The Salisbury Township Planning Commission is continuing its review of the proposed new township zoning ordinance.

Planners held a Dec. 3, 2013 workshop on a date when the Zoning Hearing Board did not meet because of a lack of zoning submissions.

The planners' regular Dec. 10, 2013 meeting was canceled because of a snowstorm.

Planners are next to meet 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14, in the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave., when they are again expected to discuss the ordinance. Planners' meetings are open to the public.

A planners' public hearing and township commissioners' hearing on the zoning ordinance are to be announced.

At the Dec. 3, 2013 meeting, Planning Commission member Glenn Miller asked questions pertaining to the municipal planning code and deadlines for appeals.

The wording of certain passages was again challenged.

"Substantially and primarily are two ambiguous words that are throughout the document," Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka said.

"Can you come up with another word?" asked Planning Commissioner member Richard Schreiter.

"Either delete or eliminate," Sopka responded.

The duties of the planning commission and zoning officer were reviewed.

The required size for a building, in order for it to be called a building, was considered. Under the zoning ordinance, if a structure is 50 cubic feet, it is classified as a building.

"We've had neighborhood fights because of these things. So, we needed to clarify," Sopka said.

Other definitions were also discussed, including those for bed and breakfast, dog day care center, manufactured home, greenhouse and heliport.

Also, mentioned were definitions for grading, land disturbance ("exposes to the danger of erosion"), lot width, sidelot and rear setbacks and right-of-way.

Building height was another topic that, you might say, arose.

"If somebody wants to put six stories underground, we're not addressing it in this ordinance," Dr. William Licht said.

"Building height is from ground level," Schreiter said.

"So, we're not counting the basement," Licht said.

Planners will be back for more Jan. 14.