Multiple Committees to Report at Wednesday L.M. Commissioners Meeting

Wednesday night’s special Lower Merion Board of Commissioners meeting will address an ordinance to amend the Township’s development code to include impact fees related to the creation of a “City Avenue Transportation Service Area.”

The Building and Planning Committee, chaired by Commissioners President Liz Rogan, will present at the public hearing.

“Staff recommends that the Board open the public hearing to receive public comment, table the consideration for adoption and proceed to hold the hearing open until September 7th to provide sufficient time for re-advertising and distribution to the Township and County Planning Commission,” wrote Township Manager Doug Cleland, in a public memo to Director of Building & Planning Bob Duncan. “If the Township fails to adopt the impact fee ordinance by September 17th, we will lose the ability to collect impact fees from the Taco Bell and Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center developments. The impact fees from these developments will total between $125,000 and $150,000.”

Anticipating protest from some members of the public who believe the adoption is being done too hastily in order to collect those fees, and who suggest that there are flaws in the land use assumptions report and traffic analysis, Cleland noted, “I don’t believe this ordinance is being rushed. The land use assumptions report has been available for over a year and the traffic data has been available since April.”

(See the ordinance and Cleland’s memo, attached.)

Police Committee (6:30 p.m.)

A no-turn-on-red regulation (Athens and Linwood avenues, Ardmore) and a stop sign regulation (Woodleave Road at Pennstone Road North in Bryn Mawr) will be discussed, and Police Superintendent Michael McGrath will give his monthly report.

There will also be a consideration “for recommendation to the Board the approval of a Resolution to the County recommending that, in the event the County decides to proceed with an upgrade to its Public Safety Radio Communications System, the Township intends to eventually participate in the System.”

***

The Parks & Recreation Committee is scheduled to meet publicly at 6:45 p.m., followed by the Public Works Committee at 7 p.m. and the Human Relations Committee immediately following.

The next scheduled Township Board of Commissioners meeting will take place on Aug. 3.