Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hop Penn Dot Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission flags highway access and HOP process after solar site and PennDOT delays
Summary
The commission discussed sight‑distance and PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) issues for a recently started solar site and agreed to revisit local HOP language after repeated permitting delays.
Commission members raised safety and permit‑process concerns about highway access for a recently started solar installation west of Center and spent a substantial portion of the meeting discussing regional HOP processes and a suggested local code fix.
At least one commissioner reported seeing the solar site's entrance “sneak up on you” when driving westbound and said sight distance felt insufficient; the commission urged that PennDOT validate the site's sight‑distance assessment. Commissioners also described a broader pattern of delays and unpredictability in PennDOT's issuance or recordkeeping of HOP numbers, which has caused multi‑month holds in final plan recording for local projects.
Staff and members described a practical workaround used in some townships: finalize plans with a blank line reserved for the HOP number, coordinate issuance of the HOP with the surveyor, then refile the plan with the HOP number inserted and charge a modest recording fee to obtain a stamped copy for county records. Commissioners said the county should revisit proposed HOP‑related code language and consider formalizing that practice so projects are not stalled by inconsistent PennDOT procedures.
Why it matters: HOP delays have delayed final plan approvals and can block mortgages and development financing. Commission members asked staff to re‑circulate a draft of proposed language for the commission to review at the next meeting.
No formal vote was recorded on a policy change; commissioners agreed to have staff reissue the draft language for review and to continue the discussion next month.
