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Hearing on possible Walmart zoning change set for 6 p.m. Sept. 8 in borough building.
EXETER – Borough council addressed several issues Tuesday night regarding possible upcoming zoning changes.
Pasonick Engineering is reviewing the borough’s aging zoning code. The council will request that the firm prioritize the issue of storm water runoff from newly paved small parking lots.
The borough is expecting several lots to be constructed in the near future and officials said they would like to have regulations up to date so that they can be enforced at the time of construction.
Council President Richard Murawski used the example of a convenience store or a small restaurant to illustrate the size of the lot that council has in mind and said that newly paved lots now can be constructed to allow storm runoff to flow out into the street.
Exeter is hoping to amend the zoning code to require the paving of those lots to include piping and catch basins that would redistribute the storm water so that the ground water level in that particular area remains consistent.
A public hearing regarding the issue is being planned for Oct. 9.
The council will also request that the Exeter Zoning Board review the current municipal code pertaining to the permits and procedures currently required of land developers.
The board’s findings and recommendations will then be considered and possible changes could follow. The chief concern of Exeter officials is the possibility that changes might worsen the flooding problem in the Hicks Creek watershed.
There is a moratorium in effect that prevents any new construction within the watershed. That moratorium has come into focus lately as J&K Construction has said it wants to begin construction of a new development in the Packer Avenue area of the watershed.
J&K is co-owned by Councilman John Kizis, who could not be reached for comment. Kizis has not attended the last two regular meetings or the August work session.
Borough Secretary Debra Serbin and Murawski were unable to provide a phone number for Kizis, who has an unlisted number.
In other business, the borough scheduled on Sept. 8 the second zoning hearing on a possible amendment that would allow for a Walmart to be built on Wyoming Avenue. The hearing will begin at 6 p.m.
Unlike the first hearing, which was held at Wyoming Area High School, the second will be at the borough building. Murawski said the council based that decision on the low turnout at the first meeting.
Some residents in attendance Tuesday said they were not happy about the choice of location. The council meeting room has a maximum capacity of 65 people, and some said they felt turnout might be heavier than council expects.
Murawski acknowledged that he was not sure what would happen if more than 65 people were to show up. He said the fire chief would have to be involved in such an incidence to ensure public safety.
Before the meeting ended, Murawski advised the residents to monitor local publications for possible changes to the hearing’s location.
Councilman Joseph Esposito also reminded residents to submit all concerns in writing as soon as possible so that they could be forwarded to Walmart representatives before next week’s hearing.