Richland Township has authorized its solicitor and supporting consultants to appear at the Aug. 31 meeting of the township zoning hearing board, to answer a challenge to its zoning ordinance filed by Pulte Homes, claiming inadequate opportunity for building new housing in the township.
The township action was taken by unanimous vote of its supervisors at the board’s Aug. 14 meeting.
Pulte’s assertion, originally brought last June, followed action by supervisors last January to side with the preservation board in rejecting three of four new development areas.
The township planning commission had recommended them for approval, but without input from the preservation board.
Solicitor Linc Treadwell stated that the Aug. 31 zoning meeting was not likely to complete the challenge process, and that when it was completed, there might be an appeal to the Court of Common Pleas.
During public comment, preservation board chairwoman Kathy Fedorocsko claimed the township currently had 800 new homes already in process, with room in the Comprehensive Plan for at least 500 more, providing ample opportunity for new development without any further sacrificing of farmland.
Township officials say they have made special efforts over the years to work closely with developers on individual projects with an eye toward maximizing efficiency of approval processes.
Supervisors, on Aug. 14, also completed to process of revising the township’s Comprehensive Plan, which hadn’t been updated since 2009. The standard recommendation to update it every 10 years was delayed by the pandemic.
At the outset of the meeting, new Police Officer Tom Ford was sworn in by District Judge Lisa Gaier, as members of his family looked on.
Police Sgt. Mike Kisthardt explained that Ford’s appointment now is to allow time for completion of his training to coincide with the expected retirement of a detective from the department next year.
Another officer will be promoted to take that officer’s place, by which time Ford’s full assumption of duties will keep the force at its full strength of 18 full-time officers.
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