Supervisors Unanimously Approve Conditional Use Application for Dixon Homes Properties

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Dixon Homes LLC has put forth their conditional use application for a pair of properties on Philips Lane but this time it went before the Board of Supervisors for approval on Monday night.

The application had at an August meeting, in which the Commission stressed that there was a deed restriction to prevent any further subdivision of the lot.

The application calls for conditional use in regards to the township's Steep Slope Ordinance to allow an individual driveway to a proposed single-family detached dwelling throught steep and very steep slopes on lots 8 and 9 of Philips Lane on the Dixon Homes property.

Dixon had originally proposed to turn the two lots into two separate homes, but altered the application. Under the new proposal, the two lots would be consolidated to build a single family home.

Also, in response to concern about the length of the driveway and the severity of the slopes involved, the home was moved to an area of the lot where there is less slope disturbance. Dixon also previously stated that there would be 125 feet between the home and the septic field.

On Monday night, Dixon Homes' project engineer Adam Brower of Edward B. Walsh & Associates, Inc., presented a consolidated percentage of the steep slope and very steep slope of 23.7 percent in which the township's ordinance is set at 20 percent.

"It's 15 percent allowed on steep slope and 5 percent allowed on very steep slope," said Richard Sokorai, acting township solicitor. "We're prohibited as a township to exceeding 20 percent, and that's a zoning ordinance. So, I don't think we have the authority to exceed the 20 percent so the Board can consider the conditional use application and approve the disturbance of that steep slope, very steep slope only up to that 20 percent."

Sokorai said if Dixon Homes wanted to exceed that percentage, they would have to go before the Zoning Hearing Board for the use variance approval.

The supervisors approved the conditional use applicatioin 5-0 with the condition not to exceed that percentage of 20 percent for steep slope and very steep slope.

Since the application has been approved by the supervisors, according to Township Engineer David Pennoni, Dixon Homes will now have to provide a consolidation plan, a road grading control permit, and a stormwater erosion plan.