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Springettsbury resident Kim Ledge urges township to review beekeeping and sight‑triangle enforcement after appeal loss
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Summary
At a board meeting, resident Kim Ledge described losing an appeal of Ordinance 289‑42 that led to notices requiring hive removal and tree action at Druck Valley and Mount Zion roads; she urged the board to review permitting, enforcement and protections for long‑standing properties and historic features.
Resident Kim Ledge told the Springettsbury Township Board of Supervisors that she lost an appeal of Ordinance 289‑42, which addresses obstruction of vision within the 75‑foot site triangle at Druck Valley Road and Mount Zion Road. "I lost my appeal because it was upheld by the letter of the law," she said, adding that the appeal process was "cumbersome, costly, not straightforward, and certainly not easily understood."
Ledge said she has lived in Springettsbury Township for about 30 years and described restoring an 1881 house and maintaining a hobby farm, orchards and long‑standing beekeeping. She said she received a notice that her beehives needed to be dismantled under a 2023 ordinance because she did not have a formal license for the bees, and that moving colonies in cold weather was "heartbreaking" for a beekeeper. "I feel targeted, and this feels personal," she said, and asked whether the township could "modify our current policy and protect our historic property and others around us."
Supervisor follow‑up during the meeting focused on how the ordinance has been applied. One supervisor asked why a 5.3‑acre parcel at the intersection could not support beekeeping and requested staff review of the specific notice that prompted the enforcement. The board also raised questions about whether sight‑triangle complaints routinely trigger enforcement actions and whether there are checks and balances beyond the zoning officer's initial determination.
The solicitor—who said they were involved in drafting the beekeeping ordinance—told the board the ordinance intended to work with residents who already kept bees and to require issuance of a permit allowing the township to track the number of apiaries. Planning/zoning staff noted the township uses property‑size tiers (for example, quarter‑acre parcels have lower hive allowances) and said they would research the specific notice and return with details.
In closing the exchange, staff committed to report back with the ordinance language and the reasons for the citation so the board can determine whether policy or its implementation should be revised.
