Milford Township looks to update warehouse standards

Milford Township has been asked to adopt new standards set by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) regarding warehouses. The plan the township is looking at as a blueprint comes from York County, a location that has multiple warehouses and logistics buildings of various sizes. The standards would include trans-loading facilities, short-term storage, truck-loading terminals, cold storage, fulfillment centers, and parcel hubs. The Township defined a large warehouse as anything in excess of 25,000 square feet with a ceiling height of 24 feet; a small warehouse would be under that number.

There was some discussion about defining different buffer standards for small and large warehouses, with heavy consideration for residential spots. At its Feb. 25 meeting, the Milford Township Planning Commission said it would prefer parking in the rear of any building. However, if front parking were to be had, there would be a buffer from the road, similar to Home Depot in Westfall.

More discussion is expected to work out the finer details of the zoning standards. Trees and other foliage would be expected to be planted in the berms and landscaping would be maintained by the township, although it currently doesn’t do so.

The standards will also apply to solar farms and power plants, in case there is a call to build one in the area in the future. The new standards will call for all building roofs to be solar-ready for installation after the building has been constructed. There will be a full workshop dedicated to discussing warehouse zoning, although the date for said workshop has yet to be set.

Township mapping

Issues persist with creating a new official map for the township, now going on year four. The planning commission is seeking what needs to be changed and will likely compile and resubmit. A conversation with the supervisors will likely be had on Monday. Eastern Pike County Regional Act 537 Sewage Plan will also be discussed at the next supervisor’s meeting once it is thoroughly reviewed. The planning board will need to research it more before a decision is made.

Other business

There was no update on the Milford Township Comprehensive Plan and the planning commission is waiting on correspondence from the water authority to set up a meeting regarding an amendment to Section 407 of the zoning ordinance.

The search to hire a new municipal planner should be ending soon. The commission is hoping to meet at the joint meeting to speak with an applicant in person soon.