By John Chambless
Staff Writer

On March 20, the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors heard details about what board chairman John Auerbach called the most ambitious Eagle Scout project in township history.

Ethan Shovlin, from Troop 10 in West Grove, presented his plan to build a bridge to connect the Keen Trail to the Wyndemere open space. The public trail is not just for Wyndemere residents. Board members discussed having Shoylin’s volunteers build ramps on an already existing bridge on the trail. The board authorized funding this project up to $3,500. Auerbach asked Ethan to confirm that his Scout Master is on board with his plan before proceeding with the project.

The board heard about three zoning issues in the township:

1620 New London Road will be resubmitting a conditional use application to allow utility trucks on the property;

206 Fox Run Road has been sold, and the abandoned house was demolished;

3327 Appleton Road’s owner and the township went before the Court of Common Pleas on March 12, and no decision has been rendered. The District Court Judge continued the case until the Court of Common Pleas Judge makes a ruling.

The entire report can be reviewed on the Township website (www.franklintownship.us).

By a unanimous 5-0 vote, the board adopted a resolution issuing a hunting license to the Franklin Sportsman’s Association for the 2019-2020 hunting season.

Lisa Zawada, a volunteer representative for the township on the Avon Grove Library Board, introduced herself to the board at the meeting. The library board position had long been vacant. Zawada works in the library at the Penn London Elementary School, and is enthusiastic in her support of the Avon Grove Library, noting that the library is an important community resource. There is a silent auction fundraiser going on there through March 31. The supervisors thanked  Zawada for volunteering.

The board discussed the pending MS4 permit, the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer system permit that the township is required to submit to the Department of Environmental Protection. The permit cycles are scheduled every five years. The last permit application the township submitted was rejected by the DEP, as were the applications of many other municipalities.

An extension to the permit submission was granted to June 15, 2019. After a long discussion, the engineers now have a path forward on how to revise the permit application. The revised application will come before the Board of Supervisors at their April meeting, with the goal to advertise it for 30 days for adoption at the June 19, 2019 meeting. The township will be four days late for the DEP deadline.

The Franklin Township cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 13 from 8 a.m. to noon, with a rain date of April 14 from 9 a.m. to noon. The township contractor has donated use of his pickup truck again this year. Interested neighborhoods or individuals can contact the township office for trash bags, gloves and safety glasses.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].