Regency Drive dedication seen as unlikely; tax collection hours questioned
By Jamie Richard, Correspondent, CoatesvilleTimes.com
Valley Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Patrice Proctor (left) and board member Yolanda R. Beattie review issues with residents during Tuesday night's meeting.
VALLEY – The Township Board of Supervisors tackled several community issues in a three-hour meeting on Tuesday evening, ranging from concerns about tax collection to whether a small road could be handed over to the township by a developer after more than two decades.
Resident Kathy Amer came before the board in hopes of having her property reclassified from an apartment to a single-family dwelling. Amer’s property contains two rental units, both of which are under the same roof as her home. The rental units have been vacant for ten years and Amer is hoping the reclassification will alleviate some of the costs for maintaining her property.
“I currently pay three sewer and three garbage bills and it’s just not cost-effective for me,” said Amer.
Amer assured the board that she has no intention to rent the units again and will use the spaces for storage.
“I’m getting a little older; I can’t put up with the shenanigans of renting units,” said Amer.
The board informed Amer that they would look into the procedures needed to fulfill her request, but assured her that her request would be granted.
“I don’t have an issue with it; I just want to make sure we do things right,” said Vice Chairman Christopher Lehenky.
Carl Chetty of Chetty Builders also came before the board to ask if the township would be interested in dedicating a road, Regency Dr., in Valley. Regency Drive is a small road within Regency Apartments that connects Marquis Drive to E. Glencrest Road. Township Solicitor Alan Jarvis informed Chetty that the township is unable to dedicate the road, citing a law that that states a road cannot be dedicated by a township if it has remained undedicated for 21 years.
“I don’t know if we even have the ability to dedicate this road,” said Jarvis.
Even without the law, the board appeared to have little interest in dedicating and maintaining the road.
“Why would we want to maintain a road that doesn’t benefit our residents?” said Lehenky.
The board also expressed concerns over tax collection at the township building. Since many township residents pay taxes at the township building in cash, the board believes there is a large liability in allowing the money to be handled by township employees other than the elected tax collector, Janet Steen.
Steen was previously scheduled to be in the township office to collect taxes on the following dates: Feb. 17, Feb. 29, Mar. 29, Mar. 30, May 30 and May 31. Chairwoman Patrice Proctor felt that these dates were insufficient for the needs of the taxpayers.
“She needs to be here, at some time, every week,” said Proctor.
The board resolved to speak with Steen and tentatively scheduled her to be available at the township building every Monday and Friday through the tax season.
Other business included setting dates for several community events, including trash pickup, community yard sales and a township cleanup day.
The Board of Supervisors will next convene for a regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 21.
