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Work Session #11 - 2008 A Work Session of the Whitpain Township Board of Supervisors was held on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at the Whitpain Township Building, 960 Wentz Road, Blue Bell, PA at 7:30 PM for the purpose of reviewing the agenda of the June 3, 2008 Supervisors' Meeting. Chairman Joseph J. Palmer was present with Supervisors Brian W. Young, Anthony F. Greco, William L. McKernan III, and Adam D. Zucker. Township Solicitor James J. Garrity, Esq., Township Manager Phyllis C. Lieberman, Assistant Township Manager/Township Engineer Roman M. Pronczak, Director of Finance M. Elizabeth McBride, Police Chief Mark A. Smith, Director of Public Works Ronald J. Cione, Director of Code Enforcement Michael E. McAndrew, Fire Marshal David M. Camarda, and Director of Parks and Recreation Kurt W. Baker were also present. Six members of the public were present. The Supervisors reviewed the agenda discussing the approval of the minutes of May 20, 2008 Supervisors' Meeting, approval of the May 2008 voucher list, a motion to award the 2008 Sewer Line Chemical Root Control Bid to Dukes Root Control, authorization of the final release of escrow funds for Amberley at Blue Bell, approval of the granting of fee simple deeds to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of the right-of-way necessary for the Skippack Pike / Narcissa Road/ Prophecy Creek Driveway Project, and approval of a request from the Ambler Running Club to hold a 5K race on Lewis Lane , Wednesday, July 16,2008. Fire Marshal David Camarda then reviewed a request to allow the fire department to participate in the Southeast Pennsylvania Counter Terrorism Task Force-Fire Response Group. He noted that these groups are being established to fulfill homeland security initiatives to produce more structured fire task force response groups. Fire Marshal Camarda explained that all of the fire departments in Montgomery County are being asked to participate in this initiative. This request was also reviewed with our insurance carrier, the Delaware Valley Insurance Trust and they approved of our inclusion as long as there were written procedures and an understanding of workers' compensation coverage. Fire Marshal Camarda advised that they are being prepared and will be included in operational policies prior to the task force being mobilized. The Supervisors then discussed one legal matter and one personnel matter. The Supervisors then left for the public meeting. The Work Session was not reconvened. Phyllis C. Lieberman
#11 - 2008 Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Chairman Palmer called the meeting to order. A motion was made by Mr. Greco, duly seconded by Mr. Young, and unanimously passed to approve the minutes of the May 20, 2008 Supervisors' Meeting. A motion was made by Mr. Young, duly seconded by Mr. Greco, and unanimously passed to approve all expenditures on the May, 2008 Voucher List, which totalled $834,349.96. A motion was made by Mr. Zucker, duly seconded by Mr. McKernan, and unanimously passed to award the 2008 Sewer Line Chemical Root Control Bid to Dukes Root Control of Syracuse, NY in the low bid amount of $47,894.12. A motion was made by Mr. Greco, duly seconded by Mr. McKernan, and unanimously passed to authorize the final release of all remining funds (Release #7) from the escrow fund for the Amberley at Blue Bell Apartment Project. The remaining balance is $47,520.00 plus accrued interest. A motion was made by Mr. Young, duly seconded by Mr. Zucker, and unanimously passed to approve granting of fee simple deeds to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of the right-of-way necessary for the Skippack Pike /Narcissa Road/ Prophecy Creek Driveway. A motion was made by Mr. McKernan, duly seconded by Mr. Zucker, and unanimously passed to approve the request of the Ambler Area Running Club to hold a 5K race on Lewis Lane, Wednesday July 16, 2008 for one hour. Proceeds from the event will benefit Girls on the Run of Montgomery County, PA, a character development program for girls ages 8 to 11. At this time, Chairman Palmer had some comments regarding the most recent Zoning Hearing Board case involving Wings Field (#1771-08), to address the numerous inquiries the Township had received from the public. He stated this has been an ongoing issue for over 25 years, and it has been a great source of frustration to the Board of Supervisors, as well as to the residents. Many meetings were held where everyone had an opportunity to voice their opinions, and Chairman Palmer added that the Board of Supervisors is dedicated to resolving this issue. He made reference to literature that was recently circulated by the Wings Concerned Residents, a "Neighborhood Action Alert", which seemed to imply that the Board of Supervisors had made