Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association

Candidate for Commissioner - Abington Township Ward 1 Map

Download a PDF with responses by Republican candidate James R. Reeves and Democrat Steven N. Kline. RMCA is pleased to present responses from this candidate running for Commissioner. These are the opinions of the candidate and RMCA is not responsible for the accuracy of the statements or typographic errors.

RMCA: Abington’s Comprehensive Plan appears to represent a major redevelopment and revitalization effort. Consistent with that plan, the Fairway Transit District (FTD) was adopted. These plans are intended to impact the quality of life and tax base in Abington. If elected, how would you spend the next four years implementing or changing these plans? Please name three concrete steps you would take.

Steven Kline: I was involved in drafting the most recent Abington Township Comprehensive plan, played a key role in the development of the Old York Road Corridor Improvement Study and I have been chairing the Zoning Ordinance Committee for the past couple of years. I believe the township’s main focuses is to develop tools that will protect the community from irresponsible and damaging redevelopment through revising our zoning ordinance, creating incentives to property owner’s & developers to produce projects that are beneficial to the community and expanding the flexibility of our commercial corridors to stabilize the township’s tax base.

Our zoning ordinance (circa 1996) contains language that has caused many issues in the township. A perfect example is the extremely liberal and contradictory language contained in the Planned Business (PB) Zoning District which governs most of our larger commercial districts (i.e. Baederwood Shopping Center). By developing new zoning ordinance language, similar to that used in the FTD Ordinance, the township will gain greater control through an additional approval process know as a Conditional Use Hearing, set realistic caps on any future residential density (current zoning would allow 20%-25% more residential units than the FTD Ordinance) and require mixture of uses so that undeveloped land can be preserved while currently developed land maximizes its tax revenue output. I would look to modify the current version of the FTD Ordinance to lower the maximum height and increase buffer and landscaping requirements.

Form a Community Development Corporation, in collaboration with the township, that will encourage developers and property owners to revitalize their properties within the scope of the township & community’s desires. A CDC would be a valuable tool that could court developers that would adhere to the master plans adopted by the township and ensure a productive relationship from the beginning of the process.

Incorporate design standard in all ordinance governing our commercial corridors specific to the areas where they reside. Design standards will enable the township to require that certain aspects, of the development both land & building, conform to the desired aesthetics of the surrounding community. These standards will also eliminate some of the anxiety resident’s experience, with redevelopment projects, by requiring them to incorporate elements that will conform with the surrounding vernacular.

RMCA: Abington sponsored a traffic study in 2007 and identified nine failing intersections in the Township. The Comprehensive Plan calls for educational efforts and an increased use of public transit to impact traffic levels. How would you spend the next four years to improve infrastructure, traffic lights, street signs and crosswalks to reduce congestion, auto collisions and deaths? Please be specific about your priorities.

Steven Kline: If there is one issue that I hear about the most, as Commissioner, is traffic and speeding concerns. I have assisted residents in all parts of Ward 1, including the RMCA, in assessing the extent of the traffic and speeding issues throughout our ward. Woodland Rd, Valley Road, Mill Road, Washington Lane, Meadowbrook Road, Meetinghouse Road, Huntingdon Pike, etc.. Unfortunately one of the largest stumbling blocks is the State of Pennsylvania. By not allowing local police departments to use radar, our police department cannot react to speeding issues unless they can show that most cars on a given road are traveling over 10 mph of the posted speed limit sign. I have worked with our State Rep. Josh Shapiro and Abington Township’s Chief of Police William Kelly to propose language to the state legislature to allow local police departments to use radar. This action would allow local police department’s greater ability to enforce the posted speed limits.

RMCA: A large number of residents have expressed dissatisfaction with 48 foot long billboards potentially being built in the midst of our community. In response, Abington Commissioners have entered into litigation with the sign company to stop or slow them down. How would you modify existing ordinances or craft future ordinances to avoid getting into similar situations with outside entities? Do you believe that we need to review all of our ordinances to ensure that they comply with current Commonwealth law?

Steven Kline: As Chair of the Zoning Ordinance Committee, I convened a meeting with township staff members, the township solicitor and the solicitor of the Zoning Hearing Board to identify problems in the current ordinance (Circa 1996) and determine the best course of action to rectify these anomalies. The committee has worked on many of these revisions but none of them pose a similar constitutional issue as the Billboard case.

Unfortunately with state and federal precedent changing, as land use decisions are challenged through the court system, the township will constantly need to evaluate all ordinances and make necessary amendments to comply with these court decisions.

This is the case with the Billboard issue. Our ordinance prohibits this type of off-site advertising however a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision ruled that prohibitive ordinances are unconstitutional. I voted to fight the billboard developer’s challenge and hire special counsel, because in analyzing the court case, I believe the court left room in their decision for local municipalities to prohibit this type of advertising under certain circumstances. I am also hopeful that with the current wave of municipalities fighting similar issues, many further along in the process than Abington, that a court decisions favoring the local municipalities might be handed down in the near future.

Steven Kline
Democrat
Incumbent Ward 1 Commissioner
Bio: http://www.kline4ward1.com/biography.html