Oxford Borough Council discussed height restrictions in the PD-1 zoning district at their recent meeting. A proposed zoning amendment to change the height from 25 feet to 35 feet for a defined cluster development was reviewed, specifically for the Moran Farm Development.

Borough Solicitor Stacey Fuller explained that the Frost Development, also known as the Moran Farm, was before council to discuss a change in height.

Fuller said, “The applicant has two options to go to the Zoning Hearing Board or to amend the PD-1 ordinance to change the height regulation to 35 feet. I suggested it would be appropriate to have the developer here tonight to discuss whether council is willing to give us a consensus on what they would require.”

The developer’s attorney, Debra Shulski, said, “Sycamore Crossing, which is also a cluster development was approved for 35 feet building height and they are adjacent to this development. I’m not sure how that happened. We can only suspect it was possibly a typo.”

A lengthy discussion followed. Ultimately, it suggested that Frost Developers would notify all residents in the PD-1 zone, and pay for those notifications.

In other business, Oxford Police Chief Sam Iacono asked for prayers for a police officer’s family that lost a member in a fire.

The chief also informed council that all officers passed their firearms test.

A new police vehicle is being outfitted and will hit the streets in three to four weeks.

Iacono informed the council and public that if a police officer is needed, you must call 911. “We do not dispatch from our station,” he said. “It is a county policy. We don’t have dispatching capabilities. 911 also knows where our police officers are located. The county watches the police 24/7.”

Borough Manager Pauline Garcia-Allen informed council that a smaller group of experts are working with the borough solicitor on the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

“There has been a lot of back and forth. We will have a joint work session in June where we will review proposed amendments. We will also have an open house for the public so they can look at key changes,” she said.

She also reminded everyone to check out the new Borough website.

In other business, the following motions were approved by council:

• Acceptance of the 30-day extension which will run through and include the date June 26, 2024, for review of Enox Land LP’s preliminary land development plan of the Moran Farms Property;
• Approval of a resolution designating as blighted property and authorizing the filing of a petition for conservatorship for the property located at 343 S. Street;
• Initiation of the Civil Service Test process, to take place in the summer and fall of 2024, to compile a full-time police officer eligibility list;
• Approval of a Flickerwood Wine Cellars special event permit application for the Flickerwood Vintage Wine & Music Festival on June 29;
• The Sycamore Crossing escrow release for Phase 5B, Request No. 6, in the amount of $160,881.18;
• Authorization to proceed with issuance of bid documents for the Hodgson & Eighth Street Repaving Project;
• The  HARB Certificate of Appropriateness requests for 320 Market Street, 48 Western Terrace, and 25 South 4th Street. 

Council member Bob Ketcham had a PowerPoint presentation on a Natural History Magazine article titled, “Chesapeake Bay a Restoration Blueprint,”  and he discussed how it connected to the borough’s MS4 reduction plan.

During the public comment period, a local resident told council that she and her husband and four other couples were being evicted from their apartments. She outlined steps she had made thus far, but stated that she is having difficulty finding another place to live.

“We can’t afford the cost of rent people are now charging for apartments,” she said.

She gave council her name in the event that anyone knew of affordable apartments.

Council  vice president Bill Fitzpatrick announced that it was National Public Works Week. He thanked the public works department for all they do.