West Easton residents are upset that almost 50 Cypress trees on the old Chipman Mill property were cut down along East Street. Developer Abe Atiyeh owns the property.
Especially upset are the residents who live on the residential side of East Street. The trees were decades old and all were well over 12 feet in height. What remains is the 6 foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire.
The removal of the Landscape Buffer between the Industrial District and the Residential District means residents now have an unobstructed view of the dilapidated structures on the property and the gray lint that clings in a thick layer to the side of the main Chipman building.
The lint has been building up from Delta Wash’s dryers. Delta Wash was leased space in the Chipman building by Mr. Atiyeh and began construction work on the space without notifying the borough or obtaining permits when they first took up residence.
Residents along East Street state that the noise from Delta Wash’s dryer exhaust, that faces in their direction, has also increased due to the removal of the landscape buffer.
Noise from Delta Wash’s operations have been a matter of concern, even prior to the recent removal of the trees. Residents have complained at Council meetings that night operations at Delta Wash are an unnecessary disturbance and noise decibel levels exceed limits imposed in zoning laws.
The Borough was not informed that the landscape buffer was going to be removed.
While West Easton has no requirement to obtain a permit for tree removal, there are zoning requirements that include having a landscape buffer between an Industrial District and a Residential District.
It is my opinion that an existing landscape buffer can not be removed without a Zoning Board Hearing giving approval, but I will inquire of our Solicitor, of whether or not I am correct in my belief that a zoning violation has occurred.
UPDATE 4/12: The removal of the landscape buffer continued along the upper portion of the property. The buffer no longer exists along any section of the fence that runs next to East Street.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
