips on Route 52.  Gerry Baker, TP&D, suggested a flashing warning sign along Route 52 as a possible alternative. 

Motion:  Brutscher moved, Hubbard seconded to grant preliminary plan approval of the Scaleby Farm subdivision, dated 6/30/03, revised 10/05/05, drawn by Regester Associates, Inc. with the following two conditions: 

1)  An escrow is posted for improvements at the intersection of Route 52 and Locust Grove Road with the intersection design being developed by Traffic, Planning, &Design.
2)  All items in John Fenn’s letter of November 11, 2005 addressed with the exception of the water main location.  The water main will remain as shown on the plan. 

Motion carried with all in agreement.

Zoning Hearing Board – Board Recommendations: 

Mark & Sandy Royer are seeking a side yard setback for an addition to their house on Lenape Road.  After a brief review of the plan, the Board of Supervisors recommend to the ZHB that the set back request be granted, but the Board would like to see an infiltration facility for stormwater incorporated into the property plan.

The Board of Supervisors oppose Bruce Yelton’s application to the ZHB and stand behind their previous decision on this subdivision regarding the township’s zoning of the property.  The secretary will send a letter to the Zoning Hearing Board notifying them of the Board’s two recommendations.

Township Audit:  Sellers moved, Hubbard seconded to appoint Pat Schocie, Township Auditor, to assist with completion of the 2004 audit.  Motion carried  

Treasurer’s Warrants and Budget 2006:  The warrants were approved and signed as submitted.  The Board discussed and made several changes to the 2006 budget.

The secretary reported that the township’s minimum municipal obligation for 2006 is $7,406.63.

Minutes of October 2005:  The minutes of the October 24^th were tabled until the next Board meeting. 

Adjournment:   The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.

______________________                                                    ______________________
Karen J. Eckard, Secretary                                                      H. William Sellers, Chairman