A group of homeowners from the Eagle Rock subdivisions in North and East Union townships appeared at the monthly meeting of the Schuylkill County Planning Commission in the courthouse in Pottsville to air grievances against the developer and seek the board's help.

The major complaint was that the subdivisions are becoming overcrowed and the response for ambulances and fire trucks to emergencies take a long period of time. The residents said they are greatful to the volunteer fire companies in the townships their subdivisions are located and other surrounding townships and reported they hold annual fund raisers and distribute the monies to the fire companies to update their equipment.The group would like a fire company to be located in their subdivision claiming they would be alble to fill it with volunteer firefighters. The group claims the winds off a golf course in the subdivision are so strong that if a fire broke out in one of the nearby homes it could sweep through the development. They also expressed concern about water pressure. The group wants to limit further expansion claiming the lots are being reduced in size and homes creating a congestion problem.The planning board sympathized with their problem but claimed legally it could not help them with the problems they expressed.Attorney Robert S. Frycklund, solicitor for the board, said their problems are an in-house issue and they should hire an attorney to represent them to meet with the developers to iron out the issues. Attending were Anthony and Janet Carlin, Judi Keegan, John Gramkowski, Sandra Helvoos, Frank Hellerson, and Mary Rose Alexander.Zoning changeThe board reviewed proposed changes in the East Union Township Zoning Ordinance and recommended that the township approve the proposed amendments as submitted since it appears to be consistent with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Code.Amended was Article 10, Off-Street Parking and Loading, and Section 1006 - Location of Off-Street Parking Areas.Off-street parking may be permitted on another lot as long as the property is within 400 feet of the lot line of the use for which the parking lot is being set.Section 1007 - Drainage and Surfacting of Off-Street Parking Area, the parking area shall be curbed except in the case of a parking lot to be expanded is not curbed.Section 1008 - Section 1012 - Existing Uses, in event of an expansion of an existing building or use on the same or adjacent property the amount of additional which may be required must be submited as a land development plan.Section 1013 - Change of Structure or Uses, the amount of additional parking which may be required must be submitted as a land development plan.Section 1016 - Off Street Parking Regulations, minimum off-street parking spaces for any structure, building or use of land, in the case of an area or stadium the amount of additional parking which may be required must be submitted as a land development plan.Section 1017 - Parking for Other Commercial/ Industrial /Institutional Use,. any nonresidential use of a structure, building or land, not specifically listed within Section 1016 must be submitted as a land development plan.Section 1019 - Provision for Handicapped Parking Spaces, must be abided by the Pennsylvania Uniform Costruction Code related to the amount and location of handicapped accessible parking and access routes.Other actionBefore the board was a request by Eagle Rock Resorts Company for an extension of time on its Algonquin Valley Development because it has not yet received its improvement bond. The Eagle Rock residents asked the board to deny the request but the board granted the extension to its August meaning under the law it cannot deny an extension for bond reasons, however, one member of the board, Anthony Prudenti, cast a no vote.The board reviewed subdivision plans filed with local planning boards and included comments before returning the plans for further action:Subdivision plan of Gloriajean Rossi to subdivide an existing parcel at 42 Shepp St., East Union Township, into two lots, one containing 0.073 of an acre and the second, 0.118 of an acre. The board commented that the Uniform Parcel Number has to be certified by the Schuylkill County Assessment Officer and then recorded in the Recorder of Deeds office; also, the lots are located along Township Route 855 (East Pine Street) and prior to construction of a new driveway, permission to connect to a municipal road must be acquired.The subdivision plan of Davison D. Miller III and others in East Brunswick Township proposes to take 0.50 of an acre located along the east side of the Alex J. and Amy J. Burke property on Nighthawk Drive and annex it to adjoining parcel owned by Dave Miler and Sons on Red Dale Road for the purpose of increasing their parcel size. The board's comment was that the applicant must state in full grounds and facts of unreasonableness or hardship on which the request for the waiver is based, the provisions of the ordinanance is involved and the minimum modifications necessary.The subdivision plan of Felix and Eileen Dicasimirro to install solar panels on their land located along Barnesvlle Drive in Ryan Township. The solar panels are for the generation of electricity to be tied into their existing power grid. The comments of the board is the Uniform Parcel Identifier on the tax parcel and certified by the Schuylkill County Assessment Office and then recorded in the Recorder of Deeds Office.The subdivision plan of Dennis B. Evans, Kline Township, to realign the existing lot lines of his tract of land consisting of 46.608 acres to make two lots, one lot to be 3.509 acres on Mile Hill and lot 2 will be 42.964 acres on Plant Road in Kline Township. The comment of the board was the plan needs a Uniform Parcel Number to be certified by the assessment bureau and filed in the recorder of deeds office.Approve SiloFinal approval was given to install new silo foundations and silo tanks on the property of Yuengling Brewery Company located on East Norwegian Township.The board reviewed a number of projects.Northeastern Schuylkill Joint Municipal Authority is applying to Department of Enviironmental Protection (DEP) for an National Pollutant Dioscharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for renewal of existing water treatment plant discharge to the Pine Creek.Signature Springs, LLC, 22 Spring Water Boulevard, Brandonville, is applying to DEP for a public water supply permit for its existing bottled water facility to bottle and distribute bottled water in 0.5 of a gallon in size.Lehigh Asphalt Paving and Construction Company, Tamaqua, reported it was granted an air quality permit.