| Forks Action Committee |
| Homepage - Last Day of the Month |
| February 28, 2007 |
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In case any of you wonder how our website and blog are doing lately, here are some graphs to view. Double click on the
images below for larger views. We are excited at the traffic we are getting. Thank you all! Tell your friends!
images below for larger views. We are excited at the traffic we are getting. Thank you all! Tell your friends!
On February 1st, Forks Board of Supervisors began its evening with an interview for the Planning Commission
vacancy. Georgeann Wambold was interviewed at 7:15 PM and appointed to the 4 year term (during the regular meeting.) The
Forks Township Youth Sports Organization dances will resume in the Community Center. The target date is February 23rd but it
may be later than that. Watch their website for updates. To read more about the return of youth dances see Courtney Lomax
(Express Times) and Joe Nixon (Morning Call).
The rest of the meeting - in a nutshell:
Please read our blog for more meeting details! Don't forget to read some of the other posts there... and the Comments too. Don't
be afraid to join in the discussion(s) and add your own Comments.
vacancy. Georgeann Wambold was interviewed at 7:15 PM and appointed to the 4 year term (during the regular meeting.) The
Forks Township Youth Sports Organization dances will resume in the Community Center. The target date is February 23rd but it
may be later than that. Watch their website for updates. To read more about the return of youth dances see Courtney Lomax
(Express Times) and Joe Nixon (Morning Call).
The rest of the meeting - in a nutshell:
- The Kings Mill Farm agenda item was cancelled. It will be on the February 8th Planning Commission agenda and will
return to the BoS February 15th. This is the "by-right" plan for 2 acre lots (on 445 acres) that was filled by the developers
just before the new zoning ordinance was adopted. - Forks residents who bring stray dogs and cats to the SPCA and are not prepared to pay out their own pockets have been
referred back to the Township police. The Township pays per animal but only when the animal control officer or a Forks
police officer brings the animals to the SPCA. - Articles for the spring edition of the Forks Quarterly are bing prepared. If all goes well, it should be in our mailboxes at the
end of March. - The Township website is now completely moved over to its new host. The address is the same. The content and
timeliness is expected to improve. - T-Mobile wants to erect a tower in our park! Supervisor Miller will meet with them to learn more about their hoped-for
location and plans. The committee will meet with the rep. again in March and then the proposal will be presented to the
Board. - The State mediator met with the Township and non-uniformed employees representatives recently. The employees have
presented a counter proposal. It was discussed in Executive Session and nothing was disclosed to the public. - Township resident Sandy Hanks volunteered for the "Elected" Auditors Board vacancy and was appointed. In all likelihood,
there will be no meetings and no work for the balance of her term. This is the position vacated by Wayne Docker in
December before the auditors' one and only annual meeting last January. Hanks joins Elizabeth Casapulla and James
Craig - the two auditors who set this year's working Supervisors pay rates. - Sandy Hanks notified the Board of an Express Times article detailing an upcoming Agricultural Land Use Workshop
scheduled for the Hotel Bethlehem on March 15th from 1-4 PM. Topics included in the program are laws about agricultural
land protected from development (farmland protection), the Right to Farm Act, and municipalities planning codes. Hanks
suggested that at $25/per attendee, the Board should send representatives from the Board, from planning, and from
zoning. - Resident Gretchen Gerstel asked Supervisor Howell when he would begin holding town meetings as he promised in his
campaign. Howell replied that under the committee structure (as opposed to the old liaison structure) there is a new
committee, the Community Relations Committee. It meets twice a month, on the 2nd Wednesday at 9:00 AM and on the
4th Wednesday at 4:45 PM. He and Supervisor Nicholas are on the committee and the meetings are open to the public.
Howell added that if evening meetings are necessary because of major issues such as the Comprehensive Plan work,
residents will be encouraged to attend. - Dan Martyak, vice president of the FTYSO, detailed the new rules for future youth dances. And, after hearing his talk, the
Board voted 4:0 to allow the dances to resume.
Please read our blog for more meeting details! Don't forget to read some of the other posts there... and the Comments too. Don't
be afraid to join in the discussion(s) and add your own Comments.
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On February 8th, the Planning Commission voted to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that the Kings Farm offer
of a time extension until July 31st be rejected. They then voted to recommend that the Board reject the entire plan. The Board will
consider the issue at its February 15th meeting.
According to Township Engineer Fred Hay, the planning module is incomplete and therefore a proper plan evaluation cannot be
done. The Kings Farm developers were given until January 31st to complete the required perc tests. They did not and now have
offered a time extension until July 31. It's up to the Board whether to accept or reject this time extension offer.
The plan was first presented to the Township at the end of December 2005 and is allowed by-right under the zoning ordinance in
effect at the time. The ordinance allowed 2 acre minimum lots in the Farmland Protection District (FP). The new zoning ordinance
was adopted in February 2006 and it allows 3 acre minimum lots or clusters with 1 acre lots and equal contiguous open space.
The Kings Farm plan is for 182 +/- homes on 435 +/- acres in the FP district. This is NOT the same plan that is the subject of the
zoning challenge. That plan, Kings Mill, is for 3000+ dwelling units (apartments, townshouses, trailers, etc.) on 500+ acres in the
FP. The Kings Farm 435 acres are included in the Kings Mill plan. For more about the Planning Commission meeting, read
Nixon (Morning Call) and Lomax (Express Times.)
