August 21, 2008 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or Winner of Two |
Springfield mulls strict environmental safeguards Springfield Township’s Board of Commissioners are leading a debate over what environmental restrictions should be placed on homeowners near the township’s waterways and streams. At its workshop meeting last week, board members debated a Riparian Corridor Conservation District ordinance that would create an overlay district for streams, wetlands water bodies and the land adjacent to them. It is estimated that there are 634 homes along the various creeks and waterways. The ordinance divides the land in the corridor into two zones, depending on the type of water body or the site’s proximity to a water source. As the discussion unfolded, many of the commissioners were clearly uncomfortable with some of the restrictions the ordinance would place on homeowners. Commissioner James Dailey raised questions about the vegetation clause in the draft. As written, the ordinance would prohibit property owners from removing existing plantings and/or dictate the type of planting permitted on their property. “So to remove a tree or a shrub, they would need to get a variance?” Dailey asked. Township Manager Donald Berger Jr. said he thought the ordinance would require the township to act on matters without the necessary expertise. “This doesn’t belong in zoning,” Berger said. “Environmental engineers should hear these cases as to why something either needs to be done or why someone wants to do something.” The ordinance would further prohibit property owners from storing hazardous materials, using fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and/or other chemicals in excess of prescribed industry standards. Commissioner Glenn Schaum expressed his concern that the ordinance was unnecessarily burdening the homeowners in the conservation corridor. “We are fixing the problem at the end instead of at the start,” Schaum said. “Water comes through town into the storm water drains, not just the 600 and some homes near the creek.” Schaum also said he worried that the ordinance could deter the township’s younger residents from sticking around. “What makes this community thrive is younger people in smaller houses that decide to stay and add on, not move away,” he said. “I don’t want to discourage that.” The ordinance would piggyback the existing zoning code, which requires a variance for homeowners seeking to add on to their property 25 percent or greater of the current square footage. Once the riparian corridor ordinance is enacted, those same homeowners would also be required to meet the standards in the ordinance. On the other hand, Commissioner Doug Heller said, in adopting the ordinance, the township would be leading the way in environmental science. “This is what science does, it provides best practices,” he said. “I’m okay with government establishing best practices.” One of the basic tenants of a riparian corridor conservation district is to leave the natural vegetation as undisturbed as possible so in a storm the water is slowed and naturally filtered. Commissioner Robert Gillies Jr. suggested that some of the restrictions seem to burden homeowners and should perhaps be part of an education program, not an ordinance. Commissioner Jeff Harbison summarized the concerns for property owners in the corridor. “There are three issues we need to address and figure out – what happens in the event of some sort of development or subdivision, what happens when someone wants to build onto their house and what happens if you just happen to live in the corridor and do nothing,” he said. “Are there hidden things that will fall on you?” The Commissioners agreed to hold off on voting on the ordinance and to talk to more experts to answer some of the questions. The next workshop meeting of the Board of Commissioners is scheduled for Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. in the township building. For information on the riparian corridor conservation district ordinance, visit http://www. springfield-montco. org/pdf/new-ordance.pdf.
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