Township Pipeline to Divert Rain Water

by Jonathan Weaver

South Street residents in East Franklin Township will breathe a sigh of relief when it rains this week.

Township supervisors approved a bid from Walsh Equipment of Prospect, Pa. to lay plastic pipe along the road to eliminate the issue.

Chairman Barry Peters explained what will be done.

“We’ll put that pipe on South Street because of the water issue going on – we’re going to try to divert the water into a ditch into that little creek there,” Peters said. “We know it’s been an issue because of the water going down there and, since we’ve had some pretty hard rain, we’re doing something about it.”

The issue was brought before township supervisors at the April 28 public meeting.

Bids were also received from Chemung Concrete Equipment Supplies in New York, Pipelines, Inc. in East Liverpool, Ohio and Seigworth Road Supply in Knox, Pa.

The pipeline was advertised for bids at the beginning of July.

In other business, supervisors are preparing to take another step toward building their new township building and maintenance facilitly.

Township Engineer Ken Howard offered preliminary drawings to supervisors last night and also addressed an upcoming asbestos contract.

.30 “They will be sending a representative here to do an evaluation and take samples of material in these buildings to determine whether or not we have asbestos that will need to be removed,” Howard said.

That contract evaluation is at a cost of $990.

Supervisors unanimously approved for the survey work.

Howard said he does not presume for a lot to have to be removed from the buildings before demolition.

“His walks through the building gave us a pretty good response. He doesn’t think we’ll get hit too hard,” Howard said. “He was pretty pleased

A geotechnical analysis is also to be done next week.

Police Officer Josh Abernathy has been with the department one year and will receive a .50 cent raise. He will now be paid $14.20 per hour up from $13.70.

The motion was unanimously passed.

Hearing Board Approves Variance for New Township Building

by Jonathan Weaver

The East Franklin Township Zoning Hearing Board approved a variance by township supervisors to build a new municipal/maintenance building.

The current building is zoned in an R-1 residential zoning district, and to build new because of current deficiencies and to meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, the issue had to come before the board.

The new structure would sit where the current maintenance shed is now on Cherry Orchard Avenue.

Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor James Favero said municipal buildings wouldn’t even be allowed in the township without the variance approval.

“The Board of Supervisors that in an R-1 zoning district, municipal structures and municipal buildings are not even permitted or given a special exception, so that means they needed a variance, or a deviation, from the zoning ordinance. It does not change the zoning,” Favero said. “There does appear to be a deficiency in the zoning ordinance that municipal structures are not permitted anywhere in East Franklin Township – therefore, they must be some place.”

Township Zoning Officer Tim Lewis read the proposal to Board Chairman Rick McMillen and Members Mike Choncek and Richard Wain at their public hearing last night.

“The application is being filed for the demolition of our existing maintenance building and building a new structure, including a salt storage structure to get a larger building than we have now.”

Lewis explained why the new building had to be built instead of using the current building, which used to be Furnace Run School.

“We currently have a 60 x 80 foot structure below us here where we keep our maintenance equipment, road equipment and a small office. After being audited by Selective Insurance, they found this structure and our maintenance structure to be deficient structurally and electrically – the electrical is inadequate in both structures and we have some serious structural issues in our maintenance building,” Lewis said. “So, they requested we have an electrical engineer and a structural engineer examine both buildings. Their recommendation was either to fully renovate the buildings to code or start from scratch and build new.”

East Franklin Township Engineer Ken Howard, of Bankson Engineering, explained the new municipal/maintenance building would be 80 feet wide by 136 feet long, which would include administration offices, a police station, meeting room, restrooms, kitchen and lunchroom, as well as the maintenance garage with eight truck bays and an office for the roadmaster.

The police station would include an office, holding cell, evidence room, garage and armory.

“With this proposal, we would have the maintenance facility structurally deficient demolished, begin the construction to construct the new facility – that is 80 x 136 – and upon completion of that structure, (the current municipal building) could be demolished and this section of property would then be transformed into parking,” Howard said.

Approximately 34 parking spaces would be made.

The salt storage building, drawn by Axis Architecture of North Huntingdon, would be approximately 50 foot by 60 foot with a 10 foot overhang.

The buildings would take up eight percent of the 3.68 acre township-owned lot.

Even though the zoning hearing board had 45 days to rule on the request, board members voiced their approval at the end of the presentation.

Zoning Hearing Board Member Michael Choncek explained why he voted in favor of the variance.

“For me, based on that it would be a hardship, I can see no reason to deny it, Choncek said.

McMillen also approved.

“I think it’s essential that it’s granted, especially with the reports we have. And with the effort they put into their plan, it looks like it would be very feasible and looks like it would a positive step for East Franklin Township,” McMillen said.

Board members voted unanimously 3-0 to approve the variance.

Following the meeting, Howard said he was glad with the board’s approval.

“I think it will be compreble, affordable and reasonably-designed structure to fit within this community,” Howard said.

The 18 homeowners that surround the property were all notified by certified letter.

A timetable for the new building or the demolition has not been determined.

Township Engineer Ken Howard points out specifications to zoning hearing board members last night before they vote on allowing a new municipal/maintenance building to be built within the township.