After four years of delays, revisions, meetings and a public hearing, the Eastern Schuylkill Regional Planning Board member communities finally approved the zoning ordinance changes that had been requested by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

It was in August 2018 that Walker Township received a letter from the State Attorney General’s office indicating that the Attorney General thought that the township’s zoning ordinance was illegal in seven different areas. They had recommended some amendments and changes to fix those problems. Finally, after several more delays, the four communities drafted the final resolutions and held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance changes.

Because the planning board is made of the four municipalities, all four must approve any zoning ordinances.

Walker Township Supervisors on Monday made it official, passing Resolution 2-2022 and the changes requested by the Attorney General’s office, plus some changes each of the four communities wanted. Schuylkill Township passed the resolution on their end on Aug. 1. Rush Township and the Borough of Tamaqua have advertised the planned vote in their communities.

In addition to the attorney general’s changes, there are seven desired changes that were proposed by the four municipalities:

Rush Township requested one change: to allow roof-mounted solar panels to be a permitted use rather than a special-exception use in R4 zoning districts.

Tamaqua Borough requested two changes: they also want the change of roof-mounted solar panels, but in region R5; and to add the “GC” district to the section 1507, subpart H, which is currently a list of four districts where certain signs are permitted.

Schuylkill Township listed two changes: to redo the definition of “accessory use” in the definition section of the ordinance to allow an accessory use not only in the same lot as the principle use is on, but an adjoining lot as well; and the second change is to take motor sport facilities, which are currently a special-exception use in the Gi2 district, and move it to a Gi1 district instead.

Walker Township suggested two changes: changing the side yard setbacks for R1 districts from 50 feet to 25 feet; and the second change involved changes requested by the attorney general’s office.