Cornwall Borough Council passes zoning amendment for non-listed uses

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Cornwall Borough Council unanimously agreed to pass an amendment to the zoning ordinance governing uses not already accounted for by borough code following a public hearing Monday.

The ordinance applies to uses that are not described elsewhere in the zoning ordinance, which are “neither permitted nor denied in any zoning district.” Right now, this applies to uses such as data centers and solar farms, though the planning and zoning commission is working on addressing these uses.

Uses that fall under this ordinance will be considered conditional uses, which are permitted but developers must meet certain conditions to receive approval. Conditions include a buffer area, DEP compliance, and compliance with zoning district criteria.

Under this ordinance, residential uses that fall under this category will only be permitted in residential village, institutional, office, commercial, retail, or service use will only be permitted in general commercial, and industrial and recreational uses will only be permitted in general industrial.

No residents in attendance commented during the public hearing, nor was the ordinance discussed in detail prior to adoption.

The ordinance was advertised for adoption at council’s December meeting and discussed at that time.

Also following a public hearing without comment from the public, council unanimously agreed to a resolution adopting the Cornwall-Lebanon Regional Comprehensive Plan.

The plan, an advisory document for Cornwall Borough and North Cornwall, North Lebanon, South Lebanon, and West Cornwall townships (which share Cornwall-Lebanon School District), was advanced by participating municipalities in October after over a year in development.

The plan analyzes trends in development, housing, cost of living, and more, and sets recommended goals for participating municipalities, such as to “maintain a balance of developed, urban areas and conserved, rural lands.”

Though advisory, the plan recommends rezoning some parcels. For instance, the Freeman Estate lands at 250 Cornwall Road are recommended to be used for heritage tourism/economic development as opposed to agriculture, the current zoning.

Council also discussed possible changes to the P&Z, which were brought up by councilwoman Julie Bowman. Bowman, who was in attendance remotely via Zoom, recommended that the commission move from five to seven members or remain a five-member board with two alternates.

Bowman said no action was necessary at this point but recommended council members think about it. She said that some commission meetings have not made quorum due to low attendance, though she said this has not been the case in the last year.

Bowman also requested clarification on the criteria being used to fill a vacancy on the commission. Council unanimously accepted the resignation of Jeff Snyder following 27 years on the commission Monday.

P&Z member Joe Lescisko said he felt the commission has done well and he is opposed to adding more members. He said the P&Z hasn’t cancelled any meetings in his time.

“I think the proof is in the pudding, and I’m not here to pat myself on the back, but when we make a recommendation to council, nine times out of ten, you guys back us up,” said Lescisko. “That’s not to say we’re perfect, but we try to do our due diligence and I hope we continue to do so.”

P&Z chair Ray Fratini said he only learned this was on the agenda Monday morning, and said he felt blindsided by it. He acknowledged that some meetings have not reached quorum but said he was opposed to increasing the size of the commission.

“I don’t want people serving on the P&Z to have an agenda. I want people to come to each and every one of our meetings: special ones and the ones that we have monthly,” said Fratini.

Councilman Thomas Burton repeatedly asked Fratini if he saw a problem with having non-voting alternates who could fill in voting roles in a pinch. Fratini said he felt the meetings were a large commitment for a non-voting member. He asked whether there was a problem with the P&Z that needed addressed.

Bowman said she didn’t see it that way, but said she felt more members could “make P&Z stronger” and “bring more opinions to the table.”

Resident Jeremy Zimmerman noted the experience of current P&Z members, including councilmen Bruce Conrad and John Karinch. However, he said the board should train new, younger members to prepare for the retirement of current members.

Ultimately, no action was taken, though Conrad asked that the commission look into the issue further on its own.

In other news, council:

• Unanimously agreed to table action on the dedication of Forge Drive, opting to wait until litigation of the developer has concluded. Council also tabled action on the establishment of speed limits and stop intersections for the road.
• Unanimously approved a resolution allowing for the routine disposition of 2018 records.
• Unanimously agreed to appoint Ron Ricard, former councilman, as vacancy chair.
• Unanimously accepted the resignation of Barb Henry, water and sewer administrator, effective March 13. “Barb, I think, has done a tremendous job and there have been so many improvements made in water and sewer from the time Barb started to get us to where we are at today,” said chairman Bruce Harris.
• Discussed the possibility of establishing a code of ethics, though no action was taken.
• Directed borough manager Cody Rhoads to contact Met-Ed to discuss extended outages with the borough.
• Authorized an elected officials boot camp for new council members who choose to take part. Council members John Lux, Eric Tobias, and Bowman have taken office since a boot camp was last offered.
• Unanimously agreed to authorize a junior council member program with Cornwall-Lebanon School District.
• Unanimously approved reports and minutes.

Cornwall Borough Council meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.