\&¥ 3 TRH The Dallas Post sC A > S . = SE ll Nr eg Ss, ga p—— $= —— — #3 S— - 5 GreyeliFE N | CARLTON AVEN - Rg oF 4 p—_— ONROE AVEaNI Sere le DGE - ’ - \ SR j ARNABER AVI AOTONA AVE? CENTER HILL # Be isi dal oT : # EXISTING WOODS | \ 3 ‘ |) z . IE. racy [] ‘ v » i" 1 // Zo Cees] \ \ ~~ / Bs 5 a \ —— ] ; ~~ HE DN BE, ) A ; ; / : be i EXISTING WOODS, 18 nn TT | Rod AA \ J 1s; 1a | 13 | J 3 18 : : i EXISTING YooDs — \ FEL RAE I NE [} 1 5 {aR . p \ A) | : ci ~ Cd EXISTING 8.3 ACRE County's chief planner urges rezoning proposal be denied a letter sent by Adrian Merolli, executive director of the Luzerne County Planning Commission, to Dallas Borough officials. The county has no authority over local gy ommunities’ zoning, except to re- ‘view plans for conformity to the borough or township code. permit the development of 73 houses may present too much pressure on the already heavily burdened water supply system, municipal roadways, and essen- - ~tial services to meet the zoning @lpurposes, as listed in Section 103 Ne on Page 2 of your Ordinance. Conservation District to the (R-1) Single and Two-Family Residence District would reduce the allow- able minimum lot size from two (2) acres to 10,000 sq. ft. which seems too drastic of a reduction. & Conservation because of its slope, wetlands and it being in the drain- age area of the nearby Huntsville Resérvoir. These conditions still existand indicate that care should Director betaken in what is allowed on this Luzerne County Planning parcel. Commission Editor's note: This is the text of 4. The proposed land use (Single Family Houses) is a per- mitted use in the existing Conser- vation Zoning District. Your Zon- ing Hearing Board could hear a request for reasonable lot size and set back variances which would protect the environment and the KE CNT _ 2 ry Sis er ENC WFO SERA ES 5 RNAS" oY TR community by allowing some re- duction in the 2 acre lot size with- out the aforementioned R-1 lot size reduction. 5. The proposed land use and rezoning application is not in con- formity with the Comprehensive Plan (Plate IV-1) and Zoning Dis- tricts 2000 (Plate IV-2) Maps of your approved Comprehensive Plan. Based upon the above refer- enced comments, we are recom- 1. The rezoning of this tract to = The rezoning from the (C-1) The sketch at top was provided to neighbors of land on W. Center Hill Rd. in Dallas Borough owned by Robert Post. It shows 73 new lots on the 70-acre tract. He is requested the land be rezoned from Conservation to R-1 Residential. The sketch above, provided by the Natural Lands Trust, shows a typical subdivision of land into house lots, in which lots are distributed evenly over the land. Below, a preferred alternative, in which homes are clustered and open land is preserved. mending denial of this rezoning request. ° The Zoning Ordinance is for the protection of the environment and the municipality. Rezonings are legislative actions which should be guided by existing con- ditions, infrastructure and the growth policy of the municipal government, not private economic real estate speculation. Adrian F. Merolli, Executive ‘3. This property was zoned Cos o0 3 0, Ten years ago, _ also the subjec _ protests from nearby building lots, _ Then, as now Rezoning (continued from page 1) tive development plan, which sus- tains both houses and natural open space. The Conservation Subdivision Design is advocated by Natural Land Trust, Inc. “Conventional developments such as this needlessly displace wildlife habitat and convert other natural areas into ecologically di- minished suburban yardspace,” the Natural Land Trust said in a published report. The trust pro- poses the same number of houses could be accommodated on a smaller portion of the land. This would reduce development costs and create a greater community spirit among homeowners. The trust also calls for ordi- nance improvements, such as mu- nicipalities requiring developers of pre-identified conservation land to build around them in a respect- ful manner. Robert Hughes, who in 1959 was one of the first people to build a house in Stonehedge, a develop- ment adjacent to Post's land, is concerned about the increased traffic that is inevitable with 73 new homes. “I don’t mind people moving out here, but do mind all the traffic and speed,” said Hughes. “They have to make im- provements on the roads. I don't know what they are going to do.” The schematic