The Planning Commission held their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in the Municipal Building at 253 Municipal Dr. and via Zoom as a virtual meeting. A public notice was published in the Daily Local News on December 18, 2024.
The agenda was posted on the Township website and at the Township building on June 11, 2025. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 P.M. by Ken Simon. Salute to the Flag.
Roll Call – In attendance were Ken Simon, Tom Parr, Michael Irwin, Jim Benko and John Woodcock. Adam Thomas and William Schew were not present.
Township Staff and Consultants in attendance were Don Vymazal, Township Manager; Raymond Stackhouse, Director of Building and Life Safety; Lowell Leaman, Arro engineer; Board of Commissioners’ Liaison to the Planning Commission Lorraine Tindaro; and Elizabeth Nagy, Planning Commission Secretary.
Approval of March 18, 2025, meeting Minutes- Tom Parr and Ken Simon abstained, they were not in attendance. With Adam Thomas and William Schew absent there is not a quorum. Will address at next meeting.
Agenda items- Bondsville Road Apartments-415 Bondsville Rd. – Appearing on behalf of the applicant is Allan Zimmerman of Commonwealth Engineers, Engineer for the applicant. Mr. Stackhouse gave a brief explanation why the project is before the Planning Commission. The land development plan had previously received preliminary approval, but some things ran out, so they needed to update their stormwater ordinance to the current ordinance. A memo was submitted by Kristin Camp providing the history of Zoning and Land Use approvals. The focus tonight is to review the changes to the plan and request waivers for as stated in the Commonwealth Engineers letter dated June 6, 2025, with the addition of 135-305, provided the applicant can achieve maximum volume possible. Allan explained that the request for the waivers is due to having zero infiltration on the site. They will do a buffer clean out and a green roof. Lowell agreed that relief from infiltration would need to be requested regardless of what is being built there due to the site. There will be a stormwater basin for the building and 1 retention basin under the parking lot. The applicant is requesting a waiver from a recreational area because it is an age restricted development, they are considering a community gazebo instead. Fourteen waivers are requested, since not all members agreed a motion for each request was recommended:
.
g. SWMO Section 135-301.T (Grading Setback Requirements)
This section states that disturbance of existing ground cover during construction of the proposed
regulated activity is prohibited within 50 feet of top-of-bank of all water bodies and wetlands,
except for activities otherwise approved by State or local agencies at the municipal engineer's
discretion. The non-disturbance buffer may be reduced because of setback or other site
constraints, but never be less than 10 feet. The applicant is requesting relief to allow disturbance
within 10 feet of wetlands as previously approved since this ordinance requirement was not in
place at the time of original approval. Mike Irwin made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by Ken Simon. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
h. SWMO Section 135-306 (Infiltration Requirements)
This section states that the stormwater management system design shall provide for infiltration
and water quality volume management consistent with the natural hydrologic regime to
compensate for the reduction in recharge that occurs when the ground surface is disturbed, or
impervious surface is created or expanded. The applicant requests a waiver of this section due to
the site's inability to provide for subsurface infiltration. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. Motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
i. SWMO Section 135-307.B (24-Hour On-Site Attenuation)
This section states that the stormwater management system design shall incorporate and provide
for a twenty-four-hour on-site attenuation or retention/detention of the runoff from the one-year
twenty-four-hour storm event. The applicant requests a waiver of this section due to the site's
inability to provide for subsurface infiltration. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by Mike Irwin. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
j. SWMO Section 135-311.A.(2) (Stormwater Cover Assumptions)
This section requires that all stormwater management designs for residential uses shall
incorporate and provide for stormwater management controls that consider the maximum
impervious coverage allowed for on the entire project site by the township's zoning ordinance.
