Zoning Question

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Rick 386
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Post by Rick 386 » Sun. Oct. 26, 2014 9:27 pm

Don't know if anyone here can help me out or not.

Was mowing the property line today and noticed the new house being built next to our property. They recently installed a "Sand Mound" style drain field. The graded off side comes within 3' of our property line !!!!!! In fact the track loader actually entered our field and dug up some of the grass as he was sloping the sides. I know it is only a hay field but :wtf: You think you can just run equipment onto the adjoining property ???

Anyhow, I was under the impression that most setbacks are 75'from the property line. Let alone install a sand mound right up to the line ?? I already have an email request into the TWP zoning officer asking for clarification. I even have a copy of the subdivision plans showing the 75' setback on their application for subdivision.

Anyone have any input ????

I don't want to be a dick of a new neighbor but I feel that it is too close and would impact our property if we ever wanted to subdivide it. I don't think that this sand mound should be right on the property line and IF it is wrong, they must move it. And I thought that a zoning inspector would be out inspecting and approving any excavation and location of buildings according to the plans..............

Rick


 
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Post by Sting » Sun. Oct. 26, 2014 9:36 pm

as an abutter to the construction = you can go to the local building inspector and ask to see the "approved" site plan -no neighbor interaction = its your right

BITCH if it isn't being followed

ASK why if it looks wrong

tie score

 
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Post by Rick 386 » Sun. Oct. 26, 2014 9:58 pm

Oh I was already there Sting once before.

The first lot to have a house put on it as well a all these other 4 lots all have a stormwater retention basin. The others all dump the overflow onto the road gutter. The first lot dumps it onto our property in an existing natural hollow. Their plans call for the discharge to be 25 feet away from the property line. Well 5' is close enough to 25' isn't it ???

The TWP reply was oh well..... And these guys are supposed to be engineers and they can't tell the difference in distance ?? When questioning the engineer, their stormwater plans are all calculated scenarios. So I have to wait until a hurricane comes up the coast and dumps 15" of rain before I can go back on them.......

But this sand mound needs to be addressed ASAP.

go cheeseheads

Rick

 
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Post by tsb » Sun. Oct. 26, 2014 10:12 pm

Rick,

I'm on the Zoning Board in Amity Township and the side and rear side set backs
are determined by the zoning district. The minimum in any district is 10' for the
side and rear yard. Make them show you in the book and on the plot plan signed
by the Supervisors. Seems a little tight to me.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Sun. Oct. 26, 2014 10:35 pm

Even up here set back is 25' from ANY property line & that drainage onto your property used or not is bullshit. I'd be makin plenty of noise:)

 
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Post by Rick 386 » Sun. Oct. 26, 2014 10:50 pm

tsb wrote:Rick,

I'm on the Zoning Board in Amity Township and the side and rear side set backs
are determined by the zoning district. The minimum in any district is 10' for the
side and rear yard. Make them show you in the book and on the plot plan signed
by the Supervisors. Seems a little tight to me.
Tom, is that 10' from the center line of the sand mound to the property line ??

With the amount of grading to the sides, they may meet that minimum. But I have the subdivision plan showing 75' from the center line to the property line.

Fred, I bitched to high hell about them dumping stormwater onto our property. And their response was wait until it happens and the designs do not work, then we'll look at it......... WTF does a dumb farmer/body man know about water flow ???? I do know that chit runs downhill, and paydays are on Fridays. And that before this subdivision the water was absorbed by all the ground area. But now they created impervious surfaces that may change everything. And that they better not erode my property !!!!!!!

Rick

 
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Post by tsb » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 6:15 am

Rick,

The 10' was the minimum that I found for any district and
that was called a buffer setback so that would be from the
edge, not the center.


