Plans For Water Bottling Plant Clear Hurdle
0 Comments | Standard – Speaker; Hazleton, Pa., Jul 23, 2010 | by BILL WELLOCK
After more than 10 years of wrangling, a water bottling plant planned for East Union Township is one step closer to approval.
The East Union Township Planning Commission voted to recommend the township’s board of supervisors approve developer Stanley Frompovicz’s water bottling plant, pending several changes, on land formerly known as the Brandonville Industrial Park.
Commission members Ed Filozof and Kyle Mummey voted “yes”; Linda Croll was absent.
The commission’s hesitations stemmed from three permits, a zoning board variance and changes to the site design.
Planning commission solicitor Donald Karpowich said the plant needs an SEO permit, which is for on-site sewer and provided by the township; an E&S permit, which is for erosion and sediment and provided by the county; and a sewage planning permit, which is provided by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The plant also needs a variance from the township’s zoning board. Right now, plans for the plant include 46 parking spaces. The ordinance governing parking spaces for the plant stipulates that it needs 138 parking spaces.
Finally, the plans for the plant must be modified to follow requirements from the fire chief, which include three fire hydrants – one on each corner of the building, rather than the one fire hydrant included – and a 20-foot-wide emergency access road circling the building.
After Frompovicz, his attorney Sam Scott, engineer Charles Yourshaw and members of the planning commission discussed modifying the site plan to comply with the fire chief’s requirements, the commission heard public comments.
One woman questioned how much water the plant would use each day. Frompovicz said the Susquehanna River Basin Commission allows him 200,000 gallons per day.
She also asked about the timing of the zoning ordinance and the name of the company, Signature Springs. Frompovicz’s business for the plant has had the name Far Away Springs. The company was referred to by that name as recently as March.
The woman noted that Signature Springs was not issued a zoning permit by the county, and in fact, the zoning permit issued to U.S. Realty Partners and Yourshaw, who drew up plans for the plant, was issued in May 2007.
Karpowich said a zoning officer will have to issue another zoning permit with the name of the company that eventually runs the plant.
A man asked if well water would be protected. Frompovicz and Yourshaw said the plant will bottle spring water, which comes from 2 to 10 feet below the surface, and will not tap water that supplies wells.
Following the planning commission meeting, the zoning hearing board meeting commenced, and Scott and Yourshaw again presented their plans for the plant, including their request for a variance in the amount of parking places required.
A zoning officer had one complaint: He could not find posted signs advertising the plans for the property, which is required by law. Frompovicz insisted the signs were there. The board decided to take a recess, and all parties drove to the site to look at the signs.
At the site, signs were posted on the property set for development, but were not readable from public property. Karpowich recommended Frompovicz post more signs.
“If the board approves it and someone comes and appeals it nine months from now, they’d have that right,” Karpowich said.
Frompovicz agreed to post more signs. The zoning hearing board will reconvene Aug. 26, the next chance the plant will have for approval for the parking variance.
Documents from an appeal by the Frompoviczes and the City of Philadelphia that was brought to court in 2005 show Frompovicz has been attempting to develop the property for at least 10 years.
In 2001, the Frompoviczes bought a property known as the Brandonville Industrial Park, which had been zoned for conservation residential and high-density residential since 1996. Before 1996, the property had been zoned for industrial use. The Frompoviczes also leased 800 acres of water removal rights from an adjacent property owned by the Girard estate, which was represented by the City of Philadelphia in court.
Land in hand, the Frompoviczes attempted to create a spring water extraction and bottling business. They filed applications for land use and zoning approval, and sought permission to encapsulate three springs; install piping; collect, remove and deliver water; and load trucks
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