Trash transfer station enlargement planned

FRANCONIA » J. P. Mascaro & Sons’ plans to replace its existing trash transfer station building in Franconia with a larger one mean the company can move indoors some of its operations that are now happening outside, J. P. Mascaro III told the Franconia Township Board of Supervisors at its Nov. 20 work session.

The plans include moving the weigh station and an existing tank, along with demolishing the current about 3, 181 square-foot trash transfer building and replacing it with a 23,917 squarefoot building, Doug Rossino, Franconia’s engineer, said.

Some existing grass area will be removed, but the plans will mean little change in the amount of the property that is covered over, he said.

“The majority of this property is already impervious. It’s either paved or it has a building

sitting on it,” Rossino said.

The plans include changes to an existing water run-off basin to help infiltrate the water, he said.

At the meeting, the board unanimously agreed to the company’s request that the land development process for the plans be waived.

The township has considered possible issues that would have arisen in the land development review and made sure those matters were addressed, Frank Bartle, Franconia’s solicitor, said.

“While there is a formal waiver of the land development process, those items that were felt to be important in the land development process, that need to be done, are incorporated in an agreement with Mascaro, which they have signed,” Bartle said.

“While this is a waiver request for the formality of land development,” he said, “the substance of land development has been adhered to.”

Board Chairman Grey Godshall said the waiver includes not requiring a traffic study. He said he understands that is because the amount of waste being handled is not changing, but asked if the company would be willing to do a traffic study if it, in the future, requested a change to its permit to be allowed to handle more at the site.

“It’s a high concern area due to the school and everything,” Godshall said, referring to the nearby Souderton Area High School.

Mascaro said the company would be willing to have the traffic study done if it wanted to increase the amount handled, but said, “We’re not contemplating that.”

In order for the company to increase the amount being handled, it would first have to be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for a “major permit modification,” Mascaro said.

“This is considered a minor permit modification,” he said of the current plans.

“We’re not changing anything that we’re doing there,” Mascaro said. “Same

activity, same everything. All we’re really doing here is upgrading a building that was built in 1980, 1981 and enclosing a lot of activity that takes place in the outdoors now so it’s really better for all of our neighbors.”

The amount of trucks coming to the site will not change, he said.

The new building could be up and running next year, he said.

In a separate matter at the meeting, Township Manager Jon Hammer said the municipality has received a request from Souderton Area School District that Halteman Road be made a no parking zone.

“I still need to circle back with them to see specifically from where to where they’d like it placed,” Hammer said.

“I guess it’s become problematic for bigger events,” at the high school, Hammer said, “and even for drop-offs, I guess some parents will sit back there and wait.”

Hammer said the township staff had discussed the proposal and agrees with the school district that it makes sense.