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Commissioners press developer on plan to disturb 64% of class‑3 woodlands
Summary
The applicant's plan shows roughly 64% disturbance of class 3 woodlands where the ordinance allows 25%; the commission pressed for onsite replacement, conservation easements for replacement plantings or reduced disturbance, and sought Brandywine Conservancy guidance.
The planning commission identified woodland disturbance as a central point of contention during its review of the Living God Lutheran Church subdivision. Jen, the township reviewer, said the plan indicates disturbance of about 64% of on-site class 3 woodlands, while the township ordinance permits 25% disturbance in that class.
Commissioners repeatedly asked the applicant how it would meet replacement and landscaping requirements. One commissioner noted "you're only proposing 40% of the trees and 7th percent of the shrubs" compared with ordinance expectations, and asked why the project could not fit required plantings. Vic, the applicant representative, said the team will have its landscape architect meet the Brandywine Conservancy and "we'll do our best to increase that" and added that wherever trees cannot physically fit the ordinance allows a fee-in-lieu or off-site planting if those areas will be placed under a conservation restriction to protect the vegetation.
Members discussed multiple technical options including planting on church-owned land, placing replacement plantings under a restrictive covenant or conservation easement, or reducing the disturbed footprint (and thus the number of units) to reduce replacement obligations. The commission asked staff to require replacement landscaping that meets the ordinance or an alternative the township finds acceptable as a condition to any supervisor approval.
