Whitpain Township in Process of Revising Subdivision and Land Development Section in Township Code

The public will soon have a chance to comment on an ordinance that may modify the Code of the Township of Whitpain in regard to subdivision and land development, after the Board of Supervisors voted on July 16 to advertise the ordinance, Ordinance Number 328, to the public. 

According to Township Engineer Jim Blanch, the revised ordinance will now allow them to be in compliance with state, county, and federal regulations, as well as help applicants.  “We’re trying to streamline the procedures and processes for subdivision and land use,  and trying to meet best practices.  We are trying to make things easier to follow and making sure things are up to date with standards,” he added.

Blanch noted that there will be three major revisions.  The first is an update to plan processing procedures, the second is a minor plan revision procedure, which will streamline the process to allow for fewer regulations and requirements, and the third is to move the landscape buffer requirements from the Zoning Ordinance to the Subdivision Land Development Ordinance.

According to Blanch, those who may be affected by the revised ordinance include those who go through the subdivision land development process, such as those who want to change their lot lines. 

One way that the revised ordinance could help applicants is regarding the lot lines.  After an ordinance revision, if one property owner wanted to build something on his property and needed more land, he could now eschew the Zoning Board and simply purchase part of his neighbor’s lot to make his own larger. 

This broad-based land development ordinance was last revised in 1972.  Blanch said that he has been examining the ordinance and updating items for the past 10 years or so.   

According to Board of Supervisors Chairperson Joseph Palmer, after the draft of the new ordinance chapter is prepared it will be discussed at a public hearing by the Planning Commission, and then at a public hearing by the Board of Supervisors.