The subdivision plan of Cove Village Association for 108 acres located in East Union Township received approval from the Schuylkill County Planning Commission at its monthly meeting held at the courthouse in Pottsville. The action allows Cove Village to annex the land to Eagle Rock Resorts Company's development in the township.

The commission also approved request of a waiver of two-foot contours made by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown pertaining to its church property in Minersville Borough. The diocese is subdividing the rectory from Saint Francis of Assisi Church, which was closed.Susan A. Smith, director of the planning commission, informed the board of revisions the commission now must follow to comply with Act 247 (Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code), which has been changed. Municiple Reviews has been replaced on the agenda with revised Municipal Reviews which fall under two categories, "Subdivision and Land Development Act 247 Municipal Reviews" and "All Other Act 247 Municipal Reviews," in which the board renders comments. Reviews of Act 537 (Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities) plan will be presented separately for review on which it take action to endorse.Five subdivision plans submitted to local planning boards were reviewed by the commission with comments as follows:Plan of John J. and Ann Bulavage and Lutheran Church of the Advent seeking a boundary line adjustment between the owners. The tract is located at 324 Mulberry Street, Village of Tuscarora, Schuylkill Township, and is located in an R-4 Medium to HIgh Residential Zoning District. The board ruled the tract must be certified by the Schuylkill County Assessment Office prior to recording in the Recorder of Deeds Office.Gordon Land Corporation Subdivision plan to annex 5.055 acres which is a parcel located in 134.855 acres parent tract owned by Gordon Land Corporation in Butler Township to land of John C. and Amanda J. Kelly. The parcel is located at 131 Springwood Avenue, approximately two miles from State Route 209. No development on the joint lands is proposed. The subdivision annexation is for the purpose of open space zoning district and an R-2 Low Density Residential zoning district. The commission ruled the requirements of Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Code, the applicant must state in full the grounds and facts of unreasonableness or hardship on which the request for the waiver is based, the provision of the ordinance involved and the minimum modification necessary. The commission requested a copy of all municipal township decisions which the applicant received.Bensinger Land Development Plan of Wayne E. Bensinger and Elaine Maneval, owners, South Manheim Township, seek to construct an additional single family dwelling on a 100.1-acre existing lot with an existing dwelling located along West Deerview Drive (Township Route 661), less than a half mile from Berks County border. The area is zoned Agriculture and Conservation District. The commission ruled the tract has to be certified by the Schuylkill County Assessment Bureau prior to recording in the county Recorder of Deeds office and since an on-lot sewage system is proposed a plan must be submitted to DEP (Department of Environmental Protection).Rausch Creek Land, L.P., Tremont Township, proposes to annex a .222-acre lot and a 1.156-acre lot to an existing one-acre lot in the Village of Lincoln Subdivision. The tract is situated just east of the Tremont Township and Porter Township borders off Lincoln Road (Township Route 625) and is zoned CM (Conservation Mining) District. The commission ruled an easement agreement should be provided to access the lot from approved streets.Coal Castle Fuels, Inc. Subdivision, Cass Township, seeks to subdivide and create one lot and annex two parcels to existing lands. The tract is located on the southwest side of Sunbury Road (State Route 901) and is zoned CM (Conservation Mining) District. It is requesting waivers for utility size and location and contours. The commission ruled since lot one is proposed not for development the applicant should submit a non-building waiver and the plan must be certified by the county's assessment bureau before the deed is recorded.Stephen Russial, Nancy Russial, Floyd M. Seltzer and Michelle E. Seltzer, owners of the Russial and Seltzer Two-Lot Minor Subdivision in South Manheim Township seek to subdivide a 46.606-acre site into two residential lots. Both lots will be 22.303 acres and will be served by on-water supply and sewage system with single family homes constructed on both lots. The area is zoned R (Rural) and A (Agriculture) districts. The commission ruled since the proposed lots will have a driveway access to Schuylkill Mountain Road (Township Route 655), a new driveway permission must be obtained from the municipality.Natanial L. and Phyllis M. Eby, owners of a tract of land situated adjacent to Stone Mountain Road (Township Route 673) in Wayne Township, seek to subdivide a .930-acre lot into a residential single family detached dwelling with on-lot water and sewage facilities. Lot two has all the facilities. The area is zoned R-2 (Medium Density Residential) District. The commission ruled the tax parcel number must be certified by the assessment bureau before recorded and a permit must be obtained from DEP for the sewage plan.Projects reviewedThe commission reviewed a number of area proposed projects in the county.Skelly and Loy, Inc., notified the commission its intent to submit applications to DEP on behalf of PennDOT District 5-0 for the bridge rehabilitation which carries State Route 209 over Little Schuylkill River in Tamaqua Borough. The project consists of rehabilitating the existing three-span stone arch bridge and replacing the sidewalk piers which carry the road over the river.Jim Hower and Slayton Altenburg notified the county they are applying for an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit for stormwater discharges associated with construction activities for the extension of a gravel driveway and construction of two single family detached dwellings along Dairy Road, West Penn Township. They report the subdivision plan for this project has been approved.The county was informed by DEP it has reviewed Component One of the Paul Warner Subdivision's sewage planning module in Walker Township and found it adequate and accepted the proposal.Gary Bender, president of the commission, presided. A visitor to the meeting was Commissioner Gary J. Hess, who has since his election sat in a number of meetings of boards appointed by the commissioners.