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Right-of-way dedication, sidewalk waiver and septic-reserve buffers discussed for Cool Dock subdivision; supervisors to decide policy
Summary
The commission debated whether to accept a 5-foot dedication or an easement to meet a 60-foot ultimate right-of-way for a collector road, agreed to leave that policy decision to the board of supervisors, indicated support for a sidewalk waiver where appropriate, and raised concerns that a reserve septic area encroaches the wetland buffer.
An applicant representative described a proposed two-acre lot carve-out from a 28-acre parcel and asked how the township wanted the additional 5 feet of the ultimate 60-foot collector right-of-way handled. The representative said the existing legal right-of-way is 50 feet and asked whether to dedicate the extra 5 feet or provide an easement.
Planner explained the classification as a collector and the 60-foot standard, and Commissioners noted the choice between dedication and easement will change lot dimensions and is ultimately a policy decision for the board of supervisors. Committee member 7 said, "This decision is ultimately gonna be the board of supervisors deciding if they're gonna want the dedication or if they're gonna want an easement," and commissioners asked staff to take the matter to a supervisors' work session for policy guidance.
Commissioners also discussed a sidewalk-waiver request. Staff recommended documenting the distance to the nearest existing sidewalk to provide rationale for any waiver; commissioners agreed that the waiver rationale should be recorded in the minutes and tied to the engineer's recommendations.
On septic and wetland-buffer issues for the residual tract, staff said percolation testing had produced primary and reserve septic locations, but that a reserve area extends into the outer wetland buffer in one corner. Commissioners described that encroachment as a potential variant/relief situation and agreed to table final action until survey and engineering clarifications are provided and until supervisors weigh in.
Outcome and next steps: staff will present the right-of-way/dedication question and sidewalk-waiver rationale to the board of supervisors for policy direction, record distances to existing sidewalks as part of the waiver rationale, and obtain engineering clarification on the septic reserve and wetland-buffer encroachment before returning the item to the commission.
