November 12, 2019
Pennsylvania

Energy company to present appeal to Hegins zoning board

Vicki Terwilliger | Republican Herald | Published: November 12, 2019 | www.republicanherald.com

VALLEY VIEW – An energy company wanting to install up to 40 wind turbines on Rausch Creek land in Hegins Township will go before the township’s zoning hearing board on Thursday, Nov. 21.

Clean Air Generation LLC, 325 Stone Road, North Abington Township, has filed an appeal to the board and is seeking a variance.

Zoning officer Allan Swab said the public meeting would be held at 6 p.m. at the Hegins Area Ambulance Association Building, 352 South Gap St., Valley View. Swab confirmed the time and made the announcement at the township supervisors’ meeting Wednesday.

CAG is seeking site-specific relief pursuant to the procedures in Section 803.2 of the Hegins Township Zoning Ordinance and Section 916(f) of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. The company wants to develop the wind energy project on property that is also pursuant to the township’s wind energy safety ordinance.

Swab had denied CAG’s permit on Aug. 29.

CAG’s variance is in regard to permitted uses in the S-3 Special Purpose Mining District, where it wants to build the wind energy project along the ridge summit.

In other action Wednesday, supervisors accepted the report from Craig Coleman, road foreman. Supervisor Brad Carl was absent.

Coleman said the state Department of Transportation will extend the panels at the north east quadrant of the new Grove Drive bridge. So far, there have been three accidents there, he said. The township has fielded several complaints from motorists since the new bridge has been in place, stating the guide rails entering and exiting the bridge were too narrow.

Coleman also said it appears the leak has been repaired at the Tri-Valley Community Pool.

In other business, the board:

• Set a date for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in the township secretary/treasurer’s office for adoption of the 2020 budget.

• Approved a proposal from Lehigh Engineering LLC Professional Services to prepare an environmental impact assessment for Williams’ proposed Transco compressor station at a lump sum cost of $5,000.

• Approved Thompson & Knight as a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission consultant.

• Approved McGriff Insurance Services Inc. Brokerage agreement for $1,038.

• Received a thank-you note from the Tri-Valley Senior Citizens group for the township’s $1,000 donation.

• Accepted Gary Hornberger’s treasurer’s report for October, showing income of $24,375.27; expenses, $55,347.41; general fund balance, $489,235.05; PLGIT fund balance, $102,633.49; and pool fund balance, $1,596.79.

• Accepted Police Chief Beau Yarmush’s report for October showing 87 calls to service; nine offense/incident reports; one reportable accident; one nonreportable accident; three traffic citations; and one traffic warning issued. Total patrol unit mileage was 1,241.

• Agreed to join with Tri-Valley School District in the cost of a real estate tax appeal appraisal for M.I. Windows and Doors.

The next food pantry is Wednesday, Nov. 20, and the next regular board meeting is Wednesday, Dec. 4.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/11/12/energy-company-to-present-appeal-to-hegins-zoning-board/