Please read our blog for more meeting details! Don't forget to read some of the other posts there... and the Comments too. Don't
be afraid to join in the discussion(s) and add your own Comments.
of a time extension until July 31st be rejected. They then voted to recommend that the Board reject the entire plan. The Board will
consider the issue at its February 15th meeting.
According to Township Engineer Fred Hay, the planning module is incomplete and therefore a proper plan evaluation cannot be
done. The Kings Farm developers were given until January 31st to complete the required perc tests. They did not and now have
offered a time extension until July 31. It's up to the Board whether to accept or reject this time extension offer.
The plan was first presented to the Township at the end of December 2005 and is allowed by-right under the zoning ordinance in
effect at the time. The ordinance allowed 2 acre minimum lots in the Farmland Protection District (FP). The new zoning ordinance
was adopted in February 2006 and it allows 3 acre minimum lots or clusters with 1 acre lots and equal contiguous open space.
The Kings Farm plan is for 182 +/- homes on 435 +/- acres in the FP district. This is NOT the same plan that is the subject of the
zoning challenge. That plan, Kings Mill, is for 3000+ dwelling units (apartments, townshouses, trailers, etc.) on 500+ acres in the
FP. The Kings Farm 435 acres are included in the Kings Mill plan. For more about the Planning Commission meeting, read
Nixon (Morning Call) and Lomax (Express Times.)
Please read our blog for more meeting details! Don't forget to read some of the other posts there... and the Comments too. Don't
be afraid to join in the discussion(s) and add your own Comments.
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The February 15th Board of Supervisors meeting had a small agenda, with BIG items!
The Kings Farm time extension offer, the Weis Market Conditional Use Vote, and the Weis
preliminary land development plan presentation were all there. These are the projects that are giving
Forks so much press lately. For more on the Kings Farm decision, read Courtney Lomax (Express
Times) and Joe Nixon (Morning Call). For more on the Weis Market vote, read (second articles) by
Nixon and Lomax.
Meeting highlights include:
At this time there are no detailed meeting notes on the blog. FAC hopes to have them posted by
midweek.
The Kings Farm time extension offer, the Weis Market Conditional Use Vote, and the Weis
preliminary land development plan presentation were all there. These are the projects that are giving
Forks so much press lately. For more on the Kings Farm decision, read Courtney Lomax (Express
Times) and Joe Nixon (Morning Call). For more on the Weis Market vote, read (second articles) by
Nixon and Lomax.
Meeting highlights include:
- Chief Dorney presented the Police Department 5 Year Plan in a workshop at 6:30 PM.
- A meeting was held on Tuesday with Stockertown Borough Council to discuss continuing
Forks Fire Department coverage there beyond the March 16 deadline. Another meeting will
be held soon. - Forks EMS was asked during a Public Safety Committee meeting to return again with a
budget and additional figures. - The FTYSO youth dances will begin again on Friday, February 23rd in the Community Center.
- There were no - as in zero - vehicle accidents in Forks during the past week's winter storm!
- The plan for Kings Farm - the nearly 190 homes on two acre lots covering approximately 450
acres in the FP district was rejected with a unanimous vote. The plan was called incomplete
because the planning module, soil tests, and traffic study were not submitted. Later, Kings
Farm attorney, John VanLuvanee told reporters that the developers will appeal the decision. - The Weis Market conditional use was approved in a 3:2 vote with Nicholas and Ackerman
voting nay. The Weis preliminary land development plan was also approved, 3:2. Ackerman
apologized to the developers saying that he really likes the plan and only voted against it
because he does not like the "right-out" on Sullivan Trail. He has no issue with the right-in. - Solicitor Kline was asked by the Board to write a letter to the SPCA and ask them to stop
referring Forks residents to the Forks Police Department to pick up stray cats. The PD is
authorized under State statute to collect stray/problem dogs and not other domestic animals. - Developer Robert Ciccone was allowed by former Township Manager Kichline to post a bond
instead of an irrevocable letter of credit for the Briarwood development. Kline said that
documentation to that effect was found in the Ciccone file. It verified that Ms. Kichline returned
Ciccone's letter of credit. Neither the Board nor Kline were involved in that decision. The
Board decided to let it stand since the development is in its "maintenance" phase. Kline
explained the difference between the 2 vehicles: With a letter of credit, if there's a problem,
the Township can go to the bank and get its money within 5 days and with a bond, it's like
buying a "lawsuit." Bond providers are like insurance companies that accept premium
payments but are reluctant to pay out for claims.
At this time there are no detailed meeting notes on the blog. FAC hopes to have them posted by
midweek.
| Planning Commission - 2007 - Slot Filled! On February 1st, Georgeann Wambold of Newlins Road East was appointed by the Board of Supervisor to the open slot on the Planning Commission. It's a 4 year term and she is the first woman appointed in recent memory. Congratulations! Take heart all of you who were considering serving. There will be two more seats available at the end of 2007! Dust off your resumes and volunteer. |
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