Commission presses developer for clearer plans, rejects parking‑dimension waiver request for proposed Schlemmer wedding venue (pending technical approvals)

The Salem Township Planning Commission spent an extended portion of its March 4, 2026 meeting examining the Schlemmer Land Development Project — a proposed wedding venue — and pressed the applicant for clearer, consolidated site plans and additional technical approvals before recommending any parking‑dimension waivers.

Jason Beranek of Cenkner Engineering and property owner Bob Schlemmer presented revised sheets that the commission said were not legible in their printed form. Connie Mattei, chair of the commission, said she is "used to seeing one sheet that includes all the details rather than a little information on multiple sheets," and asked the applicant to submit a single, legible site plan that shows parcel boundaries, building footprints, setback lines and a parking exhibit.

Commission member John Wright pressed the applicant on parking requirements in the Township’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO), noting that parking spaces are required to be at least 9 feet wide by 20 feet long and that aisle widths must meet SALDO minimums. Wright said the applicant had not demonstrated a hardship that would support the requested modification of parking dimensions; the commission did not recommend the modification at this time.

Solicitor Ryan Thomas advised that while the parcel lies within an Agricultural Security Area the proposed development does not conflict with the Agricultural Area Security Law, 3 P.S. §§ 901–915, though Thomas cautioned that the designation is distinct from an agricultural conservation easement or Clean and Green restrictions, which could impose further limits.

Township Engineer Doug Regola and the commission recorded outstanding technical items the applicant must address before final approvals: Township Engineer sign‑off on a Stormwater Management Plan; Westmoreland County Conservation District (WCCD) erosion and sedimentation control approval and any required NPDES permit; Sewage Facilities (Component 2) approvals noted as received for certain items, and a verification letter from MAWC confirming public water availability and tap capacity. The commission also discussed access easements and the need to fully describe the entrance/access roadway by courses and distances across multiple tax map parcels.

The applicants were asked to correct plotting and printing errors, provide a parking exhibit keyed to the SALDO standard most analogous to a wedding venue, show internal traffic circulation patterns, and either adjust the parking layout to meet SALDO dimensions or provide a clear demonstration of hardship supporting a waiver request. The commission recorded a motion to make additional recommendations and provide further comments; the motion passed unanimously, while substantive approvals remain pending until outstanding technical items are resolved.

The Schlemmer project will need to return with revised, legible plans and the required approvals from the Township Engineer, WCCD, and MAWC before the commission or the Board of Supervisors may grant final approval.