Residents express concerns about dangerous intersection

            During last week's Marlborough Township supervisors meeting, a public hearing was held to allow feedback on the adoption of a revised Home Occupation Ordinance, which regulates businesses that operate out of private homes.

            Among the clarifications contained in the amendments was a stipulation that "the area used for the home occupation, including any portion located within an accessory building, shall not exceed 25 percent of the gross floor area of the residence."

             The ordinance also eliminates language that permits bakeries "and similar services", according to Solicitor Zachary Sivertsen, and allows only one employee per home, outside the immediate family. The changes came about at the request of zoning officers.

            Burt Shive, a Marlborough resident who has operated a small machinery business out of his home, read a statement objecting to some of the changes. Shive stated that, in recent years, the board of supervisors has picked "winners and losers" instead of issuing general guidelines. For example the ordinance allows for a wood shop but not a machine shop, "alienating anything automotive related."

            He also criticized the 25 percent provision on floor area as too restrictive. Shive asked that the board table the vote on the ordinance, but supervisors voted unanimously to adopt.

            Supervisor Bill Jacobs did ask that the issues mentioned be further discussed.

            Shive, a member of the township's park and recreation board, was officially on hand to report on the parks. He praised Marlborough's public works department for its job paving the parking lot at Finland Road Park.

            He also said that remediation of the weed issue at Skymount Lake is "going fantastic" and put in a plug for funding to continue the remediation next year. Shive announced that he was accepted into a Penn State forestry stewardship program.

            Several Marlborough residents were on hand to discuss their concerns about the sight lines at Geryville Pike and Magazine Road, specifically citing problems with a property that the residents say is overgrown with vegetation.

            "There is not enough sight distance coming up that road, looking down Geryville Pike toward 63," resident Larry Stempel said, claiming that weeds measuring four and five feet tall are obstructing the views of drivers.

            The supervisors said that they had contacted Montgomery County, since Geryville Pike is a county road, to resolve the issue. Stempel expressed skepticism that the county would solve the problem. "In my view of the county roads and bridges, they're not going to do anything. So, where do we go from here?"

            "Sometimes we actually do get them to move," said Jacobs.

            Stempel and the supervisors pointed out that the sight distance has to be surveyed first.

            Stempel, a former civil engineer with experience in doing such surveys, said the county personnel who did conduct a survey of the intersection, approximately a month ago, had no survey equipment with them.

             "I'm hung up on the weed ordinance," said another resident, Mike Snell. "Why can't we enforce the ordinance to control the weeds?"

            "We've already tried that," responded Supervisor Brian Doremus.

            "It's a safety hazard, and we're letting [the property owner] get away with it," lamented Snell.

            Supervisors Chairman Billy Hurst said that the property owner's actions, or lack thereof, are indeed illegal and the township has notified the owner in the past. 

            "We have to go through the legal channels," Hurst said.

            Jennifer Ruth claimed that she and her husband have narrowly avoided accidents at the intersection because they could not see far enough down the road.

            "Somebody is going to get hurt, and who is responsible? Who am I going to sue?"

            Sivertsen explained the legal steps the township would have to take to correct the issue.

            Hurst promised to pursue solutions with the zoning board and apply the recently revised township nuisance ordinance, which potentially allows the township to do the work and bill the property owner.

            "We are going to do something about it," Jacobs vowed.

            The board voted unanimously for conditional approval to accept dedication of the roads in the Wooded Ridge development in Green Lane, pending final execution of the agreements between developer Fred MacIntosh and the township.

            Township Manager/Secretary Marybeth Cody reported on the merger of Harleysville Ambulance and Trappe ambulance companies into Freedom Valley Rescue, which will service 12 municipalities beginning in October.

          The new organization requested that Marlborough make an early payment of the township's yearly $15,000 contribution to help with the transition, and the supervisors agreed after a 2-1 vote with Doremus voting in the negative.

          At the supervisors work session on July 25, PennDOT's recent study of speeding issues on Route 63 was reviewed. The state agency concluded that a reduction in speed limit is not warranted.

           Prior to the meeting, a discussion about legal matters was held in executive session. The next monthly meeting will be on September 14.