Fans of Star Trek know that the magical, mythical device which allows totally diverse beings from far-flung planets to understand each other's speech is called the Universal Translator. When it malfunctions, welcome to Babel. Or, as we earthlings call it, Krupp.
Red Alert! Our Universal Translators must all be on the fritz bigtime, because the Richland supervisors and Quakertown borough council are so far apart on this Krupp development "cooperative effort" that they seem to be speaking the languages of different solar systems. Qtown thinks the process is almost over. Richland believes it has hardly begun.
Some background, Scotty, warp speed: The land of the old Krupp Foundry belongs to the borough, but about half is actually in Richland. Quakertown wants to sell the whole thing to a developer to build age-restricted housing, but they need a zoning change from Richland. This was one of the reasons council cited for signing the county Mutual Aid Agreement last year (and, of course, the fact that they would have lost all federal grant money if they didn't sign).
Also, you have to believe that the restrictions Quakertown put on former police chief James McFadden, which hastened his retirement, were in part to satisfy Richland's displeasure with the lack of cooperation between the municipalities. After decades of indifference, Council has begun to demonstrate a desire to work with Richland, if only because it now needs something - a zoning change that will allow the town to pocket a good deal of money.
Richland, like most municipalities today, requires developers to make significant contributions, such as roads, parks, open space, or cash. But Qtown is fully built out, it has no development. It doesn't ask these things. So, apparently, council was shocked to learn that Richland expected the borough to ante up. After all, Qtown was going to line its treasury from the sale, but Richland was stuck with the police calls, road maintenance, and the other costs associated with new residents, even if they are seniors.
The process has been drifting, dead in space, mainly because the borough has gone about it backward. Normally a landowner (the borough) would sign an agreement of sale with a developer, who would then apply to the township for zoning changes. Richland would hold the usual staff review, hearings, and negotiations. The same for everyone.
But Qtown is trying to avoid the review process altogether, and just be handed the zoning change BEFORE they sell the land. A home run for the purchaser. No review, no fees, no contributions. No way.
Borough Manager David Woglom is upset that Qtown isn't getting special treatment. "The borough is extremely disappointed Richland doesn't view another municipality differently than it views a developer," he said. "This is so contrary to the regional-cooperation attitude Richland has been preaching to us for years." But the borough is SELLING Krupp to a developer, so why on earth (or any other planet) should Richland give Qtown's pet developer a better break than it would give any other?
And, according to Woglom, QTown is waiting for Richland officials to tell the borough what they want. Not so, says a Richland staff member. When Woglom attended a board meeting in January, the supervisors told him to huddle with Richland's professional staff to hash everything out. But, Woglom went instead to township manager Steve Sechriest.
Sechriest told him off the record what Richland wanted, but Woglom said he would not take it to council unless Sechriest put it in writing. Sechriest told him to go to the staff, as the board had said. Nothing further has happened.
Battle Stations, fellow Trekkies! This is no small request that the borough is making. They want to add THEIR language to Richland's zoning code. Richland already has its own problems with age-restricted housing, since The RCA mob has threatened to sue to prevent development in the township's EXISTING age-restricted district. What Quakertown is asking for is much, much higher in density and impervious surface. Furthermore, Krupp is a postage-stamp size lot, about six acres, with nothing left for the required open space.
So how does council propose to solve this dilemma? They want to call the town park their open space! Quite a sweet deal for the lucky private developer who wins this project - the taxpayers provide the open space from their own existing park! Beam me up, and sign me up!
So, I decided to make like Captain Kirk. Talk to the alien lifeforms. Oh, Martian Supervisor, and Venusian Councilmember, take me to your leaders, and tell me:
In which community will the project be "located" for: Taxes? Census? Police, fire, emergency? Zoning & related land use issues? Code Enforcement? Various code requirements for construction? Developer impact fees? EIT? Assessments? Water hookups? Sewer, water, electric fees? E tc?
Will the entire development be considered as in one municipality, or will it somehow be split? Will the developer have to pay impact fees to one town on the entire development, or just the piece in that town? Might some residents end up with Qtown fees & government, and some Richland?
The response was as quiet as a deep-space star. Or blank stare. None of these issues has yet been decided. In fact, they have never even been DISCUSSED! Not by the board. Not by council. Mr. Spock, send a subspace message to Starfleet with the bad news. The controversy is just beginning.
A zoning change, or anything else in Krupp, is still a light year off, in a galaxy far, far away. Let's look for intelligent life elsewhere.
Live long and prosper, humans. You may need to do so to see the end of this saga.