Township Zoners Unanimously Approve Requested Variances

The Lower Saucon Township Zoning Hearing Board, in two separate 4-0 decisions Feb. 21, approved variance requests from property owners related to the construction of a new home and the location of an above-ground swimming pool.

Michael and Nancy Frederick came before the board on Monday night to seek special exception to two sections of the township zoning code for the vacant lot the couple owns at 2002 Sanbrook Drive.

At the meeting, the Fredericks requested a variance related to the parts of the zoning code that dictate the percentage of their lot that could be covered with their proposed home, as well as the legally allowed amount of "steep slope disturbance" during construction.

The 13,831 square foot lot owned by the Fredericks, created when a subdivision was built in the 1960s, is much smaller than the current 20,000 square foot minimum allowed lot size in Lower Saucon Township. According to Mark A. Bradbury, chief surveyor with Martin Bradbury & Griffith Inc., Allentown, who was retained by the Fredericks, the variances needed by the Fredericks stem from the small size of the lot.

"The new ordinance, which is a good ordinance, created conditions that the land just cannot meet," Bradbury said, adding that the Fredericks couldn't even complete their driveway based on the percentages set out in the ordinance, which assume the current minimum 20,000 square foot lot size.

Robert Boyd, of 1501 Willowbrook Drive, who described himself as the "closest neighbor" to the Fredericks' proposed home, expressed concerns related to drainage and runoff. "Does that propose a problem for me?" he asked.

Bradbury said the Fredericks will be constructing an infiltration bed on the property for roof water runoff, in keeping with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations and township zoning ordinances, making their home the only one in the neighborhood controlling storm water on site. "The other houses predate the ordinance," he said, assuring Boyd and the board that the proposed construction would pose no potential water-related impact on its surroundings.  

In a separate variance request, township residents Henry and Terry Kemmerer, of 2521 Alpine Drive, asked the board to waive a 40-foot side yard setback requirement to allow them to construct an above-ground pool on their property. In summarizing the Kemmerers' request, township zoning officer Chris Garges said a large tree in the backyard and the location of their home's septic system make it necessary to build the pool with only a 10-foot setback.

Neighbor Jesse Repash, speaking on behalf of himself and his wife, responded to Vice Chairman Ted Griggs' question about what the Kemmerers' neighbors think about the location of the proposed pool.

"We have no problems," Repash said. "We're here for moral support."

Zoning Hearing Board member Austin Kunsman was absent from the meeting.