FAIRPOINT - The Bald Eagle Township supervisors have started a process to undo a change in zoning for an area along Route 150 - a change that never should have happened in the first place.
Property owner Bill Edwards was at last night's supervisors meeting, asking once again to change the zoning of his property, and about 1,000 feet of land along Route 150 near Gibson Monuments, from Agricultural to Commercial.
Township officials said the area had previously been changed to commercial in 2001, but was never reflected as such in subsequent maps.
The supervisors had previously said that could be considered spot zoning, which is illegal, but a check on the laws, and a visit by Edwards to County Planner Tim Holladay, showed it was not spot zoning because it encompasses other properties instead of just Edwards'.
"I pay taxes on general commercial already," Edwards said.
The supervisors - Chairman Chris Dwyer and Jim Bechdel and Jack Bechdel - unanimously approved to start the process to return that area, which includes the Gibson, Getchen, Sullenberger and Edwards properties, back to commercial.
After the township originally rezoned that area to commercial 11 years ago, Edwards built a storage unit there and recently sold a section to Merv Peters for him to move a portion of his sand-blasting business to a parcel in the back of the property.
However, Edwards said he recently noticed the revised ordinance in 2010 moved that area to Agricultural.
Earlier in the meeting, the supervisors also gave their unanimous approval to grant Edwards a special exception to build storage sheds on that ground. That action came after the township Zoning Hearing Board previously gave its OK.
In another matter at Monday's meeting, the supervisors unanimously approved hiring Shawn Kreger as the township's sewage enforcement officer as he recently received his state certification.
The supervisors also held a brief executive meeting on a personnel matter, with no action taken during the board meeting.
