DAMASCUS, PA — The Damascus Township Board of Supervisors discussed the LaBella Solar project, a political yard signs ordinance, EMS mutual aid agreements and parks and recreation funding at its meeting on Monday, October 21. 

The township approved a financial waiver for LaBella Solar, and carried a motion to amend the zoning ordinance for political yard signs. 

LaBella Solar

LaBella Solar requested an extension on its permit which expires November 18. 

An Environmental Impact statement is in process for the project. Additionally, the Army Corp Of Engineers report and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection report are expected, but LaBella Solar has no control over how long it will take to receive those reports. 

Damascus Supervisors agreed to review the request for extension at its November Meeting.

LaBella also requested a waiver on the financial guarantee. The township's zoning officer, Ed Lagarenne, explained the reason for a financial guarantee. In the case of a major subdivision, for example, the project builder is required to guarantee 20% of the engineer’s estimate for completing the project is on hand. That way, if the project builder should back out of the subdivision development, the township would have funds to complete roads and so forth, so that the property would not have to be sold with road access. 

In this case, as explained by Lagarenne, the financial requirement is not relevant to this solar energy project. Thus, the approval of the financial waiver was granted. 

Political yard signs 

The issue of political yard signs was again discussed, and a motion to amend the zoning ordinance for political yard signs was carried. 

According to the current ordinance, this type of temporary sign is now permitted 30 days before a general election or a primary election, and should be removed 10 days after the election. Thus, ten days after the election, landowners must remove the signs on their property. 

These kinds of signs will be permitted 90 days before the election if the amendment passes and the requirement for a permit will be eliminated as well. 

This change requires a public hearing to go into effect. A public meeting will be scheduled for the future, and there will be notices alerting the public when and where the meeting will occur. 

In the meantime, the Damascus Township website has the following warning: “All political signs must be removed by Friday, November 15. Violators will be cited." 

EMS

Damascus Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps (DTVAC) member Betsy Turner spoke about the mutual aid issue. 

DTVAC provides ambulance service at no cost to Damascus Township residents and provides mutual aid to Cochecton, Honesdale, Northern Wayne County and Tusten, NY. However, there is no stipulation agreement currently in place with respect to DTVAC responding to the Tusten area. 

DTVAC is willing to ask Tusten's emergency medical services to list Damascus Township EMS as its secondary provider. 

Parks and recreation 

The trail leading up the hill in Damascus Park will be completed using the LSA Funds grant of $250,000 that has already been applied for. 

There was a resolution to implement and request a grant for $215,000 to complete the insulation and installation of a compost bathroom for the park that will meet ADA standards (Resolution 2025-10.) This resolution was passed. 

Links

https://riverreporter.com/stories/a-second-ambulance-for-damascus,157093

https://damascustwp.org/volunteer.html 

https://dced.pa.gov/programs/local-share-account-lsa-statewide/

https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/design-standards/2010-stds/#inPageResult1