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Board denies Staging Hill subdivision after staff say application file is incomplete
Summary
The board voted to deny preliminary/final subdivision approval for Staging Hill LLC (owner Steve Canalano), citing failure to provide required health, stormwater, PennDOT approvals and tree inventory; the applicant said protective covenants preserve trees but staff said the file remains incomplete.
The Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors voted on Jan. 20 to deny the preliminary and final subdivision application for Staging Hill LLC (owner Steve Canalano) because the township engineer’s review letter identified outstanding required submissions and the statutory decision deadline arrived.
Staff and the township engineer told the board that the application lacked key items needed to determine compliance: a recorded or reviewable protective covenant, documentation from the Bucks County Health Department for septic, PennDOT highway occupancy approval (where required), a stormwater management design and the tree inventory required to evaluate a submitted waiver request. The board’s motion to deny cited failure to comply with the engineer’s review letter.
Owner Steve Canalano told the board he submitted protective covenants with the application and said his intent was preservation — he said the restrictive covenants would prevent tree removal — and argued that requiring an inventory of hundreds of trees was unnecessary ‘busy work.’ Township staff and the board disagreed, saying that protective covenants and any preservation intent must be demonstrable on the plan and that officials need the full, reviewable file to assess the subdivision and any requested waivers.
Staff advised the applicant to request a written extension or resubmit a complete file; if the applicant returns with the required technical and recorded materials the board said the application could be reconsidered. The motion to deny was made and seconded and carried by voice vote under the applicable procedural deadline.
