Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Riparian Mitigation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews mitigation plan after contractor built basketball court inside Horsham riparian corridor
Summary
A resident seeking a pool and cabana also disclosed a contractor‑built basketball court that sits inside riparian corridor Zone 2; applicant proposed limited grading of previously disturbed lawn, 10,000 sq ft of riparian plantings (including 47 shrubs) and an 18‑month maintenance period; staff indicated neutral recommendation if landscaping plan is followed.
Applicant Nicholas Devetia told council that a contractor poured a basketball court in the wrong location and that the court now lies within riparian corridor Zone 2. Devetia said he discovered the placement when applying for a pool permit and sought relief for the court as well as permission for a proposed pool, cabana and limited grading.
Engineer John Richardson presented a mitigation approach: remove permanent structures from the most sensitive zones, limit grading to areas already disturbed during house construction (roughly 4,000 sq ft of disturbance in Zone 2), and plant approximately 10,000 sq ft of riparian‑appropriate vegetation. Richardson described a layered planting plan with a seed mix, about 47 shrubs and several canopy trees to improve filtration of suspended solids and nutrients.
Council discussed inspection and maintenance. Staff said a typical condition is an 18‑month maintenance period during which dead plants must be replaced, and that code enforcement or the township engineer would inspect plantings for compliance. Staff recommended neutrality if the council conditions approval on implementing the landscape plan shown to council.
No final vote was recorded at the meeting; council indicated staff conditions and inspection would be required to ensure the planting plan is carried out.
