Board of Supervisors Work Session
Wednesday, April 14 2010
The work session of the Buckingham Township Board of Supervisors was held April 14, 2010 in the Township Building, 4613 Hughesian Drive, Buckingham, Pennsylvania.
Present:
Jon Forest Chairman
Maggie Rash Vice-Chairman
Henry Rowan Member
Craig A. Smith, Esquire Township Solicitor
Dan Gray Township Engineer
Dana Cozza Township Manager
Lynn Bush Bucks County Planning Commission
The meeting was called to order at 9:25pm.
1. Land Development Waiver Request
Representing the applicant was Mr. Ed Murphy and Ms. Sharon Dotts, Project Manager Gilmore & Associates.
Ms. Dotts summarized that the owner of the retail center anchored by MAB paint store was planning to undertake façade improvements and do parking lot repaving. She explained that prior to repaving, drainage improvements would be installed as the site experiences frequent flooding and poor drainage. Mr. Rowan asked how the improvements would help. Ms. Dotts explained that they were over sizing the pipes so that the water would have somewhere to go. Mr. Rowan asked where the water ultimately goes. Ms. Dotts explained that the water followed the storm sewer into a small detention facility behind the Papa Johns and other shops. Ms. Dotts noted that they were talking to Doylestown Lumber because they have the same flooding issues. Ms. Dotts noted that the project would create no more impervious surface and they were not changing any use. They were just giving the existing water somewhere to go.
Mr. Gray reported that Knight Engineering would support a waiver as long as the applicant addressed the engineering issues. Ms. Dotts responded that once there was resolution on the waiver request she would meet with Mr. Gray to work out any issues. Mr. Kelso asked Ms. Dotts if they had been approached by the Doylestown Municipal Authority (DMA) for an easement. Ms. Dotts responded they had not. Mr. Kelso suggested that Ms. Dotts check with Mr. Dick John as DMA was putting a water line out there.
Board consensus was to give approval for the land development waiver request. Mr. Forest asked Ms. Cozza to put it on the agenda for formal consideration.
2. Solar Panels
Discussion followed about ordinances for solar panels. Ms. Cozza announced that staff had been compiling information and draft ordinances about solar panels. Mr. Rowan reported that he had a model solar ordinance that he would provide to Ms. Cozza and Ms. Bush. Ms. Bush reported that as part of the jointure they were working on green ordinances and solar panels, wood boilers, windmills, etc. Ms. Bush noted that she had received information on the wood boilers and had spoken with DEP who was very concerned about them. Ms. Bush offered to put a green ordinance package together for consideration by the Planning Commission. Mr. Rowan felt there would be some resistance in the environmental community to lump them all together.
Solicitor Smith suggested that the Board needed to consider where they wanted to place such things in the zoning ordinance. He felt that some of it would fall under the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) but other parts would be zoning. Solicitor Smith suggested that it could also be a stand alone ordinance and that there were arguments for and against each approach which the Board should consider. Ms. Bush thought that wood fired burners should be stand alone (and there was also some building code provisions).
3. PECO
Ms. Cozza reported that there was some interest in doing an energy audit of the Township and the water and wastewater systems to see where improvements could be made. She reported that PECO would pay 50% of the cost of an energy audit up to $10,000 as long as the Township agreed to implement at least 50% of the recommendations. Ms. Cozza reported there were several ways to proceed. One option would be to do the audit and not file the paperwork if the recommendations were thought to be too costly. She reported that another option would be to hire an energy auditor with the instruction that the Township wanted to look at things that could be done that would pay for themselves within 5-10 years (or whatever time frame was chosen) in order to eliminate the potential to incur high costs with long payback periods. Other options could be considered as well. Mr. Rowan asked the cost of an energy audit. Ms. Cozza responded that she would look further into it and bring back more information. Board consensus was that Ms. Cozza should get more information so they could consider an energy audit. Ms. Cozza commented that she thought the Board should definitely look at lighting, specifically T12 lighting because as of June or July they would no longer be made. Ms. Cozza reported that an LED light was being installed in the office for a trial.
The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 9:55pm.
Approved by the Board of Supervisors on the 28th day of April, 2010.
Buckingham Township Board of Supervisors
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Jon Forest, Chairman
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Attest: Maggie Rash, Vice-Chairman
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Dana S. Cozza, Secretary Henry Rowan, Member
Minutes respectfully submitted by Suzanne Safran.
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