By Jillian Santacroce
Lower Southampton residents are being asked to bring their unwanted electronic devices to the township’s administration building parking lot on Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The building is located at 1500 Desire Ave., Feasterville. The collection is open only to residents of the township.
“Public Works people will be here to assist you,” said Zoning Officer Carol Drioli.
The township will place a limit on the number of electronics able to be collected at the event. Large projection televisions will not be accepted during the collection.
Electronics, such as CRT Televisions, will be gathered by the chosen electronics company for $50 each.
“We’re still trying to look at some other companies,” said Township Manager John McMenamin. “It might be a little bit less.”
For more information about Lower Southampton’s Clean-Up Day or any issues, contact the township.
In other Lower Southampton news…
Toner Homes Inc. lot line change request stirs up confusion between counties
The Lower Southampton supervisors voted all in favor and approved the lot change for the Toner Homes Inc. residential district, located at 403 W. County Line Road.
Toner Homes Inc. already owns the right and left land properties on both sides of the strip of land in question. For the developer to make progress in the project, he came before the board and requested a lot line change in an effort to merge the three properties into one property.
“We have an agreement of sale to purchase that long piece (the strip of land)…We don’t own it yet, it’s under agreement to purchase it,” said Begley, Carlin & Mandio, LLP awyer Thomas R. Hecker. “We’re legally not allowed to purchase it unless a lot line change has been approved by the board.”
“Since they’ve rezoned County Line Road, you can’t get in and out of my driveway because of the traffic with it being one lane…,” said County Line Road resident Stephanie Swanson. “…If they’re going to put 16 luxury townhouses in there, that would be 32 cars as far as I’m concerned and that’s a lot of extra traffic.”
Swanson, who lives in Montgomery County, was never notified about the project.
Chairman Patrick Irving would like residents of Bucks County and Montgomery County to be notified about future zoning or planning meetings about the Toner Homes Inc. project.
“We generally notify the township, the township building, that the application is being presented,” said Zoning Officer Carol Drioli. “If they want to put it up, it’s up to them.”
The development company has built its credentials within the area with previous projects like the Village of Southampton.
The site will use four acres for 16 units. Four 30-foot-tall buildings will house four units in each structure.
Each “upscale” unit at the County Line Road location will be priced between $350,000 and $400,000.
Bob Toner of Toner Homes Inc. will come to the township building at a later date to discuss permits and land development for the property. A PennDOT assessment will also have to be included within the project plan.
Possible summer perk for township workers’ children
During the March 8 Lower Southampton Board of Supervisors meeting and work session, board members discussed giving township employees a discount for many of the area’s summer camp programs. To qualify, the worker must have a child. The reduction would not be effective for their relatives or their friends’ children.
“Our camps have been very successful… We are getting more and more people from outside the township coming,” said Lower Southampton Township Manager John McMenamin. “To compare it with other townships in the area, we’re doing 600 kids…”
According to the township manager, it will not be a major problem for the overall budget.
Many townships offer similar benefits to their employees in different amounts.
The board estimates that roughly 20 employees would be eligible for the discount. There are questions about the total number of children and also how many are not already enrolled in a summer program between the ages of 3 to 14 years old.
The informal proposal did not reach a resolution or an exact reduction amount. It will be discussed further at the township’s next work session.
“It’s not something that I think anyone on the board is completely against, but I also want to make sure we do it the right way,” said Chairman Patrick Irving.
New additions to the Library Board
The Board of Supervisors voted all in favor and appointed Anne Berlin and Charles McCarthy to the Lower Southampton Township Library Board.
Chairman Patrick Irving seemed pleased with the two appointments.
“I have gotten to know Charles, and he is a wonderful man. I know that he cares a lot about the township so I think he’s going to do a great job with the Library Board,” he said.
The two were highly recommended from the library staff, according to the township manager.
The appointees, along with the rest of the board, will be responsible for supervising the budget and the purchasing of books and supplies.
“They (the library board members) give the final approval of any expenditures of their money. The Board of Supervisors only has the responsibility of supplying the money to the library, approving their budget and putting people on the board,” said Township Manager John McMenamin. “All the day-to-day operations are run by that board.”
