By: Stephanie Prokop
SPRINGFIELD At the Nov. 8 Springfield Township meeting, an ordinance was reintroduced that would establish a minimum 10-acre lot size.
State Superior Court Judge John A. Sweeney had ruled that the previous set of "downzoning" ordinances, which had been adopted in March, were invalid because insufficient notice had been provided to residents and because the measures violated state municipal land use law. The ordinances changed minimum lot sizes from 3 to 10 acres in many parts of the township except in clusters designated for development.
Judge Sweeney on Friday refused to reverse his Sept. 13 ruling that overturned those zoning ordinances, but Township Attorney Dennis McInerney explained at last week’s meeting that the judge had recommended that the township give individual notice to property owners.
"There was a series of three ordinances in the last grouping," Deputy Mayor Denis McDaniel said Wednesday. "Basically we’ve set the other two aside from now, and we are just concentrating on the one that deals with establishing a hamlet residential zone."
He said Wednesday there has been no decision made by township officials as to whether they would appeal the judge’s ruling.
A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for December 6, at 8 p.m.

