Planning commission approves four waivers and subdivision package for Bonitz property

The West Hanover Township Planning Commission on May 28 approved four waiver requests and accepted the subdivision package for the Bonitz property, authorizing the applicant to resubmit a revised plan that will incorporate the approved waivers and satisfy outstanding engineering and township comments.

The applicant's representative, Jerry Gibney of Burgett and Associates, told the commission that most engineer comments were straightforward and that the team would revise the plan to add the waiver language. "We're at the end of a street, where there's a couple only a couple residential houses, and there's no street lights anywhere around," Gibney said, urging flexibility on the street‑lighting requirement.

Commissioners focused discussion on four specific technical waivers: (1) not installing new curves where none currently exist, (2) a waiver of concrete sidewalks in favor of an asphalt walking path, (3) exemption from installing street lighting where the area currently has no lighting, and (4) reducing the cul‑de‑sac diameter requirement from 96 feet to 80 feet to avoid additional tree removal. The applicant also proposed an 18‑foot roadway where the ordinance requires a 26‑foot minimum for new roads; the commission noted the difference between new street standards and improvements to existing township roads and asked the applicant to show how the proposed 18‑foot section interfaces with adjacent township roads.

John Fox, the property owner/developer present at the meeting, said he wanted to "match it up" to the existing 18‑foot local roads and minimize tree loss. HRG's representative explained that the engineering comment asked the applicant to "address street lighting requirements" rather than necessarily mandate new lights in areas with no existing lighting, and Parks and Recreation staff indicated support for an asphalt path and the proposed fee‑in‑lieu approach.

On the floor, motions to grant each waiver passed with affirmative floor votes recorded as 'aye' and no opposition voiced. The commission then voted to approve the full subdivision package as submitted, conditioned on addressing the outstanding engineering, township and county comments and incorporating the agreed waivers into the resubmitted plans. The applicant noted a developers' agreement and a standard bond would cover the township's interests; the applicant said the road construction work would be coordinated through permitting and estimated the road work could be completed within two years.

The commission's approval was procedural and conditioned on plan revisions; the applicant will return with a revised submission that explicitly adds the waivers and demonstrates compliance with the remaining technical comments. The meeting recorded no public comments opposed to the waivers during the public comment period for this agenda item.

The commission moved on to other business after the vote and later adjourned.