Township of Washington

The meeting addressed several new business items and ongoing projects. Key discussions included the Regional Trail Meeting status, noting a railroad easement up to Mill Street in Bechtelsville, and the initial planning for 2026 events such as the Easter egg hunt/craft fair, plant sale, and a potential food truck event. During subdivision review, the board discussed the 1606 Main Street Recreation Revised Plan, focusing on the developer potentially paying a fee-in-lieu to cover cost differences for recreational facilities, with follow-up required regarding the appropriate use of these fees at the WTP. In grant discussions, potential projects for the 2026 Yeck Family Foundation Grant included installing a water service at the WTP. Old business items involved updates on the Padre Pio Trail Easement, where Padre Pio seemed amenable to granting an easement with proposed changes regarding location, trash receptacles, surveillance, and lighting. Concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest under the recreation ordinance (SALDO Revisions) were raised, with a suggestion for the Chair to seek clarification from the Board of Supervisors (BOS). Projects scheduled for 2026 include the Kiosk Replacement Project and the Meadowbrook Connector Trail Project at the BCP, while several other projects were tabled.

The meeting began with a Reorganization Meeting where new officers for 2026 were elected, resulting in Mark Bedle as Chairperson and Dwyane Henne as Vice-Chairperson, and Mark Bedle as Secretary. Actions taken included re-adopting the Board's Bylaws & Rules of Procedure and affirming that the meeting minutes serve as the official report to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. During the Regular Meeting, discussions focused on updated 2025 comprehensive plan goals, the formation of a budget special committee, and concerns regarding wetlands necessitating professional surveys before facility installation. Event planning included scheduling the Easter egg hunt and discussing a winter bonfire and indoor yoga. For subdivision review, the revised plan for 1606 Main Street was approved. Regarding recreation funding, the Board recommended pursuing a DCNR C2P2 grant to help fund the WTP Playground Upgrade Project, which has a significant funding gap. Old business included updates on several trail easements and approval of a draft letter recommending revisions to the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) to align with the PA MPC and include updated recreation fees. Proposals from Chester Valley Engineers regarding the BCP Master Plan were approved for submission to the Board of Supervisors.

The meeting included a reorganization segment where new officers for 2026 were nominated and confirmed. Public comment addressed confusion regarding EAC membership status of former members and the potential need for new members to ensure a quorum. New business involved setting the 2026 meeting dates to the second Wednesday of the month at 7 pm. The council discussed the possibility of forming a subcommittee focused on recycling, requiring current EAC board oversight. Updates on the Red Barn Recycling Center included discussing past cleanup success, concerns over operational costs, and strategies to offset costs by increasing aluminum collection through receptacles in offices and potentially parks, as well as coordinating communications via the township newsletter and Spring Valley Village residents. An action item was to obtain the Red Barn financial report from a former member.

Key discussions during the meeting included planning for potential grant projects for the Spring 2026 funding cycle, which will be further discussed in December 2025. The board addressed access to Parks & Recreation documents via a OneDrive link and reviewed a potential conflict of interest regarding a board member's external representation role, which will be discussed with the Township solicitor. Event planning for 2026 was also introduced for future discussion. The board reviewed a revised recreation plan for the 1606 Main Street development, which includes a dog park, walking trail, and gazebo, tabling further discussion pending a cost estimate from the Township engineer. In Old Business, discussions covered the Colebrookdale Rail-to-Trail meeting, the Padre Pio Trail Easement (with plans for follow-up regarding vandalism and trash mitigation), and various Capital Budget Projects (BCP). A motion was made to recommend Chester Valley Engineer (CVE) to the Board of Supervisors for the BCP Master Plan Project based on their low bid, with a revised scope to be presented in December. The board also addressed the draft 2026 Parks & Recreation Annual Report.

The Planning Commission meeting addressed several agenda items, including the acceptance of the Rose Gross Minor Subdivision plan, which separates residential property from commercial land use without proposing new construction. A significant discussion occurred regarding the 1606 Main St. Land Development Plan, specifically concerning whether residential use is permissible in a commercial district under an existing court order, leading to a failed motion to seek outside counsel advice on the legality of the settlement agreement. The commission recommended Conditional Preliminary Plan Approval for the 1606 Main St. plan, contingent upon addressing all review letter comments. Furthermore, the commission recommended granting subdivision extensions for several land development plans, including 1606 Main St., Reserve at Barto, Washington CSG1, LLC, D'Angelo Minor Subdivision, Edison Walk Residential Subdivision, and J.D.McGovern Land Dev Plan. The approval of the November 6, 2025 minutes was tabled due to a lack of quorum among members present at that prior meeting.