Consuming New Hanover, One Parcel at a Time

Although Township Supervisers lauded the proposed reduction of the 

approved 54-townhouse project to 29 single-family homes on 13 acres off 

Dotterer Road, they balked at the idea that the developers should be granted 

preliminary approval with so many unanswered questions.

Monday night's New Hanover Supervisors' meeting, coverage of which was possible by the fact that it was a fifth Monday in a month, was interesting from the standpoint of development "creep."

President James Madison once said "I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

And so it seems to be with development in New Hanover Township.

While the impact of the 700-residential unit Town Center continues to draw the eye of those concerned about the loss of the township's rural character, smaller projects, whose impacts are cumulative, slip along toward approval.

At least that seemed to be the sentiments expressed by Supervisor Charles D. Garner Jr., who told the board and audience at the end of Mondaty night's meeting that the very thing that attracts residents to so many new developments -- the township's rural character -- is the very thing threatened by the township's counter-intuitive ordinances and developer-accommodating officials allowing for the approval of so many such projects.

In a meeting where the collapse of one developer -- and the bank which had guaranteed the financing

The final, 40-townhouse phase of the Renninger Tract project was 

unanimously approved by the township supervisors Monday.

to- fix the roads the developer could not longer build -- were referred for further legal action, the supervisors were asked to approve two new developments with a total increase of 69 housing units in the township.

Although the supervisors balked at granting premature preliminary approval to a project off Dotterer Road known as Trotter's Gait, a reduction of units from 54 townhomes to 29 single-family homes, they did approval the final phase of a project known as the "Renninger Tract. which will add 40 attached homes to the township's housing stock -- and to Boyertown School District's student rolls.

Located on 33 acres between Middle Creek and Dotterer roads, the Gambone project has been in the works since 2012. Recommended for final approval by the planning commission, the supervisors followed suit and unanimously gave final approval to the final phase.

But afterward, Garner questioned the township's vision -- or lack thereof.

"I question the township ordinances that allow these projects of such extraordinarily high density," Garner said at the end of the meeting. "They are going to have impacts on traffic and parking issues that I would think people are moving here to get away from."

"I'm not so sure what the board's vision is for New Hanover, which we seem to be allowing to be turned piece by piece into something other than the rural character I think we all want," he said. "I am worried it's beginning to look like the eastern part of the county."

The board also put off the task of replacing Garner's wife, Connie Garner, who has tendered her resignation as the parks and recreation director; as well as being briefed on the township's new web site, and plans for the planting of 60 new trees to help control stormwater pollution.

But you can find all that in the Tweets down below.