Tredyffrin zoning board hears Strafford Station Apartments appeal

By Alan Thomas athomas@mainlinemedianews.com

The Zoning Hearing Board of Tredyffrin Township heard an appeal from Strafford Station Apartments LLC regarding a proposed 10-unit apartment building and also from three residents seeking relief relevant to impervious coverage and setback restrictions Thursday night.

The board sitting for the appeals consisted of chair Nicholas Deenis, also Arnold Borish, Tara LaFiura and board solicitor Stacey Fuller. Decisions on the apartment plan and on a Yellow Springs Road project will be rendered at next months meeting, according to Deenis.

The application of Strafford Station Apartments, LLC was explained as a new, 10-unit building on the Strafford Station campus that will include community and fitness rooms and be restricted to residents who are age 55 and over.

The relief being asked for includes a variance from the maximum height requirement in order to construct the building with a roof peak 43 feet above ground level, a variance from a limit of six dwelling units, and a variance from the parking requirement of two-and-one-half parking spaces per dwelling unit. The developer and owner of the Strafford Station Apartments, Francis Iacobucci of Havertown, wants to provide 1.5 parking spaces adjacent to the building with additional spaces close by.

Iocobucci said that he could not find any 55-plus apartments in the area. A traffic study saw no significant traffic increases caused by the retirement-targeted project.

The application of Philip and Kamila Jodzio of Yellow Springs Rd, Malvern, was also continued until next month.

The Jodzios want to keep an existing carriage-house on the property for use as a non-commercial guest house while building a new house with a pool. The property and the requested relief from impervious limits are a problem because of steep slopes. Two neighbors had questions about storm water runoff and wanted more time to study the plan, although storm-water mangement measures are included in it.

The impervious coverage created by construction of the home and pool while considering the slopes would total 22.7 percent where the maximum impervious coverage permitted is 15 percent.

Applications of Joe and Roseann Murray of Friendship Rd, Paoli for 30 inches of relief to allow for the construction of a front-yard addition and an application of Ann and James Harris, of Mt. Pleasant Ave, Wayne, to allow for the construction of a garage that will encroach into a side-yard setback by seven-and-a-half feet, were both approved by the board.

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Tredyffrin zoning board hears Strafford Station Apartments appeal