SMETHPORT — The McKean County Planning Commission on Tuesday granted variances for two parcels: one in Lewis Run and the other in Hamlin Township.
In the Lewis Run case, surveyor Andrew Rosenberger said Deborah Pingie owns a 100-foot-wide lot that already has a 25-foot right-of-way. However, to comply with the McKean County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance that requires a 50’ right-of-way, would make it impossible for building.
Lewis Run Borough has supported the variance.
Regarding the Hamlin Township case, this property was subdivided in 2016 and is now proposed to be subdivided again into a one-acre lot with the right-of-way being changed, making it a major subdivision and requiring action by the county planning commission since Hamlin Township has no planning commission.
County Planning Director Jeremy Morey noted this property is out of the flood zone.
The subdivision report showed 20 subdivisions have been submitted from April 5 through Aug. 11.
Ten of those in Wetmore, Keating, Annin, Bradford and Hamlin townships, Lewis Run Borough and Kane Borough had one lot.
Four — two each in Bradford City and Foster Township — contained two lots.
Five, located in Wetmore, Sergeant and Foster townships and Bradford City — contained three lots.
One contained five lots in Bradford City as a consolidation plan.
Ten from Foster and Bradford townships and Bradford City were filed for review since those municipalities have planning commissions.
No violations have been found since the commission’s last meeting.
In reviewing all subdivisions to the county planning office, it was found that several maps have not been recorded within the 90-day recording time frame of all submitted divisions being approved.
Additionally, it was reported that the Beer Barn land development in Foster Township, already built, has not recorded the map that was approved and was not built according to the plan’s specifications.
In other business, two commission members were re-appointed to four-year terms. Jeff Rhinehart’s term will expire on May 16, 2023. Peter Gardner will serve until April 30, 2023.
Sean McLaughlin of Bradford Township, who began his job as the county’s new GIS coordinator on May 20 — a position that is in the county planning office — explained his job to the commission members.
“’GIS’ stands for geographic information systems,” McLaughlin said. “It is a computerized data management, map-making and spatial analyst tool based on the laws of geography and uses computer science.”
For McKean County municipalities, McLaughlin said GIS can be used for code enforcement, retail site selection, public tree management, storm water runoff/infrastructure, hazard mitigation, parcels/land ownership vulnerable populations and limiting the opiod epidemic.
County residents can use GIS capabilities for determining ownership of land or houses they are interested in purchasing, whether a property is in the floodplain, value of trees on a property, most optimal location for growing crops, as well as the best place for locating a business.