 
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Post by coalder » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 6:46 am

Rick, sounds like that "sand mound" just might be the drain field for a built up septic system. If it is there probably are additional regulations just for that. Up here I'm pretty sure that any drain field has to be 150 ft from any well. Food for thought. Good luck.
Jim

 
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Post by Rick 386 » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 7:58 am

Tom,

Thanks for the info.

Jim,

Yes this is the drain field. I really don't care what it is, I don't think it should be right on the property line. If the builder laid this out properly, this would not be an issue.

Waiting for the call back from the Limerick Twp zoning officer..........

EDIT: Received an email back from the Twp at 8:48 AM informing me that they will be looking into this matter and will keep me informed of their inspection.......



To be continued.......................


Rick

 
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Post by titleist1 » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 11:25 am

Good Luck Rick, I hope Limerick is different than when I grew up in the area.

Back then the local developers had a special relationship with the township guys and they would 'win' in disputes like this just by delaying and stalling. Magically inspections would pass and occupancy cert's were issued. The sale of the house would go through and then the new homeowner had a surprise dispute with his new neighbor.

A friend of ours was a farmer and tried a couple times to get some land to perc to increase its value for a sale but the township guy wouldn't pass it. He sold at non-perc price and the guy that bought it was a local developer that magically got it to pass digging holes right next to the old ones. Increased the value of the land and he was able to build many houses using septic systems on it. Another developer built a shopping center after filling in 2/3rds of a spring fed lake. I keep waiting to see the one end of the shopping center drop into a sink hole on one of my trips back up there! This was all in the ancient past so I hope it has changed for the better!

 
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Post by coalder » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 4:09 pm

Rick, now is the time to do your homework!!! And I do not mean this disrespectfully at all. Find out what ALL setback are for construction and in particular septic drain fields. If he is this close, and you don't jump on it, it "could" inhibit further development of your property. I find it very hard to believe that a septic field so close to your line is within code. Do some research. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Stay on it my friend!!
Jim

 
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Post by freetown fred » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 4:35 pm

Good old zoning--what a pile of political *censored*. With a few city yuppies moving to this area--every now & again, they call a public hearing to see how the town feels about instituting ZONING--it's probably the only time all 4 to 500 residents show up at a town meeting & Town Hall only seats around 50 :clap: toothy People get vehement about the zoning issue.:)

 
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Post by tsb » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 5:26 pm

Fred,
Down here, we got rules. We got so many rules, our rules have rules.
I've been on the Zoning Hearing Board for 18 years and I still don't
know all the rules. I can look in the book and tell you how many
chickens,horses, and undetermined animals under 40 lb. your allowed
to have on your property. We may even take a field trip to see your
undetermined animal. If I got paid for being on the board it would be a
crime. I see it as my civic duty and a few hours of entertainment.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Mon. Oct. 27, 2014 6:01 pm

Indeed tsb--one of the points of concern that zoning would of fixed was a specific amount land per animal. Funny thing was that you needed the same amount of land for a chicken that you did for a horse or cow. :clap:toothy Entertainment indeed--I stay active on our property tax assessment, grievance board. Some of the stories are pretty amusing.

 
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Post by Rick 386 » Tue. Oct. 28, 2014 9:57 am

To put it mildly I am pissed.

I should have posted this in FSC so you would know how I really feel.
But I guess you all know me well enough to imagine my response to this:

"Hi Tim

According to our plans the location of the septic system is top left corner if you are facing the backyard. The system was installed 19 feet from the left property line and 21 feet from the top property line. The minimum isolation distances from a property line to an absorption area is 10 feet. That measurement is from the highest points of the top 4 corners or line, not the berm. The septic system was finalized this afternoon and met all of our requirements.

Vincent Smith
Environmental Health Specialist (SEO)
Division of Water Quality "


So the township setback requirements don't mean a friggin thing ?????

There us still a track loader on the job site. I have half a mind to hot wire the damn thing tonight and do a little "modification" on my own.

:mad3: :mad2: :wtf: :blowup:

Pissed Rick


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