decisions involving Wings Field without hearing discussion from the residents of the Township. Township Solicitor James J. Garrity, presented a response to this literature that provided an overview and an update as to the current status of Wings Field. This response has been attached to and made part of these minutes. The response noted that there is currently pending a previous appeal by Wings Concerned Residents, Ronald B. Glazer, Burton Stein, Bradley T. Beckman, and Robert Goldy, from the decision of the Township which granted land development approval to Wings Field for the construction of an itinerant apron, which is a temporary parking place for visiting aircraft. The appeal was heard by Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, and a written decision was issued in April, 2008 that affirmed the Township's decision on the Wings Field land development plans for the itinerant apron. The Wings Concerned Residents have appealed both the Supervisors' decision and the Court of Common Pleas decision to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. The most recent Zoning Hearing Board case #1771-08 is unrelated to the itinerant apron matter, as it involves the demolition and reconstruction of hangars 3 and 4 at the airfield, and the proposal to relocate the reconstructed hangars so that they would be in compliance with the dimensional and setback requirements of the R-5 Zoning District. Wings Field subsequently filed a formal application with the Township requesting a preliminary opinion on December 20, 2007. The Township Zoning Officer, in accordance with the requirements of the Municipalities Planning Code, published his findings in the newspaper which concluded that the proposed reconstruction of the hangars would be in compliance with the zoning ordinances of Whitpain Township. Additionally, there was an issue over whether the hangars would comply with the zoning ordinance restriction on the expansion of a non-conforming use by no more than 25%. An appeal of this preliminary opinion was filed by Wings Concerned Residents, Ronald B. Glazer, Burton Stein, and Bradley T. Beckman. It is anticipated that the Zoning Hearing Board decision will be appealed as well. Vice-Chairman Young then took comments from the audience. Mr. Burton Stein, of 293 Huntsman Lane, asked the Board to take the position of supporting the residents and opposing the application for the Wings hangar reconstruction because he felt that the Wings Concerned Residents has a valid dispute with the interpretation of the 25% expansion. Mr. Bob McDugall, of 1464 North Wales Road, asked who had composed the response document, and it was explained that the Township Solicitor, James J. Garrity had done so. Mr. Bob Gaffney, of 5 Devonshire Court, expressed his opposition to any expansion occurring at Wings Field, and he was adamantly opposed to jets coming to the location. Mr. Young stated that the Township has no control over whether jets can operate at Wings Field. Ms. Sanjiwan Soni, of 1 Devonshires Court, commented that expanding something means it will get larger. Ms. Ann Fitch, of Butler Pike, stated she is concerned when propaganda appears in her mailbox from the Wings Concerned Residents that is intended to incite reaction and has no basis in fact. She said it would be impossible for the airport to expand when it is surrounded by three major roads and a residential community. Mr. John Wolfe, of 9 Bugle Lane, commented that he is not familiar with the history of Wings Field, but he did not think that bringing jets to Wings would be advisable. He inquired as to where he could obtain information about the history of Wings Field. Mr. Young suggested he contact the Township Manager. Mrs. Lieberman explained that there were numerous files that had accumulated over the years, and that Mr. Wolfe was welcome to come to the Township building to review the records. Mr. Todd Morehouse, of 1418 Royal Oak Drive, spoke regarding the issue of the hangar reconstruction. He asked why they are making the hangars larger in size if the original intent was to move them so that they would not be in violation of the zoning ordinance. He was concerned that if there were more storage space, that it would attract increased jet traffic. Mr. Young responded by saying that there is an increased demand for interior storage space for expensive airplanes. Chairman Palmer stated since this is an argument that has been ongoing for quite some time, it would be helpful to re-examine a list of points that was raised through a series of meetings with residents on both sides of the issue. It addresses such issues as runway length and jets, and may be helpful to use in the effort of reaching a compromise. Mr. Bob Mueller, a member of the Board of Directors at Wings Field, thanked the members of the Board of Supervisors for doing the right