Friday, January 31, 2003
The modifications have changed the original plan significantly, the planners said.
BY VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LIMA -- Plans for the proposed Lakes of Beaver Development on Sharrot Road in Beaver Township were stalled when the Beaver Township Zoning Commission agreed too many differences exist between the original site plan and the second plan presented to the commission during a special meeting Tuesday night.
The meeting, which was held at the township administration office, was called to allow Dale Jones, a land planner with Technical Land Consultants of North Lima, to present several modifications the developer had hoped to make to the original plan.
Last year the zoning commission and the township trustees gave Lakes of Beaver approval to proceed with the original plan. But Tuesday, members of the zoning commission said the proposed changes altered the site plan enough that they were uncomfortable with allowing the developer to proceed. That resulted in the zoning commission's decision to make a recommendation to the township trustees to halt the development.
Decision to be made
The trustees must now decide whether to allow the developer to proceed with the modified plan or require Lakes of Beaver to submit the revised plan to the township for consideration as if it were a new proposal. Or, the developer could proceed with the initial plan as originally approved by the township.
"Basically, if the township feels the modifications have changed the plan substantially, [Lakes of Beaver] must start all over again, from the beginning," said George Smerigan, township planning consultant. "The whole process would begin again."
Lakes of Beaver is proposing a housing plan, which includes condominiums, on 111 acres. The original plan calls for 219 residences to be built. The modified plan calls for 218 units. The township has limited the number of units to 220.
Proposed changes
The modifications included the elimination of nine four-plexes, or buildings that each contain four residences or units. The developer was also proposing making one road, which would circle the development, and two cul de sacs, public -- or dedicated -- roads. Commission member Delmar "Von" Wolfe Jr. said he was concerned about the burden it could place on the township to be responsible for maintaining the additional roads. Robert Kane, also a commission member, said there are too many discrepancies between the two plans.
"The first plan is a good plan," he said. "And this plan is a good plan. But there are too many changes. These aren't minor modifications. It's our responsibility to make sure the plan we originally approved has not been changed substantially. If it's a substantial departure from the original plan we previously approved, we can't let it go through, even if it is a good plan."