Something new has been added

By -
Fence posts have appeared recently along the side of the property at 631 South 13th Street, even though the zoning permit pertaining to fence installation specifies the rear of the property. (Unless "rear" means any of the property behind the house.)
More information can be found HERE.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I have been doing work on my property for about 8 years with no permit, i see nothing wrong here.
September 28, 2014 at 10:25 PM
Anonymous said…
What makes you so special? Everyone else is required to purchase a permit to do work. Sounds like you need to keep your name "anonymous" because you owe the borough for 8 years of permits. I personally resent people like you that think it's ok for them to ignore the rules that everyone else must legally follow. Again, why do you think you are special?
September 29, 2014 at 5:19 AM
Joe Lintner said…
Do the ordinances apply to some and not to others? To ask the question is to answer it.
September 29, 2014 at 6:28 AM
Anonymous said…
what about the "stop work" order?????? doesn't it apply to ALL work? again, this is such a disgrace. council step up and take care of this issue once and for all.
September 29, 2014 at 6:55 AM
Anonymous said…
I don't think that council can take care of this, it must go to the zoning board first?? I'm asking because I'm not positive if that is how it works. If it goes to the zoning board, who is on that board and what qualifications do they have to make a decision. Is that meeting open to the public?
September 29, 2014 at 7:34 AM
Anonymous said…
Instead of one person skipping permits, all property owners should skip the permit process and do whatever they want to, thereby eliminating the need for code officers and a zoning board. Any resulting conflicts can be resolved by the police.
September 29, 2014 at 7:41 AM
Joe Lintner said…
From columbiapa.net:

Zoning Ordinance
Columbia Borough is defined by various zoning districts. The Zoning Ordinance lists permitted uses for each district. Districts include residential (rural, low density, medium density, high density), commercial (downtown, neighborhood, highway), industrial (light, general), park, and conservation. Each district has specific regulations including set backs, structure height, parking and sign requirements.

Zoning Board
The seven-member Zoning Board of Adjustment is appointed by Borough Council. The Board meets as needed on the last Wednesday of each month.

Members include:

Cleon Berntheizel, Chair

Joseph Nikolaus, Vice Chair

Don Haines , Member

William Melbert, Member

Jonathan Lutz, Member

David Brumbaugh – alternate

 

Zoning Hearings
Zoning applications are available at the Borough Office, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Filing deadlines for each month are available on request by calling 717-684-2467.
September 29, 2014 at 8:32 AM
Joe Lintner said…
Yes, what are the board members' qualifications?
September 29, 2014 at 8:33 AM
Anonymous said…
The out of town man that is putting up the garage has the right idea cause once it's up chances are zero of it coming down. I heard that a business in the borough built on and did not secure a permit first. That structure is still standing.
September 29, 2014 at 8:37 AM
Joe Lintner said…
Right, residents could skip zoning permits as a protest. It could be called a "Zone-Out." Then we would see who gets cited and who doesn't.
September 29, 2014 at 8:38 AM
Joe Lintner said…
I couldn't find a "stop work" order posted on the property.
September 29, 2014 at 8:40 AM
Anonymous said…
zoning hearing board IS open to the public. i agree with 9/29/14 at 8:37 am....i hopoe i'm wrong..it should NOT be leave it alone. it SHOULD be TEAR IT DOWN AND MAKE IT RIGHT. AND GET RID OF THE OFFICER WHO DOESN'T KNOW HIS JOB.
September 29, 2014 at 12:38 PM
Joe Lintner said…
If the owner is not granted a variance, the garage should come down. He should not be granted a variance after the fact.
September 29, 2014 at 12:44 PM
Anonymous said…
In an earlier post for all to see the property owner received a signed document from the codes enforcement officer for the installation of a 6 foot high fence. He applied. The borough gave approval. The end.
September 29, 2014 at 6:59 PM
Joe Lintner said…
The fence is not so much the problem as the oversized structure that is now accumulating construction vehicles that might soon be rolling up and down a residential street.
September 29, 2014 at 7:51 PM
Anonymous said…
AND the permit for the fence said REAR ...NOT side or front!
this is ridiculous. I certainly hope that it gets righted at the Zoning Hearing Board in October.does anyone know the rules about attending or speaking-which would be right-you go on RECORD.
September 29, 2014 at 10:13 PM
Anonymous said…
Surnames, it appears
September 30, 2014 at 3:37 AM
Anonymous said…
if I lived in this area...I'd consult with an attorney...just sayin! and it certainly would be SMART to have the lawyer attend the Zoning Hearing Board meeting in October. Seriously look into it....it doesn't cost as much as you may think!!!! Good luck!
September 30, 2014 at 10:02 PM
Anonymous said…
excellent advice! i agree....consult with an attorney....once a decision is made at Zoning Hearing Board...not sure if it would be of any value after the fact. get neighbors to chip in
October 1, 2014 at 6:52 AM
Anonymous said…
just read a comment earlier that said properties in this neighborhood are paying $ 4,000.00 each in taxes for one year...i have to say that number is probably closer to $5,000.00 and possibly even higher......this is getting to be more and more of a wrong.
October 1, 2014 at 5:50 PM
Anonymous said…
my advice is this-get an attorney. take attorney to the zoning hearing board mtg. it doesn't cost that much...couple hundred-share the cost. ONCE A DECISION IS MADE IT WILL BE TOO LATE! (at the zoning hearing board) therefore, be proactive and take an attorney with you! smartest move! this is a legal proceeding & an attorney KNOWS WHAT to say and HOW to say it! just sayin. good luck.
October 4, 2014 at 9:21 AM
Anonymous said…
i agree. this is excellent advice!
October 5, 2014 at 5:45 PM
Anonymous said…
i also have to agree...take an attorney with you to the zoning hearing board hearing...after the fact will be too late. (you already know how things work here.)
October 6, 2014 at 12:41 PM
Anonymous said…
the Zoning Hearing IS scheduled for WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29 AT I BELIEVE 7 PM
October 12, 2014 at 9:16 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Columbia's decision to ban former employee from its property may be 'unconstitutional' [Lancaster Watchdog]