The applicant requests a waiver of this section to provide a stormwater design based on actual
proposed impervious coverage due to limited area suitable for construction. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
k. SWMO Section 135-311.C (Storm Sewer Size & Slope)
This section requires that all storm drain pipes shall be designed to maintain a minimum grade of
1%, have a minimum inside diameter of eighteen (18) inches and have a minimum of eighteen
(18) inches in cover from the top-of-pipe to finished grade. The applicant requests a waiver of
this section to allow grades of no less than 0.50%, and cover under the basin outfall of less than
18 inches due to the very flat nature of the property and the lack of available fall for storm sewer
design. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
l. SWMO Section 135-311.I.(2) (Basin Design Development Conditions)
This section requires that basins be designed to detain the quantity of water resulting from storms
up to the 100-yr, 24-hour storm under full development conditions. The applicant requests a
waiver of this section to permit a stormwater design based on actual proposed impervious
coverage because of the limited site area suitable for construction due to the presence of wetlands
and flood hazard areas. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
m. SWMO Section 135-311.I.(5) (Basin Location & Discharge)
This section requires that each detention and/or retention basin be located totally within the lot
lines of one lot and designed and constructed to preclude discharge to adjoining and/or
contiguous properties. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow the basin to
discharge to the floodplain to the east of the subject property, which is located on lands N/F of
Caln Township. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Mike Irwin and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
n. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(2) (Basin Top-of-Berm Width)
This section requires that the top-of-berm width for a basin be a minimum of ten (10) feet. The
applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow a top-of-berm width of five (5) feet due to the
limited drainage area to the basin and limited space available to construct the basin due to the
presence of wetlands and floodplain. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Mike Irwin and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
o. SWMO 135-311.J.(3) (Bottom of Basin Slope)
This section requires that the bottom of a basin shall have a minimum slope of 2%. The applicant
requests a waiver of this section to allow a flat bottom for the basin due to the nature of the
bioretention wetland basin and use of amended soils. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
p. SWMO 135-311.J.(7) (Basin Riser Design)
This section requires that the top of the basin riser shall be two feet below the top of the berm and
one foot below the emergency spillway. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow
the top of the basin riser to be below the top of the berm and above the emergency spillway to accommodate the riser outlet orifices. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
q. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(10) (Emergency Spillway Construction)
This section requires that emergency spillways shall be constructed of concrete or grass pavers.
The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow permanent geotextile stabilization of the
spillway due to the limited drainage area to the basin. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
r. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(12) (Minimum Separation Distance)
This section states that the minimum distance between a storm water facility and a building or
other structure shall be thirty (30) feet. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow a
minimum distance of 5 feet from the proposed building to the 275.20 elevation contour (the
elevation of the top-of-berm for the basin) because of the limited site area suitable for
construction due to the presence of wetlands and flood hazard areas. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
s. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(13) (Minimum Separation Distance)
This section states that the minimum distance between a stormwater facility and any property line
shall be fifty (50) feet. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow a minimum
distance of 10 feet to the property line from the center of the top-of-berm of the basin because
of the limited site area suitable for construction due to the presence of wetlands and flood hazard
areas. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
SWMO Sections 135-305 and 135-306 (requires infiltration and water quality volume be provided) Due to the inability to infiltrate because of the poor site soils, providing these volumes in a manner required by these sections is not feasible. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
Communications – None
Discussion Items – None
Old Business – None
Upcoming Developments –None
New Business- None
Best Planning Practices
Adjournment – With no further agenda items or Commission business, Mr. Simon made a motion to adjourn the meeting, moved by Tom Parr and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: with no objections the motion passes 5–0. The meeting adjourned at 8:11 P.M.
Subdivision and Land Development Timeclock Dates:
Bondsville Road Apartments-415 Bondsville Rd- Land development- July 14, 2025
Cohen-4109 Lincoln Hwy-Land Development-August 31, 2025
To the best of my knowledge, this summarizes the minutes of June 17, 2025, Planning Commission
meeting.
Respectfully,
Elizabeth Nagy
The agenda was posted on the Township website and at the Township building on June 11, 2025. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 P.M. by Ken Simon. Salute to the Flag.
