MINUTES OF
SPRING GARDEN TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION
April 5, 2011
CALL TO ORDER: The monthly meeting of the Spring Garden Township Planning Commission was held on April 5, 2011 in the Township Municipal Building, 340 Tri Hill Rd., York, PA.
Present: Doug George Lynn Rinehart, Zoning Officer
Bob Sandmeyer David Davidson, C.S. Davidson
Dan Rooney
Mike Dorgan
John DeHaas
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: There were no public comments.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the January 4, 2011 meeting were presented for approval. Motion was made by DeHaas/Sandmeyer to approve the minutes. Motion approved unanimously.
ZONING APPLICATIONS
Application #125-02-11 – YORK HOSPITAL, 1001 sOUTH gEORGE sTREET, York, PA has submitted a Variance extension request. Attorney Jeremy Frey represented the applicant. York Hospital was granted a Variance in 2001 to build a 12-story hospital. Only six stories were constructed at that time. In 2006 they requested a five year extension for the building height Variance. There does not appear to be any law that requires an extension of a variance. Lynn noted that prior extension request was before she worked for the Township so she does not know why a five-year extension was granted. She feels that no extension is required because a Variance stays with the property and the Variance in 2001 was for a 12 story building. Mr. DeHaas made a motion to recommend approval of the Variance extension request, seconded by Mr. Sandmeyer. Motion passed unanimously.
Application #125-03-11 – YORK COLLEGE, 441 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD, York, PA has submitted a Special Exception for an existing non-conformity and a building height Variance. Ken Martin, Neal Metzger, and Jeremy Frey represented the applicant. York College is proposing adding academic space to the Business Administration building. It is currently three stories proposed to be five stories and 77 ft. high.
Building area on the campus is limited by flood plain area and required open area. This addition will result in 3,000 additional square feet of impervious surface. The request is no more than the height of previously granted Variances. Handicapped parking will be moved to the parking garage. The College feels that there will be no negative affects on neighboring properties.
The college estimates that this project will begin in spring/summer 2012 and they request an extension of the time from approval to obtaining a building permit.
The purpose of this addition is to keep the Business Administration and Master of Business Administration programs together as a Department.
Bob Sandmeyer made a motion recommending that the Zoning Hearing Board approve the Special Exception request. John DeHaas seconded and noted that it is better to build up rather than spreading the building out. Motion passed unanimously.
John DeHaas motioned to approve the Variance request for a five story addition, 77 feet high, and that the college be given 15 months to obtain a building permit for both the Special Exception and the Variance. Seconded by Mr. Sandmeyer – motion passed unanimously.
SUBDIVISION/LAND DEVELOPMENT PLANS
SUBDIVISION PLAN – YORK COLLEGE, 441 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD, YORK, PA has submitted a Final Subdivision Plan to consolidate exterior parcels that are contiguous to the main campus. The consolidation will include nine parcels plus street vacations that were approved by the Board of Commissioners at their March 9, 2011 meeting. All Davidson and York County Planning comments have been addressed. York City needs to approve the plan. This subdivision will improve set back restrictions and eliminate clutter.
Motion by Mr. DeHaas to approve the plan with the following conditions:
· Surveyors seal and signature
· Owner’s notarized signature
· City approval obtained
The following waivers are requested:
· Listing of prior Variances and Special Exceptions
· Topographic contours and datum
· Size and invert elevations of sanitary and storm sewers
Motion seconded by Mr. Sandmeyer and approved unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS – The Zoning Ordinance text amendments will be before the Planning Commission in May with comments from York County Planning. Both the text amendments and the zoning map updates will be on the Board of Commissioner’s May agenda with a Public Hearing possible in June.
Meeting adjourned 8:17 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lynn M. Rinehart, Zoning Officer