By Columbia Spy -
Image
Chris Vera [Columbia Spy file photo] The following information is excerpted from a December 6, 2025 LNP Watchdog article by LNP | LancasterOnline reporter Jade Campos. Still reeling from an abrupt firing from his role as head of the Columbia Market House in March, Chris Vera was surprised to get a letter in the mail from a Columbia Borough attorney two weeks later telling him he was banned indefinitely from borough property. The letter gave no reason for the ban. Nine months later, Vera, who has served as president of the Columbia Historic Preservation Society for more than a decade and has helped with the borough’s comprehensive plan, is still banned from borough property. He believes the ban includes borough parks, which is part of the reason he moved his annual Albatwitch Day festival, which celebrates the myth of a local cryptid, to Wrightsville. Vera said he’s not sure why the borough went to such lengths to keep him away from public spaces given his termination from the borough s...
Read more

East Donegal man charged in Columbia hit & run

By Columbia Spy -
Image
NATHAN WILLISON | LNP Staff Writer An East Donegal Township man is facing criminal charges after police say he struck a 13-year-old with his truck and fled the scene last month.  Derek Scott Mohr, 28, is charged with causing an accident involving death or injury without a license, failing to stop to render aid, driving at an unsafe speed and related charges.  Mohr had been driving a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado through Chestnut Street in Columbia around 8 p.m. March 20 when he struck a 13-year-old boy riding a motorized scooter and continued driving, according to charging documents filed by police.  When police arrived, they found the boy with a broken leg and a cut to his forehead. His scooter was lying nearby, its handlebars completely snapped off.  Another teenager who witnessed what happened described the truck to police and said that the driver made no attempt to stop after striking the boy. Surveillance footage collected from the area shows the truck striking the b...
Read more

Mayor Lutz must accept responsibility

By Columbia Spy -
Image
  GUEST COMMENTARY [Name withheld by request out of fear of retaliation] For two decades, Leo Lutz has occupied the mayor's office in Columbia, and his supporters are quick to credit him with every positive development in our borough, but leadership is a two-way street. If Mayor Lutz is going to accept praise for Columbia's successes, many of which, frankly, he had little direct involvement in, then he must also be held accountable for our failures. The facts paint a troubling picture. Despite the mayor's repeated assurances that our streets are safe, we've witnessed a disturbing rise in assaults, shootings, and vandalism. His promises have fallen by the wayside: the foot patrol we were promised never materialized, nor did the bike patrol that was supposed to increase our sense of security. Fiscally, the situation is equally dire. Taxes have increased at least twice during Mayor Lutz's tenure, yet the borough now finds itself millions of dollars in debt. This isn...
Read more