by Joseph Schultz
When the Leighton Township Planning Commission started working on an ordinance allowing an energy storage facility, Chairman Ben Potts expressed his displeasure with the process.
“We didn’t pick this,” Potts exclaimed about allowing energy storage companies to operate in the township. He said the township can either work with the energy storage companies, or those companies can have the state force the utility project onto a community. If the companies go to the state, Potts maintained that there is “nothing we can do about it.”
The sample of the ordinance that the commission reviewed mirrored the state statutes, with a few variations. Commissioner Thomas Snyder said he wanted to see these energy storage businesses put the money going to the township up front. He said that a number of these businesses change hands, and he was concerned that it would cause harm to the township.
Commissioners also wanted the training of local fire departments included in the ordinance. They will continue to work on the ordinance, with the understanding that to have some say about a project is better than having no say about the project.
In other business, the Planning Commission:
- Continued to work on the short-term rental ordinance. They reviewed a sample ordinance that the commission generally liked it. Potts asked commissioners to review the sample text, and come back next month with whatever tweaks they would like to see.
- Approved a recommendation to the board for an amendment allowing a fitness center in an industrial zone. Jason Derry of Professional Code Inspections (PCI) stated that fitness centers are usually allowed in commercial zones. However, he noted, that the township can allow this because they already allow for archery or gun ranges to operate in an industrial zone.
