Zoning & Subdivision
Review Committee
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday
May 25, 2004 6:30 p.m. at the MCRPC Offices
2491 Highland Road Hermitage, PA (724) 981-2412
MEMBERS & OTHERS
PRESENT
Mr. Dash, Planner, called the
meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. A quorum was present. A motion was made
by Mr. Garrett and seconded by Mr. Hogan to approve the Minutes of the April
27, 2004 meeting with no additions, corrections, or deletions. The motion
passed.
N E W B U S I N E S S
1. Brocklehurst Modification
West Salem Township Mr. Dash
explained he received a request from Vernice Brocklehurst, owner/subdivider of
property located on S. Maysville Road. Ms. Brocklehurst is requesting a
modification to the Mercer County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance,
Section 407 (2.f), which states that the depth of the lot shall not exceed 4
times the width. He noted that the size of the property is 11 ½ acres and the
lot seems to be generally flat, with a small creek in the front. Ms.
Brocklehurst is subdividing her residence from the pasture fields, which are
being sold to a neighboring farmer. A portion of the remaining lands to the
north were added to Lot 5 to create the width at the back. Lot 5 is an
irregular shaped lot that has almost 300 of frontage along S. Maysville
Road. The lot maintains a generally rectangular shape for the first 540 of
depth, and then narrows to approximately 60 wide about 700 back. The lot
opens up to a maximum width of about 600 in the back. The total depth of
the lot is approximately 1900.
Mr. Dash noted that the only
alternative layout with this property would be to leave the remaining lands to
the north stay with the present lot, and the field in the back is included in
the remaining lands to the south instead of Lot 5. The lot that would be
created would be approximately 4 acres, and would meet the 4:1 requirement.
Ms. Brocklehurst explained the
reasoning behind this modification. She explained that she had promised to
sell a certain piece of property to a neighboring dairy farmer and to give her
son and daughter-in-law a certain piece of property that would be added on to
his existing lot/home next to her. Mr. McCandless explained the irregularity
of the property.
In discussion, Mr. Dash stated
that currently there are two parcels one parcel has Ms. Brocklehurst home
on it and the other parcel has her sons home on it and the farm fields. Ms.
Brocklehurst wants to subdivide her two lots into three lots. Instead of
having one lot with a house and a farm field, there would be two lots with
houses and one lot with a farm field. Mr. Dash noted that the way the property
is proposed to be subdivided; it does not meet the 4:1 requirement because of
the irregularity of the property.
After discussion, it was felt
that since there is no other use for this property and there is not much else
you could do with this property; a motion was made by Mr. Garrett and
seconded by Mr. Price to recommend approval of the modification to the 4:1
requirement for Vernice Brocklehurst for Lot 5. The motion passed.
2. Subdivision Modification
Request Hempfield Township Mr.
Dash explained that he received a request from the Greenville Municipal
Authority for property located on Hadley Road (Rt. 358). The Greenville
Municipal Authority is requesting a modification to the Mercer County
Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, Section 407 (3.f.1), which states
that an access strip must be fifty feet wide if it serves two or more lots or
if there is adequate acreage within the rear lot for further resubdivision. He
noted that the present zoning is in the Mixed Use (B) District which has
10,000 sq. ft. minimum lot size. The existing and proposed land use is public
infrastructure (water tower on the property). The modification that is
requested is for the 50 foot access strip. The reason for this modification is
because a subdivision was done to divide the existing water tower from the
remainder of the lot. Lot #23, which is 3.283 acres and contains the water
tower, is being subdivided off of the parent tract, which contains 134.198
acres. The parent tract has plenty of frontage along Williamson and Methodist
Road, so there was always adequate access to the property, and will still be
for the parent tract. The newly created Lot #23 will only have access from the
strip that fronts on Hadley Road. The access strip has 95.29 of frontage on
Hadley Road, but narrows to 41.82 at the closest point.
In discussion, Mr. Hogan
questioned how much area there was by the water tower? Mr. Dash stated 3.283
acres. It was also noted that the area along Hadley Road is built up with more
dense, single-family residential uses, so there is no possible way of gaining
the additional acreage for the access strip from the neighboring properties.
Mr. Price questioned about the property and how it can be further subdivided.
Mr. Dash stated that this property could be further subdivided because it is
all in the Mixed Use District, which has a 10,000 sq. ft. minimum lot size. It
was also noted removing this water tower is not likely.
After discussion, Mr.
Hogan made a motion to recommend approving the modification request. Mr.
Garrett seconded. The motion passed with Mr. Price voting no.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further
business to conduct, the meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Dash,
Planner
Mercer
County Regional Planning Commission
2491 Highland Road, Hermitage, PA 16148
mail@mcrpc.com www.mcrpc.com
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