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The Home News Your Local News
JANUARY 19-25, 2017
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Conditional use hearing held for Bath property By KERI LINDENMUTH On Wednesday, January 11, the Borough of Bath Council held a conditional use hearing for a property on 7 Allen Street. The current owner and future owner of the property, joined by their engineer, Terry DeGroot, and attorney, Scott Steirer, stood before Council and outlined their plans for the future of the property. Currently, the property has three existing tenants: two truck repair services and a provider of outside trailer parking. Shelba Johnson Trucking, based in North Carolina, would like to purchase the property from current owner, Jay R. Viders, president of Penn Bath Properties, Ltd. Shelba Johnson plans to use the 6.2 acre property as a truck terminal for the shipment of furniture. –Home News file photo
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Allen Township Planners update Language on building measurements By JUSTIN SWEITZER In Allen Township’s Planning Commission meeting on Jan. 16, township planners began to search for clarification in a series of processes and definitions, beginning with standards relating to building height and the maximum rooftop elevation in the township’s planning process. Following a working group meeting between Planning Commission Chairman Eugene Clater, Vice Chairman Gary Krill, Township Engineer Bob Cox and Township Solicitor Lincoln Treadwell; the remaining members of the Planning Commission were presented with working definitions that were further expanded on by the meeting’s end. Township planners decided that
the building height for any structure will be measured from the lowest point of the proposed grade to the top of the structure, a measurement which is not to exceed 60 feet, according to the commission. The maximum elevation of a rooftop will be the measurement above sea level beginning at a point obtained by averaging the proposed grades at the four primary foundation corners of the building. The building elevation is not to exceed 660 feet, including the 60 feet included in the building height. Clater said these restrictions and procedures are largely in place for “aesthetic” reasons, to maintain a uniform appearance. “What we’re trying to do is keep
some reasonable aesthetics as to how these large buildings appear,” said Clater. The board also discussed language in a parking ordinance to enforce parking in a way that reduces negative appearances throughout the township. “What we are trying to solve is the situation where someone parks a tractor trailer on the street for an extended period of time, or they park multiple vehicles on their property for an extended period of time,” Clater said. “What we’re trying to solve, basically, is an eyesore issue or an abuse of public streets.” The commission decided to remove language in the zoning ordinance that pertains to regulat-
ing parking on public streets, after Alfred Pierce noted that zoning refers to property and any ordinance affecting public streets must be a motor vehicle ordinance. The board then reorganized and eliminated some sections of the ordinance to better address the parking of commercial vehicles in a way that reduces unaesthetic views. In reorganizational business, Pierce made a motion to reappoint all positions for 2017. Clater will continue to serve as chairman, and Krill will continue his work as vice chairman for the Planning Commission. The next Allen Township Planning Commission meeting will be held on Monday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Marcia Hahn Page 4
Tree sale to Benefit 4-H Page 5
PA farms Among leaders Page 6
76th Year, Issue No. 3 www.homenewspa.com
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