Roll Call – In attendance were Ken Simon, Tom Parr, Michael Irwin, Jim Benko and John Woodcock. Adam Thomas and William Schew were not present.
Township Staff and Consultants in attendance were Don Vymazal, Township Manager; Raymond Stackhouse, Director of Building and Life Safety; Lowell Leaman, Arro engineer; Board of Commissioners’ Liaison to the Planning Commission Lorraine Tindaro; and Elizabeth Nagy, Planning Commission Secretary.
Approval of March 18, 2025, meeting Minutes- Tom Parr and Ken Simon abstained, they were not in attendance. With Adam Thomas and William Schew absent there is not a quorum. Will address at next meeting.
Agenda items- Bondsville Road Apartments-415 Bondsville Rd. – Appearing on behalf of the applicant is Allan Zimmerman of Commonwealth Engineers, Engineer for the applicant. Mr. Stackhouse gave a brief explanation why the project is before the Planning Commission. The land development plan had previously received preliminary approval, but some things ran out, so they needed to update their stormwater ordinance to the current ordinance. A memo was submitted by Kristin Camp providing the history of Zoning and Land Use approvals. The focus tonight is to review the changes to the plan and request waivers for as stated in the Commonwealth Engineers letter dated June 6, 2025, with the addition of 135-305, provided the applicant can achieve maximum volume possible. Allan explained that the request for the waivers is due to having zero infiltration on the site. They will do a buffer clean out and a green roof. Lowell agreed that relief from infiltration would need to be requested regardless of what is being built there due to the site. There will be a stormwater basin for the building and 1 retention basin under the parking lot. The applicant is requesting a waiver from a recreational area because it is an age restricted development, they are considering a community gazebo instead. Fourteen waivers are requested, since not all members agreed a motion for each request was recommended:
.
g. SWMO Section 135-301.T (Grading Setback Requirements)
This section states that disturbance of existing ground cover during construction of the proposed
regulated activity is prohibited within 50 feet of top-of-bank of all water bodies and wetlands,
except for activities otherwise approved by State or local agencies at the municipal engineer's
discretion. The non-disturbance buffer may be reduced because of setback or other site
constraints, but never be less than 10 feet. The applicant is requesting relief to allow disturbance
within 10 feet of wetlands as previously approved since this ordinance requirement was not in
place at the time of original approval. Mike Irwin made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by Ken Simon. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
h. SWMO Section 135-306 (Infiltration Requirements)
This section states that the stormwater management system design shall provide for infiltration
and water quality volume management consistent with the natural hydrologic regime to
compensate for the reduction in recharge that occurs when the ground surface is disturbed, or
impervious surface is created or expanded. The applicant requests a waiver of this section due to
the site's inability to provide for subsurface infiltration. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. Motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
i. SWMO Section 135-307.B (24-Hour On-Site Attenuation)
This section states that the stormwater management system design shall incorporate and provide
for a twenty-four-hour on-site attenuation or retention/detention of the runoff from the one-year
twenty-four-hour storm event. The applicant requests a waiver of this section due to the site's
inability to provide for subsurface infiltration. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by Mike Irwin. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
j. SWMO Section 135-311.A.(2) (Stormwater Cover Assumptions)
This section requires that all stormwater management designs for residential uses shall
incorporate and provide for stormwater management controls that consider the maximum
impervious coverage allowed for on the entire project site by the township's zoning ordinance.
