Planning commission sends neutral recommendation on 1296 Farm Lane impervious-coverage variance

The Easttown Planning Commission voted to recommend a neutral position to the Zoning Hearing Board on application 683, a request related to impervious-coverage limits at 1296 Farm Lane.

George Brosnan, speaking for property owner Jeff Dolan, told the commission the application seeks relief tied to how impervious coverage was allocated when the lot was created under a lot-averaging subdivision. "The plan is gonna apply with a 13.5%," Brosnan said, noting that the AA zoning district currently allows 13.5% impervious surface and that the proposed improvements and driveway changes would meet that percentage. Brosnan said the lot had originally been allocated a significantly lower amount under the subdivision plan and that the applicant will comply with stormwater requirements.

Several commissioners pressed for clarity on calculations and history. One commissioner noted conflicting figures in the application materials — "at one point it says there's 9,244 square feet of existing coverage … and then another place it says 9,426 square feet" — and asked why a prior permit had allowed greater coverage. Staff and the applicant's representative said earlier permit issuance appeared to be an oversight and that built conditions on the ground could be treated as the baseline.

The commission wrestled with whether approving the request would set a precedent for other lots in the same lot-averaging subdivision. "I'm afraid of the precedent we're setting," the Chair said, arguing that the subdivision agreement allocated fixed impervious amounts to each lot. Brosnan responded that circumstances had changed since the subdivision (the zoning allowance rose from 10% to 13.5%) and that the specific lot is larger than many others in the subdivision, which could make it distinguishable.

After discussion, a motion that the commission remain neutral on the application was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. Commissioners asked that the reasoning be recorded for the Zoning Hearing Board: the percentage increase relative to the current zoning allowance, the applicant's commitment to stormwater-management compliance, and the fact that the existing impervious coverage is under the current 13.5% allowance. The transcript does not include a line-by-line roll-call tally for the vote.

The neutral recommendation will be forwarded to the Zoning Hearing Board for application 683 at 1296 Farm Lane. The hearing record includes the applicant's letters of support from the homeowners association and an adjacent neighbor; staff said the applicant would follow all township stormwater and other code requirements.

Next steps: the Zoning Hearing Board will consider the application at an upcoming hearing and may grant relief, deny the request or impose conditions.