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Property owners press supervisors for clarification on proposed Harker Farm Lane subdivision
Summary
John and Terri Harker asked Blair Township supervisors about access, private-road requirements, right-of-way, and the potential for commercial or solar uses on property accessed by a private lane; the township said no formal plans have been submitted and that an access easement is shown on the preliminary sketch.
Property owners John P. Harker and Terri Harker addressed the Blair Township Board of Supervisors on Nov. 12 to ask questions about a possible subdivision on Harker Farm Lane.
John Harker asked about minimum road-size requirements for the private lane to the properties and whether the existing right-of-way to his back parcel would be affected by a subdivision. Engineer Eric Banks told the board there are currently no requirements for private lanes under the township ordinance as applied to that drive, and that an access easement to Mr. Harker’s back property is shown on the preliminary sketch plan. Banks repeated that the township had received no formal subdivision plans to date.
Chairman Paul Amigh said the developer would need to request a waiver of the shared-drive ordinance to allow additional parcels off the private drive and noted that, at a prior meeting, supervisors had not opposed a waiver if the proposal followed the described process. Solicitor Patrick Fanelli summarized the township’s recently implemented Solar Ordinance after Mr. Harker said he had been approached about a solar farm on his property. Secretary Kami Bilek offered to provide the Harkers a copy of the ordinance on request.
Why it matters: The exchange clarified that (1) the township has not received formal subdivision or land-development applications; (2) private-drive regulations and right-of-way protections are treated differently from public-road requirements; and (3) a commercial use or solar project would trigger additional reviews if a commercial building permit or land-development application is filed.
What’s next: No formal applications were submitted at the meeting; the Harkers were advised they can track agenda postings and contact the township office for updates if or when plans are submitted.
