Due to complaints over the conditions of some mobile homes, Honey Brook Township officials discussed a means to improve residential requirements relating to the safety, health, and welfare of the tenants during the April 10 meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
Township Engineer Mike Reinert said that the township should determine a policy for inspection of trailer parks, and that the Board of Supervisors should instruct the Planning Commission to construct an adequate property maintenance code. Options therein could include amendments to existing ordinances, improving inspections of mobile home parks, having inspection on rental units or a township wide policy on inspecting units when they are rented or sold.
Some township residents own their mobile homes, others rent, and some own mobile homes kept on rented lots. Some of the complaints Reinert gets are holes in the homes, unsafe conditions on the lots or in homes, weeds, rodents, trash, poor drainage and other violations including those which can be referred to the health department.
Supervisor Lew Wertley asked if a uniform construction code can bring trailer parks up to par, and Reinert said such a code could. A draft uniform construction code is to be prepared and send to the Planning Commission for review.
Road Master Don Johnson said road sweeping in the developments has been completed.
During heavy rain storms, red danger cones are placed in flood prone areas of Beaver Dam Road to warn motorists, and Johnson recommended that there should also be signs notifying the public that the road is subject to flooding. Wertley said that motorists who ignore warning signs and drive around red cones into flooded areas do it at their own risk, and that they will be billed for any subsequent costs incurred by the township resulting from such negligence.
Although there is adequate parking available in the Umble Township Park along Suplee Road, visitors have been parking their vehicles on the grass. This caused the Road Crew to spend several days raking and grading grass covered areas, said Johnson.
A grant worth $7500 has come from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said Township Administrator Toni Antonini. The funds are to be used to hire a consultant to educate residents on the benefits of recycling.
Antonini said the Honey Brook Township Newsletter will be a feature in the Tri County Record. The newsletter will also be available at the Honey Brook Library, Turkey Hill and at the Municipal Building.
The Honey Brook Township Land Preservation Committee has completed paperwork preserving three farms said Chip Jones, co chairman of the Committee. They are a 93 acre dairy farm along Todd Road, an 88 acre farm along Long Lane and a 70 acre farm along Welsh Road.
Those helped by Steeple to People will benefit from the fresh vegetables that will be grown in plots near the Honey Brook Municipal Building along Suplee Road, according to Honey Brook Township Parks and Recreation Committee member Therese Mauchline. She stated that she is looking for volunteers to care for two raised gardens of 10 feet by 3 feet in size. She will contact the Chester County Food Bank to ensure that that the plans have been approved for the proposed location of the plots.
Overall, the Chester County Food Bank has 462 raised bed gardens at 100 sites including 44 at schools. The program started in 2009. Volunteers have been able to grow 130,000 pounds of fresh produce. The Chester County Food bank is located at 1208 Horseshoe Pike in Downingtown. The phone number is 6100-873-6000.
Approval was granted to advertise an ordinance for adoption which will provide directives on such things as Bed & Breakfast establishments, wireless transmission towers, and zoning and acreage required in keeping animals.
With reference to a serious accident at Horseshoe Pike and Birdell Road, Wertley said that the board should petition PennDOT to put a traffic light at the intersection.
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