plan shows the development having two en- trances, one off W. Center Hill Rd. and one off Huyler Ave. in Stonehedge. The proposed en- trance on Huyler Ave. would have to run through property belong- ing to a homeowner there. Calls to Post for comment were not returned. An answering ma- chine appeared to malfunction as more calls were placed. d Sl Tor Residents of Dallas Borough: Subject: Request for a change of Zoning Map by Mr. Robert Post From: Dallas Borough Residents Against the Post Property Zoning Change Request Please be advised that the Dallas Borough Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing at the Dallas Borough Building, 25 Main Street, Dallas on May 29, 1997 at7:00 p.m. to formally hear a request by Mr. Robert Post for a Zoning Map Change. Mr. Post requests that his property, fronting West Center Hill Road, consisting of seventy peint one (70.1) acres be changed from Conservation District to Residential Single and Two Family Dwelling, R-1 district. A Conservation District allows Building on two (2) acre lots with a minimum frontage of two hundred (200) feet. A residential, R-1 district allows building on ten thousand (10,000) square feet per housing unit with a minimum frontage of seventy (70) feet. Other Facts to Consider: The Post Property has been zoned a Conservation District and is part of a master zoning plan adopted by Dallas Borough on October 20, 1992. This zoning map may be viewed or acquired at the Dallas Borough Building, 25 Main Street. The request for a zoning change is being made so that the land can be subdivided into many more house lots than would be allowed under the Conservation District Zoning. Conservation District Zoning would allow approximately twenty-five (25) home sites. Residence District (R-1) with public water and sewer, which is available, would allow for well over one hundred twenty (120) house lots. Other uses in R-1 would be Crematories, Community Living Facilities, Personal Care Board Homes for Adults, Rooming and Boarding Houses and Trailer Parks. This is a far cry from the current Conservation zoning which allows single family homes, Public Parks, Agriculture, Bird Sanctuaries and Preserves. In Conclusion: Dallas Borough is a relatively small rural community to others around it. The open land available is limited which makes having a well thought out master zoning plan very important. Dallas Borough has a master plan and in it the Post Property is zoned Con- servation. : The Borough Zoning Plan was set up for the good of everyone. To change it for the good of one individual is wrong. Moreover, to haphazardly change zoning is a poor way to manage open land resources and is extremely dangerous for the simple fact that ance zoning is changed and the open space is built on, it will never again be pristine, gpen land. The reasons we all live in Dallas will disappear forever. Mr. Post can develop his property under the current conservation district zoning. This would allow for about 25 home sites. Those of us that are against the zoning change request feel that the Borough should maintain its rural character and be mindful of the open space resources it has left. Changing the zoning from Conservation District to Residence District R-1 and over 120 house lots is not responsible and is definitely not in keeping with the rural character of our community. What will happen next: The Planning Commission will hear arguments for and against the zoning map change at the May 29th meeting. The Commission will then make a recommendation to the Borough Council for or against the change. Council will then vote for or against the zoning map change. Please plan to attend the Planning Commission Hearing on Thursday, May 29th, 7:00pm at the Dallas Borough Building, 25 Main Street. Your Borough Council Members are: Patricia Peiffer William Roberts Donald Cooper William Peiffer M. Jay Pope Martha Weber Theodore Wright President Vice President Your Planning Commissioners are: Mr. Joseph Gilroy Mr. Thomas Reese Mrs. Sandy Richardson 21 Sterling Avenue 111 Franklin Street 153 Parrish Street 21 Sterling Avenue 165 Huntsville Road 174 Sterling Avenue 23 Monroe Terrace 13 Marabee Avenue 126 1/2 Franklin Street 10 Marabee Avenue Paid for by ——_———— —_— \ \NWNEWBERRW A ESTATES ) X Dallas Borough Residents for Responsible Zoning od, . « A ie aii. SAAN, ' ’ ram
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