The Kennett Township supervisors approved the possibility of pursuing an injunction against the owner of 821 Burrows Run Road for violating the zoning code.
“I can say confidently that 821 Burrows Run Road is in violation of our zoning code, as well as our property code,” township Manager Eden Ratliff said, adding that the zoning officer found violations “mainly having to do with large construction vehicles, tree removal vehicles, things like that on the property.”
According to Ratliff, the vehicles have not been removed from the front of the property despite repeated requests, and the township asked a district justice for help with enforcement.
“Tonight, we’re asking the board to add another tool to the toolbox … to allow the solicitor to file an injunction if we get to that point,” Ratliff said at the Aug. 3 meeting. “We don’t know if maybe the property owner will cure the violation, clean up the property … maybe they’ll appeal.
“But if we get through the appeal process, and there is not an appeal, and the property violation is not rectified, we could have the solicitor file an injunction … to ask the courts to mandate that the property be cleaned up. That’s our ultimate goal.”
Ratliff said the township is not at the point of filing an injunction but wanted to have the approval if needed.
“If it feels as though I’m speaking intensely about the matter, and that’s confusing to anyone, you should go see the property,” Ratliff said. “This is a really significant nuisance that needs to be dealt with.”
Supervisor Geoffrey Gamble said he was pleased with the action. “We’re going forward on this because it’s important that the township has rules and regulations that all of us agree to abide by.”
Supervisors’ Chairman Richard Leff said the township has been seeking compliance from the property owner.
“We’ve done this in a very deliberate fashion, with initial discussions, an initial request, and now, lacking a kind of response to that, we need to be a bit more forceful with regards to what the penalties have been for lack of compliance,” Leff said. “It’s not something that happened overnight.”
About Monica Fragale
Monica Thompson Fragale is a freelance reporter who spent her life dreaming of being in the newspaper business. That dream came true after college when she started working at The Kennett Paper and, years later The Reporter newspaper in Lansdale and other dailies. She turned to non-profit work after her first daughter was born and spent the next 13 years in that field. But while you can take the girl out of journalism, you can’t take journalism out of the girl. Offers to freelance sparked the writing bug again started her fingers happily tapping away on the keyboard. Monica lives with her husband and two children in Kennett Square.
