Falls Township Fire Company was granted approval from the zoning board for their request of building additions presented earlier this month at the board’s meeting.
The petition #4 in this month’s agenda was to expand the building with an addition for a new bay. The additional bay would be to accommodate equipment that is being delivered in 2025.The expansion would accommodate newly purchased apparatus and also other renovations inside the building to make it more usable for them.
Credit: Zoning Board Meeting 4/9/24 – Current Fire Company
Representing the fire company was Brian Binney, a professional land surveyor, of Anderson Engineering now a division of Pennoni Engineering. David Shamberg from the fire company was also present to testify.
The variances presented were as follows:
Section 209:
- -20.1.E and Table 4 – to allow a minimum front yard building setback less than 100 feet as required on Table 4 and to allow a maximum impervious surface ratio greater than 70% as required on Table 4
- -20.1.I – to allow existing parking within 20 ft. to the street line without curbing and plantings as required by Section 209-22.F(2)
- -38.1.E(4) – to not provide 20 ft. buffer yards
- -40 – to not provide a lighting plan
- -42.B(1) – to not provide landscaping between off-street parking and street lines or lot lines
- -42.C – to not propose additional lighting fixtures
- -42.E – to allow an existing continuous open driveway greater than 30 ft. wide
Binney said all the variances except for one were currently in existence. The one non-existent variance relates to the dimensional variant of the front yard. He proceeded to detail each requested variance for the board.
Comment from the board was that the fire company was not asking for much as most of these variances were already there, and they were not asking to really change any impervious surface or anything that’s going to be detrimental to the neighborhood. Binney replied “….just trying to memorialize it.”
Credit: Zoning Board Meeting 4/9/24 – Proposed Future Fire Company
During public comment, Amy R. asked questions regarding clarity of the building’s expansion and addition, type of new equipment and logistics of the fire trucks entering and exiting the building. Binney clarified the expansion and addition, explained the new equipment would be fire trucks and that the fire trucks would use the front to enter and exit.
Shamberg also replied “We have not taken a major renovation like this since the 1950s. We’ve been in the Fallsington area for over a 100 years. Lord knows the township is growing exponentially as all you folks know and we’re getting ready for it……”. He added they were able to purchase three new fire trucks with delivery due next year.
The board, in relation to public comment, asked for and received clarification that the “addition is not going to be detrimental in any way, it’s taking a part of the parking lot that is already existing there so you’re basically just moving the building sideways pretty much and then you’re just going to relocate the parking that you have existing. Is that correct?” Binney answered that it was correct. Next question from the board was regarding height of the decorative portion. Binney answered that it would conform to the requirements of the zoning district.
The Zoning Board unanimously approved this petition in its entirety.
Credit: Submitted