Union Township reorganizes

The Union Township Board of Supervisors honored three of its volunteers with recognition plaques at its Jan. 21 meeting.

Vincent Kershner, was honored for the 10 years of service that he just completed on the Planning Commission.

Linda Ingram, a member of the Parks & Recreation Board, was recognized with a plaque, as was Robert Erb, Jr., for being dedicated to the township for fire service, said Supervisor John Salaneck III.

The board appointed Perry Templin to fill Kershner’s vacant seat on the Planning Commission.

Supervisor Donald E. Basile was reappointed as chairman of the Board of Supervisors at its Jan. 7 reorganization meeting.

Salaneck voted against the motion, which was approved by Basile and Supervisor Nelson L. Ott, Jr.

Ott was appointed vice chairman and also roadmaster.

Both motions were opposed by Salaneck and supported by Basile and Ott.

Kenneth Geiger was appointed deputy roadmaster.

The Jan. 7 meeting minutes reflect that Salaneck opposed that motion, and stated that the board should eliminate the position entirely due to previous statements by Geiger that the public has little regard for the Public Works Department employees who have continued their employment with Union Township.

George Steck, Jr., was reappointed to serve on the Union Township Municipal Authority.

In other business:
William Briegel, vice president of land for Keystone Custom Homes, Lancaster, said his company has a pending sale agreement with TD Bank North to purchase the uncompleted Union Greene development, a 137-lot subdivision on Black Matt and Unionville roads in Union Township.

Briegel said Keystone Custom Homes wants to develop Union Greene’s 30 acres in two to three phases, each with a separate plan.

Union Greene was started in 2006 by Heritage Home Builders, Bucks County, but not completed when Heritage experienced financial difficulties due to the changing economic climate.

Board members have said that uncompleted homes were then abandoned by Heritage and potential buyers, roads were left unfinished and non-plowable, and construction debris litters the unfinished lots, which can’t be mowed.

The township currently has a $5.7 million letter of credit for Union Greene.

“If you stop with Phase One, we have no money to complete the job,” said Basile to Briegel. “Now we have security with the letter of credit to finish the roads so the subdivision is completed, if you don’t complete the work. There is a pile of top soil there, a detention basin in one phase that affects the homes against it in another phase. You don’t know if you’ll be successful or not and $5.7 million is all we have to finish the job.”

“If you can show me how the township cannot get hurt by phasing this thing …,” said Basile.

He and Ott said Keystone Custom Homes has a right to proceed with developing land they own, or will own.

“We never saw this coming with the economy,” said Ott. “There’s a lady in there who can’t get out of her driveway when there is 18 inches of snow, but I can’t take a truck in there .”

“I want ownership of the roads, and Nelson wants to be sure the roads are plowed,” said Basile.

Engineer Thomas Unger said road improvements have recently been completed and he could recommend dedication of the roads if the street lights work when they are energized.

In the meantime, the board authorized Solicitor Frederick K. Hatt to pursue an agreement with TD Bank North for the township to plow the roads until the township accepts dedication.

David M. Kleckner, chief operating officer for the proposed Liberty Bell Motorsports Park and Campground, Route 724, said Ethan Michael, Inc., will write an agreement similar to its 2003 agreement with the township of an indefinite time extension on its preliminary land development plan.

Kleckner said the Army Corp of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has discovered a new wetlands on the proposed site, which has necessitated a redesign and a possible one-month delay in the preliminary process.

The current 90-day time extension expires on March 22.

“We’re back in this 90-day time extension cycle, and this isn’t moving forward,” said Salaneck.

“We need to do something in writing that if a time extension is missed by the township, there is no deemed approval. It’s a concern of mine. The township has already had one deemed approval, but that wasn’t as hurtful to this township. I’m cautioning this board.”

He said an indefinite time extension agreement would also protect EMI from an immediate plan denial if EMI fails to submit an extension request before an exiting 90 day extension expires.