PRESENT –Vice Chair McCuen, Member Blickley, Member Hibbs, Member Gallagher, Borough Planner Kennedy, Borough Planner Reilly, Manager Hegele, and County Planner Miklos were present.

CALL TO ORDER – Vice Chair McCuen called the August 12, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Vice Chair McCuen led the Pledge of Allegiance.

APPROVAL OF MARCH 10, 2025, MEETING MINUTES – This item was tabled.

APPROVAL OF MAY 13, 2025, MEETING MINUTES – Member Gallagher made a motion to approve the May 13, 2025, meeting minutes. Motion was seconded by Member Hibbs, all ayes. Motion carried 4-0.
APPROVAL OF JUNE 10, 2025, MEETING MINUTES – Member Blickley made a motion to approve the June 10, 2025, meeting minutes. Motion was seconded by member Gallagher, all ayes. Motion carried 4-0.

LAND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION 333 N. YORK ROAD – Vice Chair McCuen stated the developer, who is here this evening, is proposing to knock down the existing commercial space at 333 N. York Road and construct four residential town homes. The developer Gary Bulicki, developer’s Attorney Glen Kimball, and developer’s Engineer Rachel Butch are here to present what they are proposing and answer any questions. Mr. Kimball stated gave a presentation regarding the proposed application for a minor subdivision which the Borough is familiar with the building that set back off York Road and is currently in terrible shape. He stated that this application did receive three zoning variances all related to the location of the existing building as essentially its existing nonconforming and the Borough has since received a more detailed design created to make a complete submission to request development.

Ms. Butch explained the proposal and stated it is zoned R4, so the project complies, and the developer was granted 3 zoning variances in January. She also stated they have requested 7 waivers and there will be 1/3-acre disturbance.

Mr. Bulicki stated he has 22-years’ experience in real estate and has flipped many homes including Warminster and Hatboro areas, several of which were multi family. He stated they will keep the work to one side as it will take a couple of days for the demo, foundation, and framing and there will be no large equipment as he has been in communication with the HOA regarding timelines and will keep them updated and will not inconvenience anyone and can work around the kids pick up and drop off. He stated that he will comply with all requests.

Planner Kennedy stated he knows this building very well as it was his first job in Hatboro and considers it redevelopment. He also stated it needs more Engineering review but support the waivers, project, and applauds them for redeveloping.
Planner Miklos stated there is no sidewalk unfortunately but asked if the driveway could be made nicer for students and residents. He asked for a walkway, speed cushion, or advisory sign but he supports the project as they have creative solutions to a challenging site.

Member Blickley stated that he is concerned with sediment and water run-off and Engineer MacNair stated the E&S meets the standards and the developer meets the design standards as well.

Merrie Keller, 110 W. Monument Avenue, asked where the developer worked in Warminster and Mr. Bulicki stated he worked on two on Date Street and one on Wilson in Hatboro.

Manger Hegele stated that as the Zoning Officer, she was present at the Zoning Hearing Board and the proposal is that same. She also stated that if they want to vote, they can do so tonight, and the PC would refer to the review letters from the county, engineer, and the letter from Mr. Kennedy and refer to the forthcoming fire marshal review regarding the turning radius of the fire truck, adequate hydrants, etcetera, so that way everything is covered. She also stated they can make the applicant contingent upon all that, and as engineer McNair said, they would never be able to move to the permit process or even recording their plans until they met all the stipulations that are in those letters. She recommended splitting apart the land vote and the waiver as well and that the trash will be handled per the HOA because the HOA has got to dictate where the trash is going to be controlled and the trees themselves, we know how many are being removed and they said they would comply with, planting them on site or planting them off site and they have gotten clarification that they’re doing porch lighting. As far as the six waivers, for number three, you would ask that they add the Northern property line and four, they said they would remove that request, so the waivers being requested from the waiver request that are one, two, three, five, six, and seven.

MOTION – Member Gallagher made a motion to approve waiver request 1. §22-310.1. A(4)(f) to permit this application to be reviewed as a Minor Land Development due to the simple nature of the project and limited site work per Borough Planner Kennedys recommendation in his review letter dated 7/22/2025. Motion was seconded by Member Hibbs, all ayes. Motion carried 4-0.