The applicant requests a waiver of this section to provide a stormwater design based on actual
proposed impervious coverage due to limited area suitable for construction. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
k. SWMO Section 135-311.C (Storm Sewer Size & Slope)
This section requires that all storm drain pipes shall be designed to maintain a minimum grade of
1%, have a minimum inside diameter of eighteen (18) inches and have a minimum of eighteen
(18) inches in cover from the top-of-pipe to finished grade. The applicant requests a waiver of
this section to allow grades of no less than 0.50%, and cover under the basin outfall of less than
18 inches due to the very flat nature of the property and the lack of available fall for storm sewer
design. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
l. SWMO Section 135-311.I.(2) (Basin Design Development Conditions)
This section requires that basins be designed to detain the quantity of water resulting from storms
up to the 100-yr, 24-hour storm under full development conditions. The applicant requests a
waiver of this section to permit a stormwater design based on actual proposed impervious
coverage because of the limited site area suitable for construction due to the presence of wetlands
and flood hazard areas. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
m. SWMO Section 135-311.I.(5) (Basin Location & Discharge)
This section requires that each detention and/or retention basin be located totally within the lot
lines of one lot and designed and constructed to preclude discharge to adjoining and/or
contiguous properties. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow the basin to
discharge to the floodplain to the east of the subject property, which is located on lands N/F of
Caln Township. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Mike Irwin and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
n. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(2) (Basin Top-of-Berm Width)
This section requires that the top-of-berm width for a basin be a minimum of ten (10) feet. The
applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow a top-of-berm width of five (5) feet due to the
limited drainage area to the basin and limited space available to construct the basin due to the
presence of wetlands and floodplain. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Mike Irwin and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
o. SWMO 135-311.J.(3) (Bottom of Basin Slope)
This section requires that the bottom of a basin shall have a minimum slope of 2%. The applicant
requests a waiver of this section to allow a flat bottom for the basin due to the nature of the
bioretention wetland basin and use of amended soils. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
p. SWMO 135-311.J.(7) (Basin Riser Design)
This section requires that the top of the basin riser shall be two feet below the top of the berm and
one foot below the emergency spillway. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow
the top of the basin riser to be below the top of the berm and above the emergency spillway to accommodate the riser outlet orifices. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
q. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(10) (Emergency Spillway Construction)
This section requires that emergency spillways shall be constructed of concrete or grass pavers.
The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow permanent geotextile stabilization of the
spillway due to the limited drainage area to the basin. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
r. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(12) (Minimum Separation Distance)
This section states that the minimum distance between a storm water facility and a building or
other structure shall be thirty (30) feet. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow a
minimum distance of 5 feet from the proposed building to the 275.20 elevation contour (the
elevation of the top-of-berm for the basin) because of the limited site area suitable for
construction due to the presence of wetlands and flood hazard areas. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by Jim Benko and seconded by John Woodcock. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
s. SWMO Section 135-311.J.(13) (Minimum Separation Distance)
This section states that the minimum distance between a stormwater facility and any property line
shall be fifty (50) feet. The applicant requests a waiver of this section to allow a minimum
distance of 10 feet to the property line from the center of the top-of-berm of the basin because
of the limited site area suitable for construction due to the presence of wetlands and flood hazard
areas. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
SWMO Sections 135-305 and 135-306 (requires infiltration and water quality volume be provided) Due to the inability to infiltrate because of the poor site soils, providing these volumes in a manner required by these sections is not feasible. Ken Simon made a motion to recommend for approval. The motion was moved by John Woodcock and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: With no objections the motion passes 5-0.
Communications – None
Discussion Items – None
Old Business – None
Upcoming Developments –None
New Business- None
Best Planning Practices
Adjournment – With no further agenda items or Commission business, Mr. Simon made a motion to adjourn the meeting, moved by Tom Parr and seconded by Jim Benko. Poll of members: with no objections the motion passes 5–0. The meeting adjourned at 8:11 P.M.
Subdivision and Land Development Timeclock Dates:
Bondsville Road Apartments-415 Bondsville Rd- Land development- July 14, 2025
Cohen-4109 Lincoln Hwy-Land Development-August 31, 2025
To the best of my knowledge, this summarizes the minutes of June 17, 2025, Planning Commission
meeting.
Respectfully,
Elizabeth Nagy
