Maxatawny Township May Deny Sewage Plan for 100 Homes

Maxatawny Township supervisors are listed to vote tonight, Monday, Nov. 9, on a motion to deny the sewage planning module for University Park Townhomes, a project proposed as 100 homes whose preliminary plan the township Planning Commission recommended for conditional approval 4-0 in September. The agenda, a scan made Sunday, per the file's metadata, gives no reason. The same meeting brings a presentation of the 2027 budget, a vote to advertise it and a vote on a property maintenance ordinance.

A budget workshop starts at 5:30 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m., per the agenda. Both are at the municipal building, 127 Quarry Road, Kutztown, per the township calendar and a legal notice published Saturday in the Reading Eagle.

100 homes and a sewage plan

A sewage planning module is the set of state forms a developer files to show how a new project's sewage will be handled, which the municipality must act on as a change to its official sewage plan (DEP). State rules give a township three choices: adopt it, adopt it with changes or refuse it. A complete module the township does not act on within 60 days, or a longer period agreed to in writing, is deemed approved (25 Pa. Code § 71.53).

The Planning Commission's March 19 minutes list the plan as "University Park/Tuskes Homes" and say, "The project is proposing 100 homes with access from Hartman Road and College Blvd." The same minutes say the developer was "working on public water and sewer issues."

On Sept. 17 the project's engineer showed the commission a revised plan with a walking trail, dog park and community garden in the open space. The commission voted 4-0 to recommend the requested waivers and 4-0 to recommend conditional approval of the preliminary plan, based on the review letters of the township's engineer and consultant and the commission's open-space recommendations.

The commission's Oct. 15 agenda lists "University Park Planning Module review." Minutes of that meeting are not on the commission's minutes page, where the newest set is Sept. 17.

At the supervisors' table, the Feb. 9 minutes record an "Extension request – University Park/Hartman Road Townhouses," approved to April 13. Items labeled "Extension expiration – University Park" were approved on April 13, to July 13, and on July 13, to Oct. 12. The Oct. 12 agenda listed waivers and preliminary plan approval for University Park, as our Oct. 12 preview reported. The Oct. 12 minutes are not on the supervisors' minutes page, where the newest set is Sept. 14.

The budget

The workshop agenda has one business item, "Discussion on 2027 proposed budget." The regular agenda then lists "Budget presentation & Motion to advertise 2027 draft budget." Neither page gives a figure.

The township's 2026 real estate tax rate is 2 mills, according to the county's rate sheet. By our arithmetic that is $200 a year on a property assessed at $100,000, before the county and school taxes listed in our rates guide. The agenda does not say whether the draft changes the rate.

Under Section 3202 of the Second Class Township Code, a board must publish one newspaper notice that its proposed budget is available for public inspection, keep it available for 20 days, and adopt a final budget by Dec. 31. Last year the board voted 3-0 to advertise on Nov. 10 and adopted the budget and a tax rate resolution 3-0 on Dec. 8. The next regular meeting on the calendar is Dec. 14.

The property code returns

The agenda lists a "Motion to approve Ordinance 2026-03 – adoption of 2021 International Property Maintenance Code." The same wording was on the Oct. 12 agenda, as our Oct. 12 preview reported.

A legal notice published Nov. 2 says, in the excerpt shown in search results, that the supervisors "will vote on a Proposed Ordinance to amend the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code" at tonight's 6:30 meeting. The full text sits behind a challenge page.

The International Property Maintenance Code is a model code from the International Code Council that sets minimum upkeep standards for existing buildings, in areas such as heating, sanitation and fire safety, and assigns responsibility among owners, operators and occupants, according to the code's preface. Maxatawny adopted the code in Ordinance 2005-4 and most recently adopted the 2018 edition, with local amendments, in Ordinance 2023-1, per the township's ordinance list. The board passed a motion to adopt the 2021 edition 3-0 on July 13.

The agenda says "adoption" and the notice's excerpt says "amend." Neither the agenda nor the excerpt says what would change for property owners. The township's ordinances page posts no property maintenance ordinance, and the list there ends at Ordinance 2026-01.

Also on the agenda

• Long Lane warehouse plan. The agenda lists "Extension expiration – Maxatawny Industrial Long Lane." The Planning Commission's Sept. 17 minutes say of that preliminary plan, "the parcel is 28 acres, with a proposed 300,000 square foot warehouse," and record no action. The supervisors' Nov. 10, 2025 minutes list "Expiration of extension – Maxatawny Industrial Long Lane," approved "to May 31, 2026." The May 11 minutes list "Extension expiration – Maxatawny Industrial," approved "to November 30, 2026." In May 2024 the item read "Extension expiration – 23 Max LLC – Long Lane." The Hilltop Road conditional use hearing we previewed last week concerns a separate application, by 23 Max, LLC, for two warehouses on three parcels.
• Zoning. Reviews of Zoning Hearing Board applications for 15107 Kutztown Road (Wilson) and 15492 Kutztown Road (Dunkin Donuts). A sketch plan for the second address "converts the existing Valentino's Restaurant into a Dunkin Donuts and a retail store," with a drive-through, per the commission's July 16 minutes. A separate motion would appoint Kraft Municipal Group as an additional alternate zoning officer and floodplain administrator for building permits; the board hired Tiffany Loomis as "Planning/Zoning Officer/Code Enforcement Officer/Building Code Official/Manager" on Sept. 14.
• KU Solar. A motion to enter into agreements, which the agenda does not name. The board reaffirmed its conditional approval of the project 3-0 on Sept. 14.
• Two grant applications. Motions to apply for Local Share Account grants for a municipal building sound system and for capital improvements at the Rodale Institute's property. The Local Share Account is a state program that distributes gaming revenue to public-interest projects owned and maintained by an eligible applicant, such as a municipality, or by a nonprofit (DCED). The agenda gives no amounts.
• Septic systems. A discussion of the sewage enforcement officer, the township's officer for on-lot septic systems, and the sewage management plan "pertaining to next steps." On Sept. 14, staff reported that 10 properties had not completed septic pumping for "cycle 2" and had until Sept. 21 before enforcement.
• Sidewalk. Release of payment #2 for sidewalk installation, with no amount. On Feb. 9 the board accepted a $484,263.93 sidewalk bid from Sacks & Sons against a $457,935 grant, and on Sept. 14 it approved payment #1 for the Kutztown Road sidewalk project.
• Fire companies. The reports list a "Fire Company radio update request" and "Kutztown Fire Co. grant/Township assistance."

Old business lists "Leck Waste Services – update on modification application with DEP," "Discussion on Cherrington property" and "Traffic Impact Study update." New business also lists "Discussion on agreements with Animal Rescue League and The Sanctuary at Haafsville."

How to comment

The agenda's printed rules let township residents and taxpayers speak on each agenda item after the board discusses it, for three minutes per person under Resolution 2018-03. Non-residents are asked to send comments in writing to jwehr@maxatawny.net. The office phone is 610-683-6518 (minutes page).

Corrections: corrections@berksbeat.com.