MOTION – Member Gallagher made a motion to approve the Land Development application for 333 N. York Road contingent on the review letter comments from Kennedy & Associates (letter dated 7/22/2025), County Planner Miklos (letter dated 8/1/2025, Gilmore & Associates (letter dated 8/6/2025), and the forth coming Fire Marshal review letter. Motion was seconded by Member Hibbs, all ayes. Motion carried 4-0.

MOTION – Member Gallagher made amotion to approve waivers 1. §22-310.1. A(4)(f) To permit this application to be reviewed as a Minor Land Development due to the simple nature of the project and limited site work. 2. §22-407.14. B To permit the access driveway to be reduced to a minimum width of 22.5 ft in front of the new townhome building, and 24 ft west of the new townhome building, which is less than the minimum required width of 30 ft. The existing driveway width is 27.5 ft in front of the commercial building. This reduced width is necessary due to the location of the existing buildings and the need to locate parking spaces in front of the new building. 3. §22-408.3. A To permit grading within 5 ft of the property line including the northern property line. This is needed to relocate the 7 existing parking spaces that are encroaching on the adjacent property. 5. §22.413.2 To permit the property line buffer to remain at 8.8 ft wide along the Hatboro Medial Associates property line, where 25 ft is required. This is consistent with the zoning relief previously granted. The applicant will install the required vegetation to supplement the buffer where needed, to the satisfaction of the Borough engineer. 6. §22.413.4 To permit no planting island among the 13 community parking spaces, 7 of which are to be relocated to eliminate the encroachment on the adjacent property; and to permit no planting island among the 14 parking spaces in front of the new townhouse building, as needed to allow concrete walkways from the parking area to the building. 7. §22.414.1. A From the requirement to install new sidewalks along common parking areas since the sidewalk would not be an extension of an existing sidewalk network within the townhome development and would cause a further reduction in the access driveway width. Motion was seconded by Member Hibbs, all ayes. Motion carried 4-0.

TC BONUS SUBSECTION MOTIONS
MOTION TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED TC1 ZONING DISTRICT FOR THE BOROUGH OF HATBORO – Vice Chair McCuen tabled this item until Chair Kline is present.

MOTION TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED TC2 ZONING DISTRICT FOR THE BOROUGH OF HATBORO – Vice Chair McCuen tabled this item until Chair Kline is present.

JACKSONVILLE CORRIDOR ZONING DISTRICT PRESENTATION – (includes between E. Monument & E. County Line with the edge of E. Montgomery)

Planner Miklos gave a presentation on the proposed Jacksonville Corridor Zoning District and reviewed what is currently allowed. Planner Miklos stated the proposed district expands residential and office use but guides toward residential and that the proposal is for in the lines of the town Center district, but much less what you see in TC2. He stated this was subject to some testing and moving as uses that are proposed to this district has overlap with the existing RTC and industrial which is there as well, but it expands the residential that it would be there as well as expanding some of the businesses as well. He made note that there are a few places where it doesn’t extend to both sides of Jacksonville Road as this district is proposed from the area outlined in the black line which is mainly including properties that are on Jacksonville Road between E. Monument Avenue and E. County line and E. Montgomery goes into the edge of it but there are a couple of places where it does not meet both sides on Jacksonville. He stated the Comprehensive Plan is what the proposed idea of what this will be.

Member Blickley stated that he would like to table the vote as he would like to look at the 2040 plan and compare with what is being proposed. He also stated he asked for use regulation comparisons that includes a table of proposed districts and Planner Miklos stated that he will provide spreadsheets to the Planning Commission showing the comparison of current and proposed in each district.

PUBLIC COMMENT – Amy Haigler, 560 N. York Road, stated that she is confused and asked if a tornado were to wipe out all of Hatboro, where would we begin and Planner Miklos reviewed all allowed uses in the proposed Jacksonville Corridor district and stated if a use is proposed that isn’t there, variances would be needed, and they would have to comply with the standards. He also stated that auto repair is not included in the proposed even though there is a lot of automotive in that area currently.

ADJOURNMENT – Member Blickley made a motion to adjourn the August 12, 2025, Planning Commission meeting. Motion was seconded by Member Hibbs, all ayes. Vice Chair McCuen adjourned the August 12, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting at 9:01 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted by:
Diane C. Hegele, Borough Manager/Zoning Officer/ Open Records Officer
Transcribed by Cindy Bollendorf, Recording Secretary