Consider for recommendation to the Board of Commissioners approval of a Preliminary Land Development Plan. The Plan prepared by Site Engineering Concepts, dated June 13, 2019, last revised February 14, 2020 shows the consolidation of the two properties, construction of a one-story building with a 4,484 square foot footprint; construction of a two-story addition onto the former residence at 6 Bala Avenue with a 605 sq. ft. footprint to be used as classroom and office space, installation of 34 parking spaces and the addition of a new driveway connecting the existing school to Bala Avenue.  

Expiration Date – 4/30/2020…………..……...............…………Zoning – R4/R6A/CAD-BV/HROD

Applicant: Kathy Kotchick, French International School

Property Owner: Ecole Francaise Inter De Phila

Applicant's Representative: Ross Weiss, Esquire,Cozen O'Connor

On Monday, March 2, 2020 the Planning Commission recommended approval subject to the following conditions: 

Township Engineer’s Review:

1.  The Township Engineer’s review letter dated February 24, 2020 shall be incorporated by reference into these conditions of approval to the extent the same is not consistent with these conditions of approval.

Architectural Elevations/Site Design:

2.  Architectural elevations and renderings of all sides of the proposed building shall be submitted with the Final Plan, including the proposed materials.

3.  The proposed building(s) shall be constructed substantially as shown on the architectural elevations prepared by SMP architects, dated January 6, 2020 with the exception of any de minimis changes, including those mutually agreed to with staff.

4.  All signage shall be subject to a separate review for compliance with the Zoning Code by the Zoning Officer.

5.  The HVAC/mechanical equipment shall be screened on all sides whether on the roof of the building or on the ground. If located on the roof, the screening shall be integrated into the architecture of the building to improve the appearance and better mitigate noise from the unit(s).

6.  The mean grade of the structure shall be calculated and shown on the Final Plan. The architectural plans shall be coordinated with and shall comply with the grading proposed with this application.

Landscape Plan/Streetscape:

7.  A revised landscape plan complying with Natural Features Code Section 101-9 and conditions herein shall be prepared and sealed by a Registered Landscape Architect and submitted with the Final Plan.

8.  The Planting Plan must be approved by the Planning Department and the Township Arborist prior to recording the Final Plan.

9.  A maintenance and operations plan shall be submitted for the proposed landscaping and other amenities installed as part of this project.

10.  The plan shall be revised to provide two bicycle racks on site. The applicant shall work with staff on the design and location the bicycle racks.

11.  Landscape improvements provided for this application shall be perpetually maintained in a healthy and/or sound condition in compliance with Natural Features Code Section 101-11. The applicant shall record a covenant on the property in a form acceptable to the Township Solicitor to guarantee this requirement. A draft covenant shall be submitted with the Final Plan.

12.  Top and bottom of retaining wall elevations shall be provided to clarify grading.

13.  The four ornamental tree species (Crataegus viridis) along City Avenue shall be replaced with a more suitable street tree species. The applicant shall appear before the Shade Tree Commission for tree species approval in the right of way.

14.  The frontage along Bala Avenue should be included in the linear street frontage calculation and the calculations shall be revised to reflect the required plant material.

15.  The additional planting area provided for compliance with the Greening Standards shall not include plant material generated by other Township requirements. 

16.  All deciduous trees shall meet the size requirement for Natural Features Code Section 101.9. If the species is measured by height rather than caliper, the minimum size shall be 12-14 feet tall. The plans shall be revised to comply. 

17.  The applicant shall provide details to staff on lighting and signage.

Stormwater:

18.  Inlets Nos. 5, 6 and 12 shall be shown to be graded in a twelve (12”) inch sump condition in order to increase the efficiency of runoff collection.  Spot elevations shall be added to the plan to clarify grading.

19.  The existing storm sewer piping to be used to convey the outflow from Basin B must be verified to be in good condition to a point where it connects to the City Inlet at the cartway. Any necessary repair or maintenance shall be performed.  A video of the pipe condition shall be provided to the Township for review.

Traffic:

20.  A PaDOT highway occupancy permit must be obtained for any construction work in the right-of-way. This will include the pavement marking changes in the cartway and any signage revision proposed.  The Township shall be copied on all correspondence.

21.  A post-development evaluation of the drop off/ pick-up operation shall be performed if/when requested by the Township.  The queue of vehicles must not adversely impact the public roads.  Adjustments shall be made to the operation if/as required which could include, among other changes, further staggering of the start and dismissal times.

22.  The Traffic Impact Fee for this project shall be based on the increase in PM vehicle trips generated as compared with the Act 209 document base conditions.  The number of 18 trips shall be used to determine the impact fee.

23.  The trench pavement restoration detail shall be adjusted to comply with the township standard details.  A minimum of one-foot of cut-back is required.

24.  The student drop-off and pick-up management plan required with the Special Exception shall be submitted separate from the Traffic Study for future reference and shall be adhered to.

Construction:

25.  The applicant shall conduct regular street cleaning of all roadways adjacent to active portions of the construction site.  Staff shall have the right to order street cleaning more often if there is evidence of construction related debris in the roadway during the project.

