Union Township moves five ordinances to county planning for feedback

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The Union Township Board of Supervisors voted May 13 to move four updated ordinances and one new one to the Lebanon County Planning Department for feedback.

The ordinances include short-term rentals; non-commercial keeping of livestock and domestic fowl; fences, walls, and hedges; parking and storage of unlicensed vehicles; and roadside stands.

Most votes were unanimous, but supervisor Stephen Lum voted against the short-term rental ordinance. Lum has been a vocal critic of what he has called unnecessary and costly ordinances that could restrict residents. He said enforcement could be done with the regulations currently on the books.

“Townships have a lot of power, a lot of authority to come down on our residents, and the more as a township, the more we can tell our people no, the more power we have,” he said. “I don’t want power over all the people.”

Township officials previously told LebTown that the new and updated ordinances are meant to address inconsistencies and ambiguity, which have previously led to multiple interpretations of existing ordinances.

Supervisors made a few changes to the text before sending it to county planning.

The fences, walls, and hedges ordinance will include edits to make the 6-foot maximum height requirement for fences around gardens, trees, etc., 8 feet, and to exempt all required fence permits in agricultural and open-space uses. These changes were recommended by the planning commission.

Supervisors also changed an ordinance to allow for non-permanent signs to advertise to other residents that goods are being sold.

Supervisor Kerry McCrary said any action taken during the meeting won’t put the ordinances into effect — it will only give solicitor Paul Bametzreider permission to pass them forward to the planning department for its feedback.

He said the township should be looking into the future even if it doesn’t have any problems now. He mentioned the in-progress data center ordinance, which would limit potential data center development even though there hasn’t been any interest.

Bametzreider told the board that the county will have the opportunity to make comments on the ordinances. Then, supervisors can choose to make further changes, vote to advertise the ordinances, and hold a public hearing before voting on adoption.

“You have a right to table, and up until the moment you’re sitting there, you’ve got it advertised for adoption, at that point, if you decide you don’t want to adopt it, you don’t have to adopt it,” Bametzreider said.

In other business, supervisors:

• Announced the death of former supervisor Dennis Firestone and held a moment of silence.
• Accepted 90-day time extensions for for Axis Jonestown Storage, Burkentine Builders & Sons, and Lebanon Newswanger Solar Farm.
• Approved a letter of credit release of $128,495.40 for phase two of Logistics Park, leaving no money remaining.
• Voted 2-1 to sign an agreement with the Department of Community & Economic Development to allow the state to conduct and pay for a study to address concerns for a regionalized fire company due to the drop in the number of volunteers. Many other Lebanon County municipalities are participating in the study. Lum voted against the motion.
• Agreed to install two children at play signs at or around 9 and 16 Ridge Road.
• Voted to authorize the solicitor to advertise the township’s property on Forge Road for sale. The township must solicit bids for the land.

The Union Township Board of Supervisors will have its next meeting at 3111 PA-72 on June 10 at 6:30 p.m.