[EastSideHBG]

CAMP HILL

Borough rejects housing proposal

Developer planned to build 12 homes

Friday, November 11, 2005
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News

A developer looking to build on one of the few remaining open parcels in Camp Hill suffered another setback Wednesday night when the borough council rejected his latest plans.

RWC Enterprises wanted to build 12 single-family houses on a 3-acre plot in the 400 block of North 17th Street.

The borough zoning hearing board earlier this year revoked a permit that would have allowed RWC to build 30 townhouse units on the plot.

The borough council rejected the latest plans after a representative of the developer balked at being required to seek a wider easement for a drainage runoff from a storm water retention pond and sewer and water pipes that would run under the swale.

The planning commission had recommended a 25-foot- wide easement. The borough code also requires the wider easement, said council member Burke McLemore, head of the council's Planning and Zoning Committee, in moving to turn down the plans.

The council cited other reasons for the denial.

"There are no less than nine points enumerated by the [borough] engineer in his letter. Not the least of which is the 25-foot drainage requirement," McLemore said.

Scott Akens, who works for the engineering firm that developed the plans, said the 25-foot easement was required only if RWC wanted to turn over the development's sewer system to the borough.

Akens said that in cases where a homeowners association maintains a development's internal sewer system, the builders need only a 20-foot swath for a connection to the borough's sewer mains.

Akens rejected the idea of the 25-foot drainage runoff.

"As it stands now, it meets your zoning ordinances," Akens said.

Akens said some of the items on the engineer's list were minor, could be rectified and should not delay approval of the plans. The developer had no control of some of the other items, he said.

The idea that the council approve the plan at this point drew a rebuke from council member Liesl Beckley.

"That would be like me going into court and telling the judge to decide a case based on evidence I would give him later," said Beckley, an attorney.

The council rejected Akens' request for a time extension that would allow the developers to rectify the remaining issues. it had previously agreed to two extensions.

"These things have been asked for for months," McLemore said.