Avalon Residents Object to Builder’s Plan

AVALON – Residents from the area of Seventh Street went to Avalon Borough Council’s Sept. 13 work session to object to a proposed realignment of an easement. A technical land-use topic drew public comment because of a plan by builder Thomas Welsh to place three houses on a lot which currently has a single home.
Welsh could place two homes on the lot, located at 606 Seventh St., without any need for a variance. What Welsh is proposing is to purchase up to 10 feet of land from neighboring 576 Seventh St. and apply for a major subdivision variance in order to place three homes on the combined property.
Welsh has agreements for the purchases of the land on Seventh Street conditional on his gaining the needed approvals. Issues related to the required variances are items for the agenda of the borough’s Planning and Zoning Board.
The only reason the developer’s plans for the area came before the governing body was the need for a change in the easement.
The easement involves space required to maintain an outfall pipe serving four area storm sewers. The easement would not be eliminated but would be reduced. The borough engineer reportedly agrees that less space would still allow appropriate maintenance of the pipe.
The easement issue became an avenue for those opposed to the project to voice opposition to council which otherwise would not be involved in the decisions regarding the proposed development.
Concerns raised by neighbors included already existing problems with traffic and parking, a growth in the impervious land cover, which can increase flooding in an area already prone to it, and concern for the character of the north end.
“This will mean three more pools and probably nine extra cars at three per home,” said Martha Wright, a resident of the street, after the meeting.
The area, also the location of Avalon Yacht Club, has more traffic than a normal residential street. Wright said that the traffic already represents a safety hazard for children.
“Placing three homes where there was one is just not acceptable,’ Wright said.
The issue of the proposed easement dovetailed with another concern raised during public comment, persistent north-end flooding.
The borough recently approved a project to study increased nuisance flooding which has a disproportionate impact on areas of the north end. Council was urged to factor into any plans for flood remediation the rapidly increasing amount of impervious ground cover particularly caused by swimming pools.
Developments like that proposed for the street, opponents argued, only increase the amount of impervious ground cover and exacerbate flooding.
Council took the matter of the easement into closed session and made no decision.
Council must weigh the arguments of some members of the public against the fact that realignment in the easement would seemingly not impact borough maintenance of the outfall pipe and the housing development as proposed would add ratables.
Land use issues are not part of council’s normal purview.
If council agrees to the realignment of the easement, the proposal for the three-home development would next go to the Planning and Zoning Board for the major subdivision variances, providing another avenue for opponents to express their views.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.