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Paragonia commission forwards detailed SALDO comments to Penn Township, flags survey and floodplain language
Summary
The Planning Commission reviewed Penn Township's proposed SALDO amendments and approved sending a letter noting missing ordinance structure, recommended wording changes on time extensions and surveyor qualifications, and suggested updating floodplain terminology to FEMA's current phrasing.
PARAGONIA — At its July 16 meeting the Paragonia Planning Commission voted to forward a detailed review of Penn Township’s proposed Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) amendments to the township supervisors, identifying technical edits and legal/terminology gaps.
Why it matters: The commission’s comments address procedural and technical items that affect how Penn Township will administer subdivision and land-development reviews, including requirements for proper ordinance formatting, survey monument standards, and flood-plain terminology that reflects current FEMA usage.
Staff summary of comments Jason (staff member) read a written review recommending that Penn Township provide the proposed amendment text in a complete ordinance format — including spaces for passage, signature and effective dates — rather than as disjointed text. The commission’s letter also recommends clarifications and edits in several areas, including:
- Time-extension language (the review-period extension should be granted by the applicant to the township, not vice versa). - Clarify who is responsible for notifying adjoining municipalities when plans affect them. - Remove or revise an item on building permits so that subdivision approval remains a prerequisite for building permits rather than vice versa. - Consolidate minimum lot-size references and reconcile PADEP (state environmental agency) minimums with local language. - Correct a requirement that survey markers be placed only by an appropriate licensed professional (not every professional engineer is authorized to perform land surveying unless dually licensed). - Update “hundred-year flood elevation” terminology to current FEMA phrasing (areas of 1% annual chance flood, etc.).
Commission action and next steps The commission voted to send the review letter to Penn Township supervisors, instructing staff to forward the comments as recommended. Commissioners said the letter is intended to help Penn Township adopt a clean, technically correct ordinance so future applications can be processed without ambiguity.
The motion to send the comments passed on a voice vote recorded in the meeting transcript as "aye." The commission did not record roll-call counts in the transcript. Staff will transmit the review letter to Penn Township and include the commission’s suggested wording changes.
