Credit: Amanda Kuehnle/LevittownNow.com
Middletown Township officials unanimously granted a portion of the public its wishes Monday night with the passage of zoning amendment changes that will govern the usage of transient properties in the township.
Township Solicitor Joseph Pizzo noted that the changes, which will go into effect officially on June 11, would amend the zoning, fire safety inspection and rental property ordinances within the township code to promote a better relationship between the municipality and owners of transient properties.
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The changes are to promote better safety, health and welfare for the community and first responders, giving the township easier access inside transient homes, which are defined as being rented between six and 16 people that are not considered a family and all share a singular cooking facility, according to officials.
Middletown, which currently has 35 group homes, not all of which are considered recovery homes, has grappled with the unregulated epidemic for years. According to Pizzo, the potential changes “seek to close the loopholes” that have been created by the Federal Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The finalized amendments to the zoning code will require transient properties to be located in only the apartment office district, the commercial district, the mobile home park district or the professional district, disallowing the homes to reside in average residential neighborhoods.
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Amendments to the township’s rental property ordinance will also require all transient property owners to register within the township, notifying Middletown of where they are located, if they are being occupied and how many renters currently occupy the space.
Changes to the fire safety inspection ordinance will make transient property owners participate in annual fire safety inspections, providing proof that no more than the max occupancy persons are residing inside and that the property is up to all legislative fire safety code.
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While residents urged the township to “have a backbone” in the passage of the ordinance, many wondered about the status of transient properties already occupying residential space in the township. According to Pizzo, any property which has been operating under permits as a rental property prior to the advertisement of the ordinance, will be grandfathered in under zoning law prior to the June 11 change.
Board of Supervisors Vice Chairperson Tom Gallagher noted that passing the ordinance was a surefire way that the issue would end up in commonwealth court, but insisted that a ordinance of its wording gives the township a leg to stand on in the fight against poorly run recovery homes.
