Supervisors to consider waiving Goodnoe permit fees

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP - The Board of Supervisors is looking into whether to waive a goodsized portion of the $139,000 in building permit fees that the Council Rock School District was required to get for its nearly $15-million renovation of the Goodnoe Elementary School.

At the June 26 meeting, the supervisors voted 5-0 to table the issue of whether to decrease the fees until the board receives more information on how much it will actually cost the township to perform the periodic inspections of the renovations which are expected to last nearly three years.

Township manager Kurt Ferguson said that the permits were already issued to the school district at a marginal cost until the supervisors determine how much the district would actually have to pay.

At issue is whether to give the school district a break because it is a public entity which serves the township. Permit fees are calculated in part on the cost of the project as well as the overall square footage.

“Council Rock taxpayers and Newtown Township taxpayers are a largely similar group,” said Supervisors Chairman Mike Gallagher.

“Council Rock also lets Newtown Township use its facilities for township uses,” he noted.

However, Supervisor Rob Ciervo questioned how much it will cost the township to conduct the on-site inspections as the Goodnoe renovations progress.

“Newtown Township taxpayers should not be bearing the sole responsibility of construction by another entity,” Ciervo asserted.

According to Ferguson, Newtown would have to get at least 60 percent of the estimated $139,000 in permit fees in order to break even with the cost of performing township engineering inspections.

At a minimum, the township manager calculated that amounts to between $80,000 and $85,000.

Because the issue of possibly reducing permit fees was added to meeting agenda at the last minute, Supervisor Phil Calabro questioned whether there were any political underpinnings.

“, finG WKLV LnVuOWLnJ WKDW wH DUH discussing this without any information,” he charged, “I hate to think that this is a backroom deal [with the school district].”

But Chairman Gallagher assured him that was not the case, explaining that the addition on the agenda did not have any political implications.

Ferguson agreed, saying that the item was inadvertently left off the June 26 agenda because he was recently on vacation.

Meanwhile, the township manager said that the Council Rock superintendent had previously sent him an e-mail requesting a partial fee waiver, a message which Ciervo said should have been shared with the entire board of supervisors.

Ciervo noted that before he would vote on whether to waive any of the building permit fees for Goodnoe Elementary that he would like to see a detailed breakdown of what it’s going to cost the township in total engineering inspections of the site.

Several other supervisors also expressed similar concerns of whether the township should waive certain inspection costs.

The board eventually agreed to table further discussion until a future meeting when more details will have been made available.

The Goodnoe Elementary renovation project calls for the school district to remove the mobile classrooms currently on the site, and build 10 new classrooms to add to the existing 37 ones. The building will also be expanded, and include the construction of a new entrance.

The district has been in the process of upgrading the 16,370 square-foot building for a while, along with the school grounds. A new enclosed Kindergarten playground is also planned.

According to Council Rock offiFLDOV, PuFK RI WKH LPSURvHPHnW will be similar or equal to what’s been done at other district schools, including ADA improvements, a new entrance vestibule and more environmentally-friendly lighting and electric systems.

In addition, the school district will give the township $120,000 to repave and upgrade Frost Lane, on which the school is located, DV wHOO DV LnVWDOO WwR flDVKLnJ 15

parking spaces for staff and visitors will also be installed.

Goodnoe Elementary is in the township and borders Newtown Borough.

On another matter, Supervisor Ciervo questioned the township’s recent planting of several dozen six-inch potted juniper bushes in the median islands on Stoopville Road.

Ciervo noted that he already received a number of complaints from residents who live along the roadway, and criticized the “seedlings.

“It looks like something my daughter would come home from pre-school with,” he declared.

According to Ciervo, stronger, more durable plantings DUH nHHGHG WR wLWhsWDnG WUDIfiF DnG wHDWhHU FRnGLWLRns. “SR if we plant them they’re going to survive.

“Already the weeds are higher than the seedlings,” he complained.

Supervisor Ryan Gallagher concurred, noting, “I admit that I was a little thrown off by how small they were.

“I would have liked to have seen something bigger in there,” Gallagher added, but at the same time he noted that the cost of larger juniper bushes would be much higher.

“It’s a good monetary savings so if we can be patient and let Mother Nature take her course it may be okay,” he advised.

Meanwhile, township manager Ferguson explained that the six-inch potted juniper bushes, rather than 12-inch pots, were recommended by the horticultural experts, and are expected grow up to 20 inches in a year.

“Larger doesn’t mean more likely to survive,” Ferguson responded. “Bigger plants will not result in less watering, less weedings and less time that [the township] has to be out there.

Several more medial islands along Stoopville Road still have to be planted with the juniper bushes.

“We can continue to do this, “Ciervo cautioned, “but it’s going to be horrible.”

“I think we have to give this time,” Supervisor Matthew Benchener interjected.

The supervisors took no action on whether to reconsider the project.

In other news, Mick Petrucci, president of the Newtown Business Association announced that the annual Antique and Classic Car Show is scheduled for Sunday, June 21 along State Street in the borough.