Limerick Township municipal update

The Manderach playground at Limerick Community Park will be getting a set of new swings thanks to a donation from the Spring-Ford Area Rotary Club and the Limerick Township Parks and Recreation Department’s fundraising efforts. Rotary Club President-Elect Thomas Spann presented Parks and Recreation Director Karen Hegedus with a check for $563, which the Rotarians raised through their participation in several community events over the last year.

The new swings, called Biggo Duo swings, will be installed at the park before the Playground Fun Daze event in June. Ms. Hegedus came to the board with a request for a loan of $3,225 to make up the difference between the amount that the department has raised and the cost of the swings, which will be paid back with this year’s fundraising. Ms. Hegedus pointed out that Manderach Playground is not only a playground for local residents but for people from all over the area and the new swings would expand the play area for older children from 5-12 years of age, as well as  being useful for special-needs children.

The loan was unanimously approved by the board. Supervisor Kara Shuler said it was a very easy decision because the Parks and Recreation Department is an “award-winning department and a hardworking department” that always “puts the community first.”

The board also discussed waiving sewer EDU (equivalent dwelling unit) requirements for township residents who are remodeling or building an addition on their homes for “in-law suites." An addition to a home is considered a separate dwelling when cooking facilities are built in the addition.

Supervisor Joseph St. Pedro said waiving this requirement “would make it easier for township residents to take care of elderly relatives.” The ordinance defines who is a relative in this type of living situation.

There was some discussion about how to enforce the ordinance so that in-law suites weren’t used as rental units, but the board deferred any decision on enforcement to a later date so that Township Manager Dan Kerr can examine the issue and make a recommendation.

In other business, the board approved Tri-County Toyota’s most recent signage plan. The signs have been reduced to three signs and a twelve-foot tall pylon in order to comply with the board’s request to eliminate some of the 226 square feet of signs in Tri-County’s original proposal. The pylon will be at the edge of the property on Lewis Road and will have an electronic message sign that will display the time and temperature.

The motion to approve the sign package passed 4-1 with board chairman Thomas Neafcy opposed. Mr. Neafcy stated that he opposes any kind of electronic message sign, while the other supervisors withdrew their opposition to the signage because Tri-County Toyota has agreed to abide by the existing ordinance, which only allows for time and temperature to be displayed on this type of sign. The Zoning Hearing Board will consider Tri-County’s amended application at its next meeting.

Other items of note:

• Yard and leaf waste drop-off will be at Limerick Community Park on April 4, 2011 from 8:00am to 12:00pm.
• The board granted extensions of time on subdivision and land development applications for Metro Acura, Linfield Corporate Center Lot 53, Northpointe Community Church and Limerick Car Wash and Quick Lube. Also, they approved final subdivision/land development resolutions for Northpointe Community Church and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church.
• 3 ½ acres of land behind the Limerick Diner and Hide and Seek Self-Storage will be annexed to the Hide and Seek property as part of the sale of the building at 403 West Ridge Pike, formerly the TheraPlay child care center.
• The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be April 5, 2011 at 7:00pm.