CLEARFIELD – While a 55-lot subdivision in Goshen Township was given conditional approval last week, there are still many hurdles to pass before construction can begin.
According to township supervisor Dave Amon, the land is owned by New York-based Atlantic Land Corp. of Ithaca. The area it is in is located adjacent to the Moshannon State Forest, and will consist primarily of seasonal dwellings such as cabins. The housing association for the development will take care of plowing and such, according to Amon.
There are still some questions regarding the development, however. Jodi Brennan, director of the Clearfield County Planning Commission noted that there are concerns within the CCPC regarding the wetlands in the subdivision. Brennan said that there are many permit requirements that the subdivision must meet before any construction can begin.
To go along with that, the CCPC commented that final approval of the subdivision should be conditional to Department of Environmental Protection approval for all on-lot sewage systems. It should be noted that the subdivision will be served by on-lot water and sewage. It is unclear how the proximity of wetlands may affect these approvals. Each dwelling must also meet setback requirements from the wetland areas as well.
The CCPC also commented on the lack of public water and limited entrance and exit areas to the subdivision could make it a “severe wildfire hazard.”
It should be noted that since Goshen Township has their own subdivision and land development ordinance, the CCPC can only offer comments on the subdivision plan.