Peters Township plans for additional ordinances
Peters Township Council may be faced with adopting additional ordinances on storm water management to come into compliance with state – and federal – regulations.
The state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. EPA require urbanized areas, like Peters, to obtain a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit, or MS4, in order to discharge its storm sewer system to surface waters.
The township, which first received the permit in 2003, applied for re-approval of the permit in March 2013. Council recently heard back from the state and may be tasked with more stringent monitoring of streams in the township, which, in turn, may lead to the adoption of additional ordinances.
Mark Zemaitis, the township’s director of engineering, said during the Feb. 23 council meeting that the township has until the end of the year to come up with a plan. In addition to monitoring streams, the public is going to have to be educated.
“It may involve putting some limits on property owners as well,” said township manager Michael Silvestri.
In other business, Silvestri told council that the recently formed township committee that will examine how to best structure new ordinances that will permit drilling for natural gas in the township needs to pick a date to meet and start the planning process. The committee includes council members David Ball, Robert Lewis and Monica Merrell, and Tom Carey and Rocco Mangrino of the planning commission.
Because of changes in state law, Peters must eliminate its Mineral Extraction Overlay District, which would have allowed natural gas drilling in 15 areas of the township, all of which are zoned residential. The township needs to find a way that it can allow drilling to take place, but meet state law, especially when it comes to protecting the environment.
Council accepted the resignation of John Brandstatter from the planning commission. Several people have expressed interest in the vacancy, Merrell told council.
Council unanimously approved a request by Kmart for an outdoor seasonal storage permit. This is an annual request and will allow Kmart to have plants, mulch and other bagged seasonal materials outside.