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The Heidelberg Township Board of Supervisors held a hearing for a nuisance ordinance Tuesday, but opted to make changes prior to adoption.
The township received a variety of concerns about the ordinance both during the hearing and in between the May and June meetings. (LebTown detailed the ordinance’s contents in our May coverage.)
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Solicitor Amy Leonard announced at the start of the hearing that the township had received enough constructive feedback that it did not plan to take action at Tuesday’s meeting.
She noted that the township already plans to make the following changes to the ordinance:
- Listing composting as an exception to the ban on accumulating dead vegetation, so long as it is 10 feet from the property line, not creating odor, and only composting waste generated at that site.
- Classifying cultivated pollinator gardens and meadows as natural landscaping if in the rear or side yard for properties less than 3 acres, or front yard in larger properties save for a strip along the right of way. The ordinance otherwise bans vegetation growing 10 inches or more.
- Allowing limited clean sump pump drainage along streets in cases where another drainage point is not feasible.
- Referencing the state list of noxious weeds, thus removing milkweed (a vital plant in the life cycle of monarch butterflies) from the list.
Supervisors said that the ordinance is intended to serve residents, and they hope to resolve residents’ major issues prior to its passage.
“We wouldn’t need any ordinances if we all sought to respect our neighbors,” said chairman Paul Fetter, noting that the ordinance was devised as a way of deterring residents from letting animals roam onto roads or private property.
Supervisor Ted Cromleigh said that they don’t plan to crack down on minute violations of the ordinance.
“We’ve had a couple instances over the years where a property was abandoned and grew weeds that certainly weren’t cultivated material,” said Cromleigh, referencing the classification of overgrown weeds as a nuisance.
Heidelberg has complaint-driven code enforcement, so the township will not seek out violations. However, some residents voiced concerns the ordinance may be too general, and a future board may not be as lax on enforcement.
The township will review resident feedback as it revises the ordinance. Residents with concerns or comments are welcome to contact Heidelberg via its office, website, or email.
Once a revised draft is completed, supervisors will hold another hearing prior to putting it to a vote.
In other news, the board:
- Discussed the office remodel project. The building was built in the 1970s, so a roof replacement and interior upgrades are planned.
- Unanimously agreed to purchase a $7,112 water fountain for the park including freeze resistance and vandalism resistance.
- Unanimously agreed to purchase three years of service and equipment for the township’s firewall for $1,600.
- Unanimously agreed to pay $30,305 for the seal coat of Gibble Road.
- Unanimously agreed to dispense $10,093 to Sunnyside Culvert.
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