Lynn Township supervisors have unanimously approved the newly amended Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance.

The changes were passed despite an issue with the zoning ordinance mentioned earlier during the public comment portion of the Nov. 14 meeting regarding a snag in a local restaurant's development plans.

A representative from Giuseppe's Pizzeria, Route 309, New Tripoli, ad-dressed a letter from Zoning Officer Roy Stewart regarding the restaurant's plans to add an apartment on the second floor.

The letter said the apartment must connect to the township's existing sewer system even though Giuseppe's has a septic system of its own.

"[The apartment] has to connect to the public sewer," Stewart said. "It's in the zoning ordinance. If you want to go to the zoning hearing board, you can state your case."

Supervisor Kermit DeLong took umbrage with this, saying such a connection would be impossible as there is no sewer line going to the area of the business.

DeLong also argued that Giuseppe's already has a septic system the restaurant has been using for years.

Stewart, however, said the system is not meant for residential use, as per the ordinance.

From the audience, zoning hearing board member Steve Feinour chimed in, saying he thought a property had to be a certain number of feet from an existing line.

Though the pleas made on behalf of Giuseppe's were abundant, there was no way around the ordinance's problematic edict.

"I think it should be changed," DeLong said.

In the end, Chairman Justin Smith offered to look into the matter more thoroughly and discuss it in depth at the next meeting rather than delay the amendment process.

After the public comment session came a flurry of approvals from the board, beginning with Adam Asparro's two-lot subdivision on Cardinal Road. The board then ruled to include approximately 20 acres of land owned by Elton and Seleda Weaver at 7876 Allemaengel Road into the township's agricultural security area.

Also receiving approval were the new speed limits for several roads, each subjected to a speed study.

The board agreed on 35 mph for Long Court and Lentz Road; and 25 mph for Old Orchard and Koch courts and Halpin Road.

In the process of approving advertisement for the 2014 budget, Vice Chairman Brian Dietrich spoke to the issue of replacing the township's salt shed, described in last month's meeting as being in "disarray."

"I personally don't think there is a need to build a new salt shed at this time," Dietrich said. "We could set a little money aside every year for five years so that once those five years come up, we'll have the money [to fix it]."

DeLong followed up by asking Roadmaster Bruce Raber if the salt shed would even last those five years of budgeting.

Raber said the shed is currently structurally sound, however, he suggested the board start setting money aside because "things are going to change in the next four years."

"The bottom line is it's still working... it's going to fail at some point in time," Smith said. "Whenever it ails, we're going to have to replace it, so we might as well put a couple of dollars away knowing."

The board also agreed to maintain the status quo by keeping next year's township tax rate at 0.02 mills.