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Developer asks Tredyffrin to create lower sewer-capacity category for 435 Devon Park conversion
Summary
Developer Eli Khan urged the Tredyffrin Township board to add a "residential conversion dwelling" category to the sewer-fee schedule so smaller workforce units pay fees tied to actual water use; the board heard the request but took no vote.
Eli Khan, the applicant for the 435 Devon Park Drive conversion project, asked the Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors on Dec. 1 to revise the township27s sewer-capacity fee schedule so converted workforce units are charged based on lower, measured water use rather than the township27s current flat per-dwelling assumption.
Khan told the board the project will convert a vacant office building into 162 workforce housing units, with 150 one-bedroom or efficiency units and 12 two-bedroom units. "By ordinance, we agreed with the township that we would limit the number of two-bedroom units ... to no more than 30% of the units," Khan said, adding the development is intended to provide smaller, lower-cost units.
Khan said the township27s sewer schedule currently treats every dwelling the same, requiring an allocation equivalent to 275 gallons per day per dwelling unit. He called that approach "unfair" for compact workforce units and said supporting engineering data submitted to the township shows expected use of roughly "60 to 80 gallons per day per unit." He requested the board adopt, by resolution, a new category for "residential conversion dwelling" tied to lower gallons-per-day assumptions used elsewhere in the township27s fee schedule.
Khan also cited regional practice and the Department of Environmental Protection27s (DEP) standards, saying DEP allows reductions in design gallons-per-day for different housing types but generally sets a practical minimum of 100 gpd per unit. "We would even go so far as be willing to meter our sewer leaving the property to prove that we're not using even the 100 gallons per day," Khan said.
Khan contrasted the two fee scenarios: if the township grants the reduced category, the project would need to purchase roughly 19 additional equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) at an approximate cost of $181,000; if the township does not modify the fee schedule, he said, the project would be required to buy about $1.15 million in additional sewer capacity that the development "will absolutely have no use for." Khan said he and his engineer provided supporting documentation to the township27s sewer consultant.
Miss McFersonson introduced the item and confirmed the applicant was present to explain the request; Mr. Khan answered board questions and explained the conversion parameters, fixture counts and the prior zoning approval that defined "residential conversion dwelling" and limited two-bedroom units.
Board members acknowledged Khan27s presentation but did not take a formal vote or issue a directive on Dec. 1. The item remains a request for a change to the township27s sewer-capacity fee schedule; staff and the board may return to it in a future meeting.
Next steps: the board did not adopt a resolution at this meeting and provided no recorded motion to amend the fee schedule. The applicant said supporting technical documentation was submitted for the township27s review.
