On the Ballot

The Intelligencer has published a "finalized" list of candidates for the Mayor and the six seats in the Doylestown Borough Council.



As the only Democrat running in Ward 1, I am excited at the opportunity to represent my ward and the interests of our residents on the Borough Council.

Your Neighborhood Drug Store

At Monday night's Doylestown Borough Council meeting, the council approved the construction of a CVS drug store upon the existing Roy Rogers/Boston Market site. The design of the CVS is impressive and inspired by the details of the Agricultural Works.



Unfortunately, the execution of these projects typically fall short of these lofty aspirations. It is critical that the council and the zoning board ensure that the final design is consistent with what has been approved. The Lantern Hill development in Doylestown is a recent example where the implementation did not meet the specifications and the quality of the original design. Developers must be committed to the approved designs and historically this has not happened.

Hopefully, the CVS store will prove to be the exception to these experiences. I will work for you as both candidate and citizen to help ensure that is the case.

All about a Barn

I participated in the Zoning Board Hearing today to voice my opposition to the large number of variances related to the sub-division of the property next door. I was also happy to be joined by my neighbors. It was exciting to see that the issue energized everyone; some of whom never attended a meeting at Borough Hall.

Prior to the presentation, there was not universal agreement that the development would be good or bad per se. Even in my hand-out, I stuck to the facts and tried to remain neutral. We all agree that the lot is poorly maintained and requires improvement, but none of us were comfortable with the variances being requested.

Ironically, the legal representation and the series of witnesses cemented opposition to the plan. With each witness, the zoning board was discouraged that the proposed plan merited such accommodations. Again, these were the advocates and they failed to make a compelling case. The request for the zoning variances centered around a "barn".

Virginia Hampton, the property owner, will only permit the sub-division if the barn is retained on her lot. This forces the developer to use a lot that is smaller than our zoning requirements. Construction of a 3,167 sq ft house on this small lot dictated a variance on the minimum front yard setback. Effectively, every variance request was necessitated by the small lot size (almost 25% smaller than the required dimensions).

Each witness was forced to dance around and unconvincingly argue that the barn was important. Seemingly with purpose, they did not provide any pictures of the barn. The descriptions ranged from extremely dilapidated to structurally sound. The zoning board, familiar with the barn, asked if demolition or relocation had been investigated. Again, unwaveringly, they stated the barn forced the lot size and the setback.

I was vocal with regards to front yard setback. For all of us, this was a key issue. The witness stated that most properties in the neighborhood were not compliant. A low resolution aerial photograph was used to argue this point. It was not an appropriate exhibit and I brought this to the attention of the zoning board. I also asked the witness, while he was under oath, "What is my front yard setback?". This was a fair, but loaded question. I had him measure it on the survey drawing prior to the hearing. Oddly enough, my property, as with most properties in our neighborhood comply with the zoning requirements. As with all of the variances, the requested short front yard setback was the only practical way to approach the placement of such a large house on an undersized lot.

We were all encouraged that the zoning board was not "buying it" either. When the time came for comments, each of my neighbors voiced opposition to the variances. They were all very effective doing so. With our opposition, there was a common theme: This is too large of a house being placed on too small a sub-division.

Although the board did not render its decision this evening, the legal representation made statements that could be perceived as "defeat". Oddly, Virginia Hampton's legal representation made references to her mortality at her age of 87. Apparently, the barn could not be demolished as long as she was around.

As we walked out, one of my neighbors commented, "For the legal expenses that she is incurring, she could have renovated that barn".

Borough Council Adopts New Zoning Regulations

The Doylestown Borough web site has been updated to include an outline of new zoning ordinances intended to maintain the character of the town.

Click here for more information.

Right Next Door

With the extremely limited number of open lots in Doylestown, developers are making use of every available space to construct new homes. This construction affects our friends, neighbors, and residents of Doylestown Borough. In my case, the problem is now exceptionally close to home.

This past Friday, I received a zoning hearing notice for a series of requested variances for the lot next to our property. The list of requested variances was foreboding: yard setbacks, floor area ratio, etc -- all indicators of yet another "out of place" home to be constructed on a small lot in Doylestown Borough.

I met with my neighbors on Saturday to understand their concerns and questions. There is almost universal interest in maintaining the character of our neighborhood. As candidate and citizen, I offered to research the Zoning Hearing Board application in greater detail.

Today, I visited Doylestown Borough Hall and submitted a formal written information request. The staff was prompt and the documentation was available in the early afternoon. Although I wasn't able to get a photocopy of the entire application, my cellphone camera proved useful for the architecture and survey information. Not surprisingly, the proposal described a large home for lot smaller than the size dictated by our zoning.



Based upon my review of the application, survey, and architecture drawings, I assembled a two-page document outlining the proposed sub-division. It is available for download here. With copies of the document distributed to my neighbors, we will be well-prepared for Wednesday's hearing.

Doylestown Democrat Bios

The Doylestown Democrats have posted candidate biographies on their web site. You can check them out here.

"Borough Council Candidate Detlev Ansinn is president of a local software business and a leader in information systems supporting criminal justice and public safety agencies. As a successful entrepreneur confronting a world of outsourcing, Mr. Ansinn’s company is hiring local workers and attracting international clients with software products that enable project execution at lower costs. He has worked with government agencies in Harrisburg and counties across the Commonwealth and understands the needs of and the interactions between local, county, and state government."

D's for Doylestown

The Doylestown Democrats held their endorsement meeting last night. There's a strong roster of candidates for Doylestown Borough offices. I am proud to be an endorsed candidate.

Click here for more information.

Board of Elections

On Friday, I submitted my notarized petition and financial ste to the Bucks County Board of Elections. I would like to thank everyone who so eagerly signed my petition.

I look forward to the opportunity to be a strong voice for the concerns and issues that affect the first ward. The months ahead promise to be very exciting.

Historical Perspective

While searching for on the net, I stumbled upon a very interesting article by Matthew Blanchard of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In this article, Matthew speaks to the cultural history of Doylestown Borough and the make-up of its people.

Council Meeting as a Candidate

Last night, I attended my first Borough Council since announcing my candidacy for Doylestown Borough Council. During the upcoming months, I will be a regular fixture at these meetings.

Public attendance at Council Meetings has traditionally been "sparse". There were only three members of the public present -- attending a meeting by itself is a conspicuous activity. Given these conditions, Tom Jarret, Council President, took the opportunity to introduce himself. Upon learning that I was a candidate, Tom expressed that it is good for residents of a Borough to be offered a choice.

I'm proud to be a fiscally responsible Democratic option for residents of Ward 1.