Coolbaugh Township

Planning Commission

July 11, 2005 - Page 1

The Coolbaugh Township Planning Commission Meeting of July 11, 2005 was held in the Township Municipal Center, in Building #3, at 5550 Memorial Boulevard, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania.

Call To Order

Mr. Frank called the meeting to order at approximately 7:00 p.m. and led those in attendance in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Members present included: Mr. Werner Frank, Mr. Wayne Horne, Mr. Ronald Kluge and Ms. Alma I. Ruiz-Smith. Mr. Bernard Kozen was absent. Also present were

PC Solicitor H. Clark Connor, PC Engineer Russ Kresge and Recording Secretary Jeri Inness.

Approval of June 13, 2005 Meeting Minutes

Motion: Ms. Ruiz-Smith moved to approve the June 13, 2005 Meeting Minutes and dispense with the reading. Seconded by Mr. Kluge. Discussion - none. The motion carried 3-0-1 (Mr. Kluge abstained, because he did not attend the meeting).

Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc./ Pocono Star Properties, Inc. - Minor Subdivision Plan

Ralph Matergia, Esq. of Matergia and Dunn and Adam Benosky, RLA with Bohler Engineering Inc., were present on behalf of the above referenced plan. Mr. Matergia said they did not expect any action to be taken at tonight’s meeting. However, they were here to discuss some of the comments in a letter dated July 7, 2005 from Township Engineer Russ Kresge and in a memo from Township Zoning Officer Todd Schollhammer dated July 5, 2005. He also noted that a written decision from the Conditional Use Hearing was not yet available to discuss in the context of the comments.

Mr. Benosky of Bohler Engineering, Inc., was introduced to review the comments in more detail. Discussion followed regarding comments covered in Mr. Schollhammer’s memo. Mr. Benosky noted that the applicants intend to comply with the Zoning Officer’s recommendations with the exception of comment #4. §605.1 (A) (B) (C) regarding Community, Traffic and Environmental Impacts. He stated that a Traffic Impact Study had already been done and they would rest on that, unless it can be shown otherwise in the Ordinance. Solicitor Connor said he would check with the Zoning Officer to see what prompted this comment.

Planning Commission

July 11, 2005 - Page 2

In further discussion, Mr. Benosky pointed out that many of Township Engineer Russ Kresge’s comments in his letter dated July 7, 2005 are linked to the Conditional Use Hearing results, which are not yet available in a written decision. Mr. Matergia said it was his intention to write a letter to the Township Solicitor suggesting that a meeting(s) be held with the parties involved to iron out all of the issues that are outstanding with this plan.

Motion: Mr. Horne moved to table Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc./ Pocono Star Properties, Inc. - Minor Subdivision Plan. Seconded by Ms. Ruiz-Smith. Discussion - none. The motion carried 4-0.

Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc. - Preliminary Land Development Plan and the Sewage Facilities Planning Module

Adam Benosky with Bohler Engineering, Inc., continued discussion of the Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc. Land Development Plan with regard to comments in a letter dated July 7, 2005 from Township Engineer Russ Kresge. Discussion followed regarding stormwater runoff. Other comments that can be addressed in meetings with the parties involved were briefly noted.

Ms. Ruiz-Smith asked how a meeting that took place with Lowe’s representatives and the property owners from the Pocono Summit Lakes Association went. Mr. Jim Wilson, present in the audience on behalf of the Pocono Summit Lakes Association, commented that the meeting went well, that people were satisfied with answers they were given, but now the important issue was actual follow-up. He also said that the DEP inspected the spillway, etc.

The matter of the Sewage Facilities Planning Module (SFPM) was raised. Prior to a motion being made, Township Engineer Russ Kresge raised the point in comment #9 in his letter dated July 7, 2005 regarding the Lot Consolidation Plan, that the SFPM only addresses Lot 1, not Lots 2 and 3. Mr. Benosky said there would be two separate modules.

Motion: Mr. Kluge made a motion to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that they forward the Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc. Sewage Facilities Planning Module to the PA DEP for approval. Seconded by Mr. Horne. Discussion - none. The motion passed 4-0.

Motion: Mr. Horne moved to table Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc. - Preliminary Land Development Plan. Seconded by Ms. Ruiz-Smith. Discussion - none. The motion carried 4-0.

Planning Commission

July 11, 2005 - Page 3

Scavello - Route 940 Minor Subdivision / Lot Combination / Preliminary / Final Land Development Plan and the Sewage Facilities Planning Module

Lou Cozza of Niclaus Engineering was present on behalf of the above referenced project. He said they had received Township Engineer Russ Kresge’s comments in a letter dated July 7, 2005 and a memo dated June 17, 2005 from Township Zoning Officer Todd Schollhammer. Due to time constraints, they did not have revised plans for tonight’s meeting; however, he was present to go over some of the comments, questions, etc. Discussion followed regarding the Zoning Officer’s memo and included comments on buffers and screening, employee parking, angling of parking spaces, access issues, traffic flow, etc.

Discussion then moved to comments in a letter dated July 7, 2005 from Township Engineer Russ Kresge, including basic items related to Chapter 22, Subdivision and Land Development, approval needed from the MCCD for the erosion and sediment pollution control plan, NPDES permit, PennDOT Highway Occupancy permit, the Sewage Facilities Planning Module, etc. Ms. Ruiz-Smith asked to go on the record with a suggestion that traffic slowing devices, such as speed bumps, be considered to control traffic in the parking lot area. Public comment was heard from Jim Wilson.

Motion: Mr. Frank made a motion to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that they forward the Scavello - Route 940 Minor Subdivision Sewage Facilities Planning Module to the PA DEP for approval. Seconded by Mr. Horne. Brief discussion followed. The motion passed 4-0.

Motion: Mr. Horne moved to table the Scavello - Route 940 Minor Subdivision / Lot Combination / Preliminary / Final Land Development Plan. Seconded by Mr. Kluge. Discussion - none. The motion carried 4-0.

Preliminary Site Plan, Hemlock Estates, Arcadia Homes of Lehigh Valley, LLC

No one was present on behalf of the above referenced plan. Before the commission was a letter from Paul A. Szewzcak of Liberty Engineering requesting that the Planning Commission members recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve their request for an extension on the project until October 18, 2005.

Discussion followed. Gratz Washenik, present in the audience, pointed out that granting the extensions prevented further timbering on the property. Public comment was heard from Bruce and Joyce Hanby, Ron and Yvonne Rockwell and another unidentified property owner near the proposed project site.

Planning Commission

July 11, 2005 - Page 4

Concerns expressed by the public in attendance included issues of stormwater runoff, population density, loss of buffers, access, septic, what type of development would be allowed at the location if this project was denied, etc. It was noted that petitions against the project are being circulated in addition to the filing of a lawsuit.

Motion: Ms. Ruiz-Smith moved to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that they grant the applicant’s request for an extension on the Preliminary Site Plan, Hemlock Estates, Arcadia Homes of Lehigh Valley, LLC until October 18, 2005. The motion carried 4-0.

Motion: Mr. Frank made a motion to table the Preliminary Site Plan, Hemlock Estates, Arcadia Homes of Lehigh Valley, LLC. Seconded by Ms. Ruiz-Smith. Discussion - none. The motion carried 4-0.

Pocono Mountains Industries Minor Subdivision Plan

No one was present on behalf of the above referenced Minor Subdivision Plan. Mr. Frank noted that the Board of Supervisors had granted an extension on the plan until September 20, 2005.  No further information was forthcoming regarding progress with this minor subdivision plan.

Motion: Mr. Kluge moved to table the Pocono Mountains Industries Minor Subdivision Plan. Seconded by Ms. Ruiz-Smith. Discussion - none. The motion passed 4-0.

Public Input - none.

Adjournment

Motion: With no further business before the Commission, Mr. Kluge made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Ms. Ruiz-Smith. The motion carried 4-0.

The Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Jerilyn Inness                                                                Werner Frank

Administrative Assistant                                              PC Chairman