Hearing officer approves University West quick plat with amended floodplain notes

Hearing Officer Kellen Spillman approved a quick-plat request to vacate an interior lot line between Lots 13A and 13B in University West Portion Number 10 at an administrative hearing on Dec. 18, 2025.

Staff presented the proposal and recommended approval with five conditions and three findings of fact. Staff noted the parcel benefits from access via Villanova Drive and Princeton Drive, references plat #805-276, and that the application qualifies as a quick plat because it does not increase the number of lots beyond four. Staff also warned of a pending FEMA physical map revision in the area that may change the property’s flood status; the staff report concluded, “With those 5 conditions and the 3 findings of facts, staff recommends approval and that concludes my staff report.” (read into the record by Mr. Leake).

Applicant representative Ryan Hunt told the hearing the change "is due to financing" and that the buyer requires a single lot rather than two. Hunt said the existing mapping shows the house "straddling a flood zone," and that the applicant intends to establish a benchmark (TBM) because the new FEMA maps are not yet official: "we will be establishing a TBM there, since the new maps don't officially come out." When asked about timing, Hunt said the client expects to record the final plat "as soon as possible, within the next 2 weeks."

No members of the public signed up to testify. Spillman closed public testimony, said he would make two minor amendments to condition 4 and condition 5 to reference approval by the floodplain administrator and to allow updated base flood elevation (BFE) language if FEMA revisions occur, and approved the quick plat with the five conditions as amended. He adopted the staff findings of fact a–c, required a final plat prepared by a registered land surveyor to be submitted to the community planning department within 24 months (or preliminary approval will become void), and reminded parties that the decision may be appealed in writing to the borough clerk's office within 10 working days.

The decision resolves the quick-plat application for RP012-26 unless appealed. The hearing record indicates staff and the applicant will coordinate with the floodplain administrator on final plat language if the FEMA map revision is adopted before recording.