Gooch promoted to director of planning and zoning

Supervisors also discuss a lot line move for property

Beth Gooch, who was the township’s planning and zoning coordinator, is now the director of planning and zoning.

The promotion was approved by the Franconia Township Board of Supervisors at its July 12 meeting.

“Due to the increased level of independence and responsibility, the new salary is $71,500,” said Frank Bartle, the township’s solicitor.

Gooch, who started with the township in April of 2014 as code enforcement secretary/receptionist clerk, was promoted to planning and zoning coordinator in December of 2015.

In another matter at the July 12 meeting, a proposed property lot line change with a rezoning request could lead to about three acres being added to the township’s open space land.

The lot line change would be to add land owned by Tom and Terry Leidy to the Leidy’s, Inc. property on Cherry Lane, Rick Mast, the engineer for the proposed project, said. Tom and Terry Leidy are former owners of Leidy’s, Inc.

The plan also includes requesting that the township rezone about 36,000 square feet of land that would be on the Leidy’s Inc. portion after the lot line change, he said.

The rezoning would make that zoned for limited industrial use while the 2.8 acres that Tom and Terry Leidy would continue to own would remain zoned for residential use, he said. The residential portion would have room for four building lots, Tom Leidy said.

Leidy’s, Inc. could not build on its additional 36,000 square feet of land because it would not be large enough to meet setback requirements, Mast said, but it could be used as a driveway.

“That’s been their main goal in acquiring this piece, is to have access,” said Charlene Hunsberger, Leidy’s, Inc.’s attorney.

Board member Curtis Kratz said the township owns open space land adjoining the Leidy site and he’d like to see the municipality add the tract being discussed. The open space land is in the area of the proposed Liberty Bell trail, which would roughly follow the one time Liberty Bell trolley lines through portions of Montgomery and Bucks counties.

“It fits right with the woods that we already own and it just makes more sense to make it a little bigger,” Kratz said.

That would still leave open the possibility of Leidy’s, Inc. putting in a driveway in that area, Mast said.

“You gotta be careful about combining industrial traffic and open space uses, but it’s not an impossible thing to think about,” he said.

Later in the meeting, the board approved getting an appraisal of the Leidy tract.

Board First Vice Chairman David Fazio said the board expects to give an answer in August if the township wants to purchase the land for open space or if the lot line change plan should continue.