Honey Brook enforces right of way ordinance

Township Engineer Mike Reinert said the right of way on most roads is 33 feet, which measures 16.5 feet from the middle of a road. There are some roads where the right of way is 25 feet from the middle line on the road. Right of way rules also apply to state managed roads.

In regards to the Right of Way Ordinance (Ordinance 162-2012, adopted on May 9, 2012), Road Master Don Johnson has been taking note of locations where items including trees, shrubs and large boulders may be in the right of way.

A township resident who recently got a letter from Zoning Officer Tom Shultz regarding the location of boulders located on his property said that he has the boulders in place because he is concerned that motorists might run over his yard.

Johnson said the boulders have to be moved back to the edge of the right of way. He also suggested that residents put up flexible reflecting posts if necessary.

The municipality has an interest in the right or way for both the safety of motorists and for routine township maintenance - such as cutting grass or plowing snow. Private or government owned vehicles can be damaged by items left in the right of way.

“The snow plow could (hit boulders and) there could be damage,” explained Johnson.

He added that there are multiple residents who have received notices stating that they are in violation of the right of way ordinance. All have a 30 day period to respond to a request to comply with the right of way ordinance.

Residents with questions or concerns should contact the Honey Brook Municipal Building (at 610-273-3970), said Township Administrator Toni Antoninni.

Carmella Schmidt of Mt. Pleasant Road spoke about being denied the right to rent an apartment in her dwelling. Reinert explained to Schmidt that the original concept of permitting the apartment was for a family member of the former owners of the property.

When the person for whom the apartment was added passed away, he said, the apartment was no longer to be rented out.

Schmidt said over the years the apartment was rented to other non-family members, and that when she bought the property she was counting on having the income from the apartment. She stated that she will be appealing the Zoning Hearing Board decision.

Supervisor John McHugh said the Parks and Recreation Board only had one of its three members show up to their meeting last month.

“The board needs five members, and they need people to step up and do the work,” said McHugh.

Supervisor Joe Fenstermacher volunteered to serve on the Parks and Rec. Committee, and Deb Oldham was also appointed to the Parks and Rec. Board.

While the only program they were able to get going this year was a tennis program, that program has seen good attendance. The committee currently has about $50,000 to work with, and will soon have to make plans for next year.

Johnson said they completed the work on seal coating roads. Road work on Morgantown Road will continue through the third week in August.

The Planning Commission has recommended several waivers for a ten acre minor subdivision for Mark Stoltzfus. The parcel will be subdivided from a 100 acre farm along Fieldstone Road. Part of the land is cultivated and part is wooded. A house will be built in the southwest corner of the open area.

Fees for permits will be waived for ‘Welcome to Honey Brook Township’ signs to be erected by the Honey Brook Area Community Partnership (HBACP). McHugh said the HBACP helps with the Harmony Day Program.

Honey Brook Township will participate in a voluntary association called the Western Chester County Council of Government. Members of the association can work together on such matters as a regional police force, cable franchises, road work or line painting.

Belonging to the association is a way of sharing ideas, and membership does not obligate a municipality to participate in association activities if it does not want to, explained McHugh.

“It is just a way of knowing we are moving forward,” he said.

Each member municipality will have a delegate and a backup delegate. Both must be elected officials.

The Parks and Recreation Committee is conducting a community survey to determine what residents want in the venue of Parks and Recreation. The survey papers are available at the township building. Also available are information sheets encouraging residents to participate in maintaining good practices among family members on their own property. These sheets include information on practices such as creating rain gardens to absorb stormwater, keeping livestock out of streams, and cutting back on pesticides and lawn fertilizers.