What happened: Although council unanimously approved two zoning exceptions for a proposed residential project at 750 S. Ninth St., members discovered three days later the borough failed to comply with its municipal planning code by not notifying nearby property owners or advertising and holding a public hearing on the matter.
[Note: The issue came into question when former council member Sharon Lintner asked how the neighbors had been notified.]
Quotable: “A mistake was made,” Heather Zink, council president, said during an Aug. 19 phone interview. “We have since rectified it.”
Solution: A public hearing will happen during the Sept. 3 meeting, after the borough notifies property owners and advertises the matter twice, Zink said during the phone call.
Details: The company planning the rental development could have proceeded to build, but Eli King, who owns Valley View Capital LLC in Strasburg, said in an Aug. 21 phone interview that he wanted to be open with residents and business owners.
Quotable: “We believed it to be in the best interest of all parties to reschedule the hearing, allowing the public to hear what the project is all about and to weigh in with any feedback,” King said.
Project: Valley View Capital applied for two conditional uses to build nine rental town homes on just under half an acre on South Ninth and Avenue X. One two-story building would contain five town homes, while the other two-story building would house four. The 1,500-square-foot units would have two or three bedrooms and two or three bathrooms. Plans include 19 parking spaces.
Changes: The property, zoned for medium-density residential use, must consist of separate lots or have a condominium association, according to the planning code. Since King plans to offer town homes for rent, he asked council members to let him retain ownership of one large lot because doing so would save the borough and his company paperwork.
More: In addition, Valley View seeks a waiver to plant five trees on the property instead of the required eight trees due to a lack of space.
What went wrong: The borough’s planning and zoning board recommended the development, but neither borough officials nor the contractor handling Columbia’s zoning issues noted the project needed a public hearing, Zink said Aug. 19.
Quotable: “We are outsourcing our zoning assistance, and we don’t have a borough manager who has that kind of experience,” Zink said. The person hired for the zoning officer position is obtaining certifications, Zink said Aug. 19. In addition, council members continue to search for a borough manager after Mark Stivers resigned in July.
Quotable: “A mistake was made,” Heather Zink, council president, said during an Aug. 19 phone interview. “We have since rectified it.”
Solution: A public hearing will happen during the Sept. 3 meeting, after the borough notifies property owners and advertises the matter twice, Zink said during the phone call.
Details: The company planning the rental development could have proceeded to build, but Eli King, who owns Valley View Capital LLC in Strasburg, said in an Aug. 21 phone interview that he wanted to be open with residents and business owners.
Quotable: “We believed it to be in the best interest of all parties to reschedule the hearing, allowing the public to hear what the project is all about and to weigh in with any feedback,” King said.
Project: Valley View Capital applied for two conditional uses to build nine rental town homes on just under half an acre on South Ninth and Avenue X. One two-story building would contain five town homes, while the other two-story building would house four. The 1,500-square-foot units would have two or three bedrooms and two or three bathrooms. Plans include 19 parking spaces.
Changes: The property, zoned for medium-density residential use, must consist of separate lots or have a condominium association, according to the planning code. Since King plans to offer town homes for rent, he asked council members to let him retain ownership of one large lot because doing so would save the borough and his company paperwork.
More: In addition, Valley View seeks a waiver to plant five trees on the property instead of the required eight trees due to a lack of space.
What went wrong: The borough’s planning and zoning board recommended the development, but neither borough officials nor the contractor handling Columbia’s zoning issues noted the project needed a public hearing, Zink said Aug. 19.
Quotable: “We are outsourcing our zoning assistance, and we don’t have a borough manager who has that kind of experience,” Zink said. The person hired for the zoning officer position is obtaining certifications, Zink said Aug. 19. In addition, council members continue to search for a borough manager after Mark Stivers resigned in July.
[Source: LNP/LancasterOnline]
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