S. WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – The South Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board continued a public hearing on a proposed apartment complex Thursday night at the administration building.
The proposal, known as The Willows, calls for the construction of two, four-story 24-unit apartment buildings next to Calvary Temple located at 3436 Winchester Rd. One building will encompass 10,895 square feet and contain seven, one-bedroom units, 11-two-bedroom units, and six, three-bedroom units. The second building will be larger – 12,990 square feet – and feature the same mixture of units as the other building. Both buildings will have 11, two-car garages and 26 dedicated surface carport parking spots on the 16.5-acre parcel.
The plan, offered by applicant Ingerman Construction Management, calls also for a 5,000-square-foot playground and two open spaces of 2.2 acres and .6 acres which will be dedicated to South Whitehall Township.
The zoning hearing board is considering four appeals. One is an interpretation on whether the applicant’s plan complies with a requirement that apartment buildings front on an improved street. The second involves a ZHB interpretation that Ingerman’s plan complies with code requiring a building to have frontage on a public street improved to township standards or a private street.
The third involves an interpretation favoring the applicant that if the lot’s frontage is greater than 300 feet, centerlines of driveways on the same tract shall be no closer to each other than 250 feet at the curbline. Should the board fail to find in the applicant’s favor in any of the three, then Ingerman is requesting a variance.
The fourth involves non-compliance with the South Whitehall parking regulations which requires the development offer 445 parking spaces. The applicant is providing 342. To satisfy this requirement, Ingerman is requesting a variance.
A staff review of the proposal raised various issues. One involves revising the plan’s sidewalk location along Leicester Place to be in accordance with the township standard construction documents, which is one foot from the edge of the right-of-way. Other questions specific driveway aprons at each entrance along Kingston Place and Winchester Road. The driveway width along Winchester Road, which at 42 feet, exceeds the maximum 40-foot width permitted by the township’s SALDO.
Further, an emergency management review indicated the area is currently “subject to flash flooding.” Mitigation of stormwater management issues must, in their opinion, be addressed. A fire company review requested that fire department vehicle access be provided on the new buildings’ west sides.
Thursday night’s continuation was at the applicant’s request. No date was established for when the hearing will continue.