thing for the majority of the community by voting to approve the itinerant apron project and the expansion of the hangars. He explained that the itinerant apron project is not really an expansion because Wings will be paving over existing parking area, and the number of spaces will drop from 28 to 17. He added that new air traffic will not be coming in just because they are building a new parking area. He quoted some statistics from noise studies that have been conducted at Wings Field and he addressed the contents of the letter that was circulated by Wings Concerned Residents, stating he did not like the group questioning the integrity of the Board of Supervisors. Ms. Shiela Stein, of 293 Huntsman Lane, stated that the information provided by Mr. Mueller is propaganda, and that there is no proof that Wings Field will be quieter or generate less fumes. She remarked that she thinks the Township is misguided in their interpretation of the 25% allowable expansion. Chairman Palmer responded by saying that people came out tonight for the purpose of gathering information. He stated that there are issues that will not be resolved for some time, and noted that other agencies such as the FAA, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Government will have a say in what goes on at Wings Field. He urged the residents to put the legalities aside and commit to trying to find some common ground so a solution may be reached. Mrs. Stein asked the Board of Supervisors to either remain neutral or to support the Wings Concerned Residents on their appeal. Ms. Linda Blackburn, of 240 Tulip Tree Ct, stated she is fearful of expansion at Wings Field because she fears it will have detrimental effects on the health of surrounding neighbors. Mr. Steve Hamilton, of Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, commented that he feels the issue is the noise level, but he has witnessed the airport get quieter with the new jets. He stated his objection to a minority group of residents who are trying to forward their agenda by consistently appealing the votes of our elected officials Ms. Lisa Volpe stated Wings Field is a business which is there to make money. If the airport does not keep up with changes, they will go out of business. She added it angered her to have received the letter from Wings Concerned Residents. Ms. Jane Armstrong, of 1206 Narcissa Road, stated that it appears most people are in agreement that the main issues are the noise as well as the size of the planes. She added that the Board of Supervisors has no control over weight limits for jet airplanes, but she hopes that they have concern. Mr. Zucker thanked the residents for their input, and he advised those that were not familiar with the history of Wings Field, to educate themselves by reviewing the data that is available. Also, he stated that the members of the Board may all have differing opinions, but they do take into account the concerns of all of the citizens of the Township. Additionally, he stated that the Board may make decisions that will not be favorable to all, but that the integrity of the Board and the actions that they take cannot be questioned. There was a motion to adjourn made by Mr. Young at 9:07 PM. Mr. Doug Seiler remarked that he wants it to go on the record that he had his hand raised to speak during the meeting, and that he was not called upon to do so. At this time, another resident, Ms. Pat Ritter, of 515 Morris Road, stated that she had come to the meeting with questions unrelated to Wings Field. She asked about the status of the signs for the Wissahickon Watershed, the Broad Axe intersection, and the upcoming construction at the intersection of Morris Road & Penllyn Pike. Mr. Doug Seiler was then given an opportunity to speak. He stated that he felt animosity exists in the Township when it comes to the issue of Wings Field, and he stated that the Board has an obligation to share information with the residents. He took issue with the Code Enforcement Officer's findings for the Preliminary Opinion, stating that his review did not take into account public health, safety, and welfare. Also, he called for one set of calculations to be used in determining the 25% expansion limit. Chairman Palmer reminded Mr. Seiler that this is a public meeting, and not a public hearing. He stated that a solution is difficult to achieve due to other agencies such as the FAA being involved. Also, since the issues are being heard in court, this makes it even more difficult to find solutions. Chairman Palmer stressed that the best way to resolve the issues is to bring a group of people together and communicate. With no further business to come before the Board, Vice-Chairman Young adjourned the meeting at 9:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Anthony
F. Greco
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