Board approves drainage upgrades, added screening at Hampshire Court property after neighbors’ concerns

The Springfield Township Board of Adjustment on June 17 unanimously approved a revised drainage and landscaping plan for 4 Hampshire Court that adds stormwater tanks and planting to reduce surface runoff and address neighbors’ concerns.

The applicant’s counsel presented two exhibits — a drainage plan (AA1) and a full-size landscaping plan (AA2) — showing three seepage tanks (two in the rear yard and one in the front), a swale or berm directing runoff to the rear tanks, and a row of seven arborvitae ("Green Giants") plus a cypress near the pool to increase on-site absorption. Counsel said the tanks are sized at roughly 1,000–2,000 gallons each and that design calculations account for an 8.7-inch rainfall event plus a 35% climate modifier used in local planning calculations.

Why this matters: Neighbors at previous hearings raised persistent concerns about water flowing from the subject lot into adjacent yards. The board and applicant focused this follow-up meeting on technical fixes and plantings intended to reduce off-site impacts.

Board members questioned whether overflow would be directed onto neighboring lots. Counsel and the sworn applicant, Katiana Morales, said the rear property line contains area drains and that the swale would route any excess toward the rear tanks rather than across neighboring yards. When asked whether the plan satisfied the township engineer, the board heard from Mr. Michael Disco, who confirmed he had reviewed the engineer’s plan and that it met his expectations.

During deliberations, a board member who had previously raised concerns about impervious coverage said the applicant had made substantive changes to mitigate runoff, including the tanks and added landscaping, and that he did not anticipate a detrimental impact on neighbors. The board then voted 7–0 to approve the application.

Quotes: “They've done everything the board has asked of them,” the applicant’s counsel told the board, summarizing concessions made since the May hearing. Katiana Morales, sworn in to testify, said the applicant had followed the board’s and county/state guidance on seepage-tank sizing and intended plantings and stonework around tanks.

What happens next: The chair indicated the memorializing resolution will likely be placed on the July meeting agenda for formal adoption.

Clarifying details: The applicant’s counsel cited design guidance that factors a 35% modifier to the baseline 8.7-inch rainfall calculation to approximate future climate impacts; the transcript names the modifier but does not supply a formal local ordinance citation for that calculation. The applicant said the two rear tanks and a front yard tank are new installations; the transcript does not list final construction permits or exact installation dates.