26.  The applicant shall document compliance with the notification requirements of the Federal Asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and shall submit an Asbestos Abatement and Demolition/Renovation form to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA at least 10 days prior to commencing demolition. Copies of these documents shall be provided to the Township prior to the issuance of a building permit.

27.  The applicant shall submit a parking plan with the Final Plan detailing where construction vehicles will be parked. The plan shall be subject to the approval of the Township prior to the issuance of any permits.

28.  All construction-related vehicles shall be parked on site or at a remote site not in the neighborhood. No construction-related vehicles may park on the street. This includes personal vehicles operated by construction workers or vehicles operated for construction workers, material suppliers, product vendors, and all construction trades engaged in the project.

29.  All fill material and debris stockpile location shall be provided.  Notes shall be added regarding stabilization of the stockpiles.

30.  The length of the construction entrance shown in the plan view must be modified to match the details provided on the plan.

Utilities:

31.  The location of all transformers and utility boxes shall be shown on the Final Plan. Additional utility improvements resulting in material changes to approved plan including but not limited to the loss of required parking, changes to circulation patterns or the alteration of the quantity or location of proposed landscaping shall require an amendment to the approved plan.

32.  A frame and cover detail shall be provided for the sanitary sewer manhole, Outlet Structures A and B, and Manholes A and B.  Appropriate labels shall be provided on the castings for each.

33.  The 4” diameter sanitary lateral does not have the required minimum slope of two percent.  The diameter of the lateral must be increased to 6”.  The material shall also be specified as Schedule 40 or thicker. 

34.  The size of the proposed sewer main extension to the new sanitary manhole shown in the profile shall be increased in diameter to 8” in order to be consistent with township sanitary sewer standards.  The sewer main must maintain a minimum slope of one percent for terminal runs and shall be maintained privately. 

35.  Adequate vertical clearance to the overhead wires in the area of the bus travel aisles shall be verified.  Adjustments to the wire placement shall be made if/as required.

Plan Requirements:

36.  A specification for the play area surface shall be submitted to evaluated for porosity. The Township Engineer shall determine if it is permitted to be excluded from the impervious surface totals.

37.  The square footage of the porous walks and the synthetic play surfaces shall be itemized in the impervious tabulation.  The walkway width and limits of the play area shall be adequately dimensioned on the plan.  The areas shall be included in the impervious totals if/as applicable. The zoning officer must approve any exclusion of the play areas from the impervious total.

Standard Conditions of Approval:

38.  The applicant shall consider incorporating green technology into the project including but not limited to a green roof, solar panels, geothermal heat and air conditioning and an electric vehicle charging station. The applicant shall also consider having no natural gas connections.

39.  The applicant shall install a Knox Box entry system at the exterior of all commercial, institutional and multifamily residential buildings at or near the main entrance to the building and/or at other locations as determined and approved by the Fire Marshal.

40.  A deed of consolidation shall be recorded subsequent to the recording of the Final Plan.

41.  An outdoor lighting plan sealed by a responsible design professional that includes illuminance patterns shall be submitted to and approved by the Director of the Building and Planning Department prior to issuance of any permits. The location, luminaire type, wattage, means of control and pole height shall be indicated. Lighting shall be designed to minimize the off-site transmission of light, to shield the source of illumination and to prevent glare on adjacent properties. Exterior luminaires shall be full cut-off unless it can be demonstrated that cut-off luminaires are more appropriate and will result in less off-site light trespass.

42.  The lighting plan shall be designed to comply with the IECC or the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 that is in effect at the time of the application.

43.  If required by a Township Public Safety Agency, all new buildings shall have approved radio coverage for emergency responders within the building based upon the existing coverage levels of the public safety communications systems at the exterior of the building.

44.  Any changes to the approved plans shall require the submission of an as-built plan prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. Building and Planning staff can waive this requirement if the changes are determined to be insignificant.

45.  New and existing buildings shall have approved address numbers, building numbers or approved building identification placed in a position that is plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting on the property. The address numbers shall be a minimum of four (4) inches (102mm) high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch (12.7mm).

46.  A copy of the revised plan shall be submitted with any changes highlighted. A letter shall also be provided with the revised plan indicating how each requested revision has been addressed in the re-submission.

47.  The Final Plan, complying with all applicable conditions of approval, shall be filed with the Department of Building and Planning within twelve (12) months from the date of the Preliminary Plan approval by the Board of Commissioners.

48.  The owner shall make payment of fees and expenses of the Township’s professional consultants who perform services on behalf of the Township with respect to these plans and the work contemplated thereunder and will establish and maintain with the Township those escrows for the payment of such fees required by Township Code.  Owner agrees that any statement from the Township for such fees which remain unpaid for a period of 30 days may be recorded against the property as a municipal lien.

49.  The owner shall make payment of the Township Engineer’s inspection fees within 30 days of presentation. A penalty of 1.5% per month will be due for late payments from the date of presentation. If any shares are not paid within 60 days of presentation, the Township may elect to suspend any outstanding permits until all pending charges are settled.

50.  The property owner(s) shall comply with all applicable federal, state, county, local and Lower Merion Township ordinances and laws regardless of specific mention herein.