Controlling development responsibly

By Douglas F. "Doug" Williamson

I believe that our residents of the 2nd District and Upper Providence need to look closely and carefully consider any situation that arises with development.

With that, most development plans that Council sees are small pieces of land in Upper Providence being redeveloped. A developer will purchase a small piece of land, typically with one house on the lot, and seek to subdivide the property in order to build 2, 3, 4, or 5 new houses on the same piece of property. In some cases, a piece of land in a neighborhood has not been developed and the neighborhood uses it as a "park" or similar use. When a developer comes in to build on the property, it is upsetting to the neighbors to lose their former "recreational" space.

In all cases, developers must go through a vetting process that includes hearings before our Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board, along with adherence to all township ordinances and rules concerning building. This process is an exhaustive journey that ensures that any development will meet the legal criteria set forth by the township.

However, there is an important point for residents to remember and that is developers have their own rights within the process. When a developer brings a plan before Council for approval, it has been poked and prodded by our various process and should be refined to the point where it is within all necessary boundaries for building. This is called a "By Right" plan in which the builder has created the plan by his rights under the law. That means the plan is legal and is expected to be passed by Council. In some cases, residents come to Council meetings at this point to register their protests about the development, but they are in essence, too late in the process.

As your current representative on Council, I urge residents to educate themselves in this process and attend Planning and Zoning meetings in the preliminary stages to be represented in the process and share their concerns with the different groups. If a development comes up that may upset a neighborhood, those voices can be heard at that time, rather than later where they may have already missed their chance to speak.

Council strives to address all concerns of Upper Providence residents in issues of development. These concerns have to be balanced with the legal rights of developers to prevent litigation against the township.

Having the citizens of our township informed and involved in this issue helps all parties. In many cases, we are able to reach a compromise solution that allows the developer to do his work but also includes consideration and addressing of residents concerns to everyone's benefit. This outcome is best for all concerned.