Heidelberg Township resident Todd Weaver asked supervisors at their Sept. 17 meeting for a driveway ordinance waiver for construction of a garage and driveway at the intersection of Rex and Bake Oven roads.

According to Weaver, he presented the zoning office with plans for the construction project in May 2015.

Weaver said he was told a building permit was not needed for the structure, which included plans for a driveway.

Composed of concrete, the driveway to the structure apparently is in violation of the township’s ordinance regarding construction of streets and sidewalks.

According to the ordinance, any concrete paving must be 20 feet away from the adjacent road’s right-of-way.

Roadmaster Kevin Huber explained to Weaver, due to concrete’s tendency to heave during winter months, the driveway has the potential to raise up to four inches and cause damage to plow trucks.

Township Administrator Janice Meyers told Weaver she remembers him coming into the zoning office with his request for the structure, but said she doesn’t recall any mention of a driveway and his building plans for the project were very vague.

After listening to Weaver and reviewing photos of the property, supervisors tried to devise a solution to the driveway debacle that would satisfy the ordinance while keeping as much of Weaver’s invested resources.

By the end of the night, supervisors suggested six feet of the driveway nearest to the right-of-way be cut back and filled with stone.

In other matters, resident Arnold Metzger, 6143 Memorial Road, asked supervisors why it is taking so long to cut back the weeds at the vacant property at 6150 Memorial Road.

Metzger said that he made his original complaint back in June and still nothing has been done.

Zoning Officer Chris Noll told Metzger the township was waiting on bids for mowing before the weeds could be cut back.

Wirthwhile Property Maintenance, LLC, New Tripoli, was awarded the bid.

Chairman Steve Bachman reported the Northwestern Recreation Commission expects to plant 40 native trees this year in the park and wants to obtain sponsors to plant 33 more trees over the next year.

Bachman also said the recreation commission is looking for ways to improve the walking path around the park and asked the township roadmasters get together to brainstorm for a solution to paving the 1/2-mile path around the sub-perimeter of the park for less then $50,000.

Roadmaster Kevin Huber reminded supervisors the dead trees on Mountain Road, between Blanche Court and Reservoir Road are an accident waiting to happen.

He said the state refuses to take them down because they are a safety hazard.

Supervisor David Fink asked Meyers to compose a letter asking the property owners about the trees.

Zoning Assistant Dawn Didra said the annual newsletter will be